IIMS News

Carnage at sea in August. What’s happened and why?

Posted on by CEO
Superyacht Hooligan pictured. Photo credit - Nomme Rescue Unit, Tallin
Superyacht Hooligan pictured. Photo credit – Nomme Rescue Unit, Tallin

We hear all the time about exciting breakthroughs in new technology and enhanced safety management systems designed to keep lives and assets safe at sea. We read in various reports that, in general, the number of serious incidents and accidents is falling year on year, leading to my use of the phrase ‘carnage at sea’. So, what on earth went wrong in August? It was carnage at sea! If you can help me to make sense of it all, please do so! Continue reading “Carnage at sea in August. What’s happened and why?”

International Group of P&I Clubs publishes its first Sustainability report

Posted on by News Hound

Sustainability report 2022The International Group of P&I Clubs has published its first Sustainability report, exploring how the Group’s role and current activities align with and support the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals as well as helping to facilitate global trade.

Shipping underpins global trade in a world that is more connected than ever and our industry has a responsibility to make a positive contribution to sustainability objectives. The spotlight on the sustainability of the shipping industry and the increasing expectations of all of our stakeholders have only reinforced the importance of understanding our impact and our potential. Continue reading “International Group of P&I Clubs publishes its first Sustainability report”

Latest DNV Maritime Forecast to 2050 report published

Posted on by News Hound

DNV maritime winnersDuring a press conference at SMM 2022, DNV unveiled its latest Maritime Forecast to 2050 report with a new focus on how to overcome the “ultimate hurdle” of fuel availability. This year’s publication considers the comprehensive production, distribution and bunkering infrastructures required to enable the maritime industry’s shift to carbon-neutral fuels.

The report also presents an updated outlook on regulations, drivers, future technologies, and costs for decarbonizing shipping. It models two different decarbonization pathways: Continue reading “Latest DNV Maritime Forecast to 2050 report published”

Wärtsilä and Maersk come up with a way to stop scrubber discharge pipe corrosion

Posted on by News Hound

Underwater engineeringWärtsilä and A.P. Moller – Maersk have developed a means for preventing corrosion in exhaust-gas scrubber discharge pipes. The permanent in-pipe solution is designed to solve corrosion problems associated with open-loop scrubber washwater discharge.

The majority of the estimated 5,000 scrubber systems installed across the world fleet are of open-loop configuration. With this system, seawater is used to scrub SOx from the exhaust gas, with the used water then being discharged back to the sea after cleaning. Under IMO Guidelines, the washwater from exhaust gas cleaning systems, or scrubbers, should have a pH Continue reading “Wärtsilä and Maersk come up with a way to stop scrubber discharge pipe corrosion”

Hidden corrosion can cause dangerous failures

Posted on by News Hound

Examples of hidden corrosionThe US Coast Guard (USCG) has shared lessons learned from a recent marine casualty that resulted in a severe injury to a crewmember onboard a cargo vessel. The incident brought to light a dangerous and potentially fatal situation involving hidden corrosion involving D-ring lifting points.

While positioning a removable hatch cover on the vessel, three of the four D-ring securing straps failed, causing an uncontrolled snap-back of the lifting sling assembly that struck the crewmember in the head. The three fractured securing straps showed similar failures with a significant amount of corrosion beneath the paint and on the underside of the straps. It is likely that just one D-ring failed initially, which Continue reading “Hidden corrosion can cause dangerous failures”

MAIB: The flooding and sinking of survey workboat Bella

Posted on by News Hound
Bow to stern view of 5.6m open glass reinforced plastic survey workboat Bella moored alongside gravel pathway
Image courtesy of Geosight Ltd

On 6 July 2021, the UK survey workboat Bella flooded and sank while carrying out hydrographic survey operations in the approaches to Lynmouth, England. Bella’s crew abandoned into the liferaft and were rescued uninjured by a local boat owner; there was no pollution.

Safety Issues

– The survey workboat Bella was vulnerable to swamping, even in moderate sea conditions because its multibeam echo sounder gantry reduced its forward freeboard.
– Despite being issued with the necessary certification, Bella was not compliant with The Workboat Code; shortcomings in construction and means of flotation were missed during the certifying survey due to the surveyor’s overreliance on Recreational Craft Directive documentation. Continue reading “MAIB: The flooding and sinking of survey workboat Bella”

Two new ISOs set to be added to the list of designated standards to the Recreational Craft Regulations

Posted on by News Hound

Department for Business, Energy & Industrial StrategyThe Department of Business Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has published an update to the list of designated standards to the RCR (Recreational Craft Regulations). It has stated its intentions to add the following two ISO standards to the list of designated standards to the Recreational Craft Regulations (RCR).

