JUST as last week's column on safe bridge procedures went to press, an e-mail arrived announcing a conference centred on that very topic.

The Third Safety@Sea Week will be held from Aug 29 to Sept 2 in Singapore; during that week, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will hold its inaugural two-day International Safety@Sea Conference.

In its e-mail, it said: "Mark your diary and make sure you are there for high-level insights, debates on operational best practice, crew-competence development, navigational technology, site tours, networking and much more!"