Feature Articles

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has identified a potential risk associated with slips, trips and falls (STF incidents) across the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) between May 2024 and April 2025. During this period, 22% of all injuries reported to BSEE were attributed to STFs, surpassing lifting-related injuries for the first time in recent years. These STF injuries were often severe, resulting in major injuries defined as three or more days away from work, restricted work, or job transfer.

In response to the rise in operator and contractor injuries BSEE initiated a Performance-Based Risk Inspection (PBRI). The inspection covered 19 assets, including production platforms and well operations, across the Gulf. These assets were operated by 17 unique operators. Continue reading “Rise in STF incidents prompts risk inspection”

The Maritime Technologies Forum (MTF) has issued new guidelines for the safe inspection of methanol dual-fuel ships. As the maritime industry accelerates its transition to alternative fuels under increasingly stringent IMO emission regulations, methanol as fuel has emerged as a particularly attractive option, as documented by the increasing number of orders.

However, according to the Maritime Technologies Forum, methanol’s unique properties, including its flammability, toxicity, and corrosivity, present distinct challenges for ship inspectors and surveyors.

A total of 41 safety recommendations have been identified across the inspection process, representing an important effort to provide practical guidance and direction to support the industry’s safe adoption of methanol. The project was led by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) with the participation of various MTF members. Continue reading “Guidelines for the safe inspection of methanol dual-fuel ships”

CHIRP Maritime has drawn lessons learned from a reported incident where a pilot encountered unsafe boarding arrangements, dismissive attitudes from the vessel’s crew, and a lack of care following injury, going against the laws surrounding safe pilot access.

CHIRP received a report from a pilot concerning a non-compliant boarding arrangement and an apparent lack of care from the vessel’s crew. The pilot ladder was suspended from the deckhead and failed to rest flush against the ship’s side due to hull belting – a setup that did not meet safe boarding standards.

Although a small shell door was available for safer access, large fenders had been rigged on either side. When the pilot requested that these be removed to facilitate safe boarding, the master refused, citing concerns about damage to the paintwork. Continue reading “Safe pilot access is not optional – it’s the law!”

Lightning is one of nature’s most powerful and unpredictable forces – and for those at sea, it can be a serious hazard. With around 44 lightning strikes occurring every second worldwide, the threat is far more common than many realise. But how likely is a lightning strike to affect your vessel? Are sailing yachts more vulnerable? And what protection systems are available to reduce the risk? In this article, we explore the real-world risks of lightning at sea and how vessel owners and crew can stay safe with lightning protection at sea. Continue reading “Lightning protection at sea: What superyacht owners and crew need to know”

When it comes to firefighting foams for shipboard use, many marine surveyors feel uncertain about new and upcoming regulation and how it affects their clients. In addition to the new International Maritime Organisation’s regulations on PFOS in shipboard firefighting foam regulations, there are also new EU regulations on PFAS, and the UK’s Health and Safety Executive  is currently in a consultation period concerning its draft legislation on PFAS. Many countries have also issued their own PFAs regulations or plan to do so, so the regulatory landscape is complex, contradictory and fragmented. Continue reading “The burning question: understanding shipboard firefighting foam regulations”