This dataset contains the ship accidents in the Baltic Sea during the period 1989 to end of 2023. It is constructed from the annual data collected by HELCOM Contracting Parties on ship accidents in the Baltic Sea and starting from 2019 from EMSA EMCIP Database extraction (for those Contracting Parties that are member of the EU).

The accident data has been compiled by the HELCOM Secretariat and EMSA. According to the decision of the HELCOM SEA 2/2001 shipping accident data compilation will include only so-called conventional ships according to the Regulation 5, Annex I of MARPOL 73/78 - any oil tanker of 150 GT and above and any other ships of 400 GT and above which are engaged in voyages to ports or offshore terminals under the jurisdiction of other Parties to the Convention. According to the agreed procedure all accidents (including but not limited to grounding, collision with other vessel or contact with fixed structures (offshore installations, wrecks, etc.), disabled vessel (e.g. machinery and/or structure failure), fire, explosions, etc.), which took place in territorial seas or EEZ of the Contracting Party irrespectively if there was pollution or not, are reported.

The dataset contains the following information:

Unique_ID = An unique identifier consisting of 4 digit running number and the year of the accident

Country

Year

Date = Date (dd/mm/yyyy)

Time = Time of the accident (hh:mm)

Location = Location of the accident (open sea / port / port approach, from 2019 -> open sea / port)

Acc_Type = Type of accident

Colli_Type = Type of collision / contact (with vessel / object)

Acc_Detail = More information on the accident

CauseDetai = Details on the accident cause

Assistance = Assistance after the accident

Offence = Offence against Rule

Damage = Damage to the ship

HumanEleme = Occurrence / Reason of human error

IceCondit = Ice conditions

CrewIceTra = Crew trained for ice conditions

Pollution = Pollution (Yes/No)

Pollu_m3 = Pollution in m3

Pollu_t = Pollution in tonnes

Pollu_Type = Type of pollution

RespAction = Response actions after the accident

Cargo_Type = Type of cargo

Ship1_Name = Ship 1 identification (Not published after 2018)

Sh1_Categ = Ship 1 type (according to AIS category)

Sh1_Type = Ship 1 more detail ship type category

Sh1_Hull = Ship 1 hull construction

Sh1Size_gt = Ship 1 GT

Sh1Sizedwt = Ship 1 DWT

Sh1Draug_m = Ship 1 draught in meters / category

Cause_Sh1 = Cause of accidents from ship 1

Pilot_Sh1 = Presence of pilot on ship 1

Ship2_Name = Ship 2 identification (Not published after 2018)

Sh2_Categ = Ship 2 type (according to AIS category)

Sh2_Type = Ship 2 more detail ship type category

Sh2_Hull = Ship 2 hull construction

Sh2Size_gt = Ship 2 GT

Sh2Sizedwt = Ship 2 DWT

Sh2Draug_m = Ship 2 draught in meters / category

Cause_Sh2 = Cause of accidents from ship 2

Pilot_Sh2 = Presence of pilot on ship 2

Add_Info = Additional information

Latitude = Latitude (decimal degrees)

Longitude = Longitude (decimal degrees)

For more information about shipping accidents in the Baltic Sea, see the HELCOM annual reports:

https://helcom.fi/helcom-at-work/publications/

https://helcom.fi/media/publications/HELCOM-report-on-Shipping-accidents-in-the-Baltic-Sea-2019-211207-FINAL.pdf