They are:
– EN ISO 8666:2020/A11:2021 – Small craft – Principal data Continue reading “Two new ISOs set to be added to the list of designated standards to the Recreational Craft Regulations”

Corroded pipe led to oil spill

Posted on by News Hound

Corroded pipe caused oil spill - The Swedish ClubIn its latest safety bulletin The Swedish Club has highlighted and analysed an incident involving a corroded pipe that caused an oil spill.

The 15 year-old bulk carrier was in dry dock completing its third special survey. As usual there were also many other maintenance tasks being carried out at the same time, including the replacement of a section of a de-aeration pipe in the cargo hold. The Chief Officer had discovered during a cargo hold inspection a month earlier that the de-aeration pipe appeared to be corroded. This pipe led from the sea chest, passing through the cargo hold, then through a heavy fuel oil (HFO) tank and finally out through the vessel’s shell plate. Continue reading “Corroded pipe led to oil spill”

AMSA provides information on biofouling

Posted on by News Hound
Muscles clinging to the side of a ship - Image credit: AMSA
Muscles clinging to the side of a ship – Image credit: AMSA

In a recent Marine Notice published by AMSA, the agency has given general information to vessel owners, operators, ports and marinas on the Australian biofouling management requirements, the Anti-fouling and in-water cleaning guidelines, the Australian in-water cleaning standards, and the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2011 Guidelines for the control and management of ships’ biofouling to minimize the transfer of invasive aquatic species (the Biofouling Guidelines).

New requirements for managing biofouling on international vessels arriving in Australia began on 15 June 2022. Continue reading “AMSA provides information on biofouling”

Repeated reinstallation of furnace’s burner causes engine room fire

Posted on by News Hound
Aftermath of the engine room fire - Photo credit USCG
Aftermath of the engine room fire – Photo credit USCG

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has published its accident report about an engine room fire on the Roger Blough during the dry bulk carrier’s winter layup at the Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding facility at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

The Roger Blough had a fixed carbon dioxide (CO2) fire-extinguishing system to suppress fires in the engine room; the system was disconnected during winter layup due to the risk of an accidental discharge with workers in the space. Six portable B-II fire extinguishers and one semiportable CO2 fire extinguisher were also in the engine room. Continue reading “Repeated reinstallation of furnace’s burner causes engine room fire”

Further action required following the Conception fire lessons

Posted on by News Hound
Conception. Image credit SeaWayBoats
Conception. Image credit SeaWayBoats

Three years after the fire onboard the Conception dive boat in the US, more progress is needed on the safety recommendations the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued as a result of the investigation.

The Conception was anchored in Platts Harbor, off Santa Cruz Island, California, when it caught fire in the early morning of Sept. 2, 2019. The vessel burned to the waterline and sank less than 100 feet from shore. Tragically, the 34 people asleep below deck were trapped in the bunk room: 33 passengers and one crew member lost their lives. Continue reading “Further action required following the Conception fire lessons”

Lithium-ion batteries: Fire risks and loss prevention measures in shipping

Posted on by News Hound
Allianz have released a bulletin outlining fire risks and providing loss prevention measures while transporting lithium-ion batteries.
Allianz have released a bulletin outlining fire risks and providing loss prevention measures while transporting lithium-ion batteries.

Given the many difficulties in suppressing battery fires, particularly at sea, focusing on loss prevention measures is crucial, whether batteries are transported within EVs or as standalone cargo, according to a new risk bulletin published from marine insurer Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS).

Captain Rahul Khanna, Global Head of Marine Risk Consulting at AGCS, said, “Shipping losses may have more than halved over the past decade but fires on board vessels remain among the biggest safety issues for the industry. The potential dangers that the transportation of lithium-ion batteries pose if they are not stored or handled correctly only add to these concerns, and we have already seen a number of incidents.” Continue reading “Lithium-ion batteries: Fire risks and loss prevention measures in shipping”

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