The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has appointed Rob Loder as its new chief inspector of marine accidents, succeeding Andrew Moll OBE, who retired earlier this month after 21 years at the organisation.

Loder’s career began at sea: after training in heavy engineering ashore, he joined the Merchant Navy, completed a rating to officer conversion course, and rose to chief engineer across a varied fleet, including oil tankers, cable ships, ferries and superyachts. He subsequently moved into fleet management, ship repair, ship build supervision and project management before a period of industry consultancy.

His experience spans design-adjacent disciplines such as ship-build supervision and project management alongside deep operational knowledge. Loder joined MAIB in 2020 as an inspector, progressing to principal inspector and then deputy chief inspector before his current appointment. He is a chartered engineer, marine engineer and Fellow of IMarEST.

Rob Loder, newly appointed chief inspector of MIAB

Headquartered in Southampton, MAIB was established in 1989 following a recommendation from the public inquiry into the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster in 1987, when a ro-ro passenger ferry capsized off Zeebrugge with the loss of 193 lives. It is authorised to investigate all maritime accidents in UK waters and accidents involving UK-registered ships worldwide.

In 2024, MAIB recorded 1,631 reports of accidents involving UK vessels worldwide or vessels within UK coastal waters, with 1,753 vessels involved.

Loder said: “Working alongside the outstanding MAIB team, I am committed to ensuring our work continues to drive meaningful improvements in safety across the maritime sector.”

This article appeared in News, TNA Mar/Apr 2026