A comprehensive book on shipping derivatives and risk management which covers the theoretical and practical aspects of financial risk in shipping. The book provides a thorough overview of the practice of risk management in shipping with the use of theoretical examples and real-life applications.

Insurance is a legal, an actuarial and a financial product, and it is one out of many risk management strategies. It follows that its history can only be studied in the broader context of the development of such strategies, applying an interdisciplinary approach. The theme of the present volume is maritime risk management. After an overview over the history of insurance, the contributions to the present volume examine different maritime risk management strategies by adopting a variety of methodological approaches. Some contributions focus on normative provisions, others contrast practice with legal scholarship, or focus on the emergence of insurance companies as opposed to individual insurers. Again, other contributions give insights in marine insurance practice in specific cities or analyse insurance practice through the lens of specific insurance litigation. As to the time frame, the different contributions span from antiquity to the nineteenth century.

The environmental and human costs of marine accidents are high, and risks are considerable. At the same time, expectations from society for the safety of maritime transportation, like most other activities, increase continuously. To meet these expectations, systematic methods for understanding and managing the risks in a cost-efficient manner are needed. This book provides readers with an understanding of how to approach this problem. Firmly set within the context of the maritime industry, systematic methods for safety management and risk assessment are described. The legal framework and the risk picture within the maritime industry provide necessary context. Safety management is a continuous and wide-ranging process, with a set of methods and tools to support the process. The book provides guidance on how to approach safety management, with many examples from the maritime industry to illustrate practical use. This extensively revised new edition addresses the needs of students and professionals working in shipping management, ship design and naval architecture, and transport management, as well as safety management, insurance, and accident investigation.

First Published in 2005. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

In a multi-million dollar industry such as shipping even small currency fluctuations can have significant effects on investments. Further factors such as commodities i.e. steel, oil and gas and their consistancy of supply add to the risks in this highly capital intensive industry.