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How to protect battery systems update by the Norwegian Maritime Authority

Posted on by News Hound

The Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) has published some safety recommendations for vessels featuring battery systems in order to protect them against humid, salty air and seawater intrusion.

Responding directly in the wake of the Brim accident on 11 March 2021 which involved lithium-ion batteries and a preliminary report from the Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority, the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) carried out surveys on board vessels with battery installations with a low IP rating (less than IP- Continue reading “How to protect battery systems update by the Norwegian Maritime Authority”

Emma Louise fatal carbon monoxide poisoning report published

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The vessel Emma Louise
The vessel Emma Louise

On the morning of 12 January 2022, two men were found unconscious on board the sports cruiser, Emma Louise, which was berthed in Port Hamble Marina, on the River Hamble, England. It was later established that both men had died because of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The two men had boarded the boat the previous evening and had left the engine running while they remained in the boat’s covered cockpit area. The MAIB investigation concluded that the boat’s exhaust gas, which contained carbon monoxide, had likely been funnelled into the cockpit by an inflatable towable ski Continue reading “Emma Louise fatal carbon monoxide poisoning report published”

Biosecurity: Insect infestation on ships

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Image by Thomas V. Myers courtesy of the National Pest Management Association
Image by Thomas V. Myers courtesy of the National Pest Management Association

Insects are one of the major concerns for ships as they can cause significant damage to the cargo being transported, and a ship can face severe penalties and delays from the authorities for breaches of biosecurity protocols. In addition, introducing pests into new environments can have severe ecological and economic consequences. Therefore, implementing biosecurity protocols for ships to prevent insect infestation is essential to ensure the safe and efficient movement of goods across borders.

West P&I Club has experienced numerous incidents where entered ships’ have failed to comply with biosecurity protocols Continue reading “Biosecurity: Insect infestation on ships”

USCG PSC Report 2022: 63 ships detained for environmental protection, safety, and security deficiencies

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The US Coast Guard’s Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance has published the U.S. Port State Control Annual Report for 2022. USCG reported that the total number of ships detained in 2022 for environmental protection, safety, and security related deficiencies increased from 63 to 78.

The main findings:
– In 2022, the Coast Guard conducted 8,706 SOLAS safety exams with a total of 78 detentions. Continue reading “USCG PSC Report 2022: 63 ships detained for environmental protection, safety, and security deficiencies”

UK Chamber of Shipping to examine risks of lithium ion batteries

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The UK Chamber of Shipping has established an ad hoc working group to gain a comprehensive understanding of the risks associated with lithium ion batteries (LIBs). The group is to examine various aspects of batteries, including how to guard against such batteries going into thermal runaway and catching fire.

The group has participants from the Chamber membership, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and expert specialists. It is aiming to develop:
– Proposals for regulations relating to the carriage of LIBs on ships
– Recommendations for training and information for ships’ crews Continue reading “UK Chamber of Shipping to examine risks of lithium ion batteries”

EMSA remotely piloted aircraft flying over North Sea

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Photo credit: EMSA
Photo credit: EMSA

The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) announced recently that a remotely piloted aircraft will be flying over North Sea for enhanced maritime surveillance in support of Danish Authorities. EMSA RPAS operational flights started in mid-April delivering enhanced maritime surveillance capabilities over the North Sea region in support of coast guard functions. Given the positive outcome of last year’s RPAS campaign in the region, EMSA has returned to the region following a request from the Royal Danish Navy in cooperation with the Danish Customs and Danish Fisheries Agency. Continue reading “EMSA remotely piloted aircraft flying over North Sea”

First Maersk methanol fuelled containership floated out in South Korea

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Maersk continues the build toward the introduction of the world’s first methanol fuelled containership. The shipping company released a short video showing the float out of the vessel from the building dock in South Korea reporting that work remains on schedule for delivery this summer.

“The launching was successfully completed at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard and the construction is continuing,” says Henrik Ekmann Head of Newbuilding & Retrofit at Maersk during the video. He notes that reaching this milestone has taken, “extensive product and design development from a large number of key suppliers and driven forward by our Procurement and Fleet Technology teams.” Continue reading “First Maersk methanol fuelled containership floated out in South Korea”

Anonymous benefactor contributes £1 Million for restoration of the TS Queen Mary

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An incredible £1 million donation has been given anonymously in support of the TS Queen Mary’s journey back to the River Clyde. The 90-year-old ship, built in Dumbarton, carried 13,000 holidaymakers and was famously visited by the Queen Mother and King George VI. This anonymous gift will “turbo-charge” the refurbishment project as it brings donations to the halfway mark of the £10 million estimate.

Iain Sim, chairman of Friends of TS Queen Mary, is elated with this incredible donation: “Our donations now stand at £4.8million, and we are beyond ecstatic about this anonymous contribution. Continue reading “Anonymous benefactor contributes £1 Million for restoration of the TS Queen Mary”

Sunseeker launches new boatbuilding skills academy

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Sunseeker International has recently announced the launch of a new training initiative to address a national skills shortage affecting the marine industry in the UK. The Sunseeker Skills Academy, developed in partnership with Bournemouth and Poole College, is open to those seeking a career change, offering individuals the opportunity to undertake a fully-paid, 12-week intensive boat