5 things to know about the Titan submersible disappearance
Safety concerns
Before the disappearance, some experts raised concerns about OceanGate's tourist submersibles.
In a Wednesday interview with National Public Radio, Will Kohnen, chair of the Marine Technology Society's Submarine Group, explained that companies building submersibles follow a "fairly well-established" framework of certification and oversight.
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"And that was at the root of OceanGate's project, is that they were going to go solo, going without that type of official oversight," Kohnen said. "And that brought a lot of concerns."
OceanGate did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment.
Kohnen further explained that third-party agencies around the world ensure the framework is enforced, with the specialists in submarines including the American Bureau of Shipping, Lloyd's Register and DNV in Europe. The industry expert clarified that these international organizations write the rules and oversee structures such as ships and submarines, and they also review the design.
"They have engineers to review a design," Kohnen said. "They send inspectors to see how it's fabricated, and they witness all the testing. They're generally representative of an owner and making sure that the vehicle is designed to specification."
The Marine Technology Society's Submarine Group chair said that he and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush had a conversation about industry standards and design certifications, and the pair "agreed to disagree." Kohnen stated that, like most industries, regulatory bodies are often "slow" when it comes to new innovations.
"All industries face the same issue. And it is a careful dance of, how do you push regulations forward in the face of rapid changing technology?" he asked. "And so the approach there was, well, it is too slow to react to all this new technology, and we will forego."
When asked whether a pause was necessary to reflect on the approach for deep-sea explorations, Kohnen denied that this was needed. He cited the fact that submarines "all over the world" frequently dive deep into the ocean without issue.
"We know very well how to build and how to design these machines and how to operate them safely," Kohnen said, including ones intended for public consumption; however, the expert admitted these are often "expensive."
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
