It has been a hundred years since the RMS Titanic struck an
iceberg and sank with the loss of 1,514 souls while on its maiden voyage
crossing the Atlantic Ocean. The tragedy was one of the deadliest peacetime
maritime disasters in history. Over the years inquiries have been held, books
written and movies made about the sinking of the Titanic. To this day new
evidence continues to emerge that sheds new light on the cascading series of
events that contributed to design flaws, errors of judgment and failure of the
British regulatory system.
In revisiting the sinking of the Titanic it is
understandable that we get caught up in the human drama and suffering that
resulted but of greater importance is the analysis of what went wrong that is
crucial to placing corrective measures in place to avoid a repeat of such a
catastrophe.
Beginning with the design of the ship and its imperfect
watertight compartments to its inadequate provision for lifeboats and its speed
there was more than enough blame to go around. The magnitude of the human drama
coupled with sensationalism and fictionalized accounts as well as deliberate
attempts to withhold key evidence has created an imperfect perspective of what
went wrong with various observers apportioning blame in a way that would
justify their own personal agendas.
Only now in the centenary year of the Titanic’s sinking are
fresh details and new perspectives coming to light about the many factors that
led to its plunge to the bottom of the ocean. Details that might well have
contributed to an earlier improvement in planning, maritime safety and
management systems. One striking example is the fact that though the lifeboat
capacity was woefully inadequate for the passengers and crew of the 40,000 ton
vessel, the ship was in compliance with the Board of Trade’s regulations for
lifeboats on ships that were over 10,000 tons. The regulations were issued 20
years before the Titanic was built and had not been reviewed in the light of
advances in shipbuilding technology.
We could learn a thing or two from the sinking of the
Titanic in Barbados where the collapse of Clico is still shrouded in fog and
the regulatory response has moved like molasses. Similarly there is a curious
lack of investigation into the causes for the collapse of the Four Seasons
venture and now the implosion of Almond Beach Resort.
Instead we are being served up with a serried of human
interest stories that speak to the loss of jobs and a reduction of our capacity
to serve the hospitality industry. It is time that we review these several
events to determine if there were fundamental design flaws and problems with
the business process implementation. We should query if the and the human
resources employed to achieve the business goals were adequate as well as analyze
the many factors that add cost to doing business in Barbados; and they are
legion.
Unless we do this it is impossible to develop significant
corrective action to improve the effectiveness of the business community in
meeting demand and generating meaningful employment. Corporate welfare is not
the answer and ignoring the economic icebergs may well imperil the ship of
state.
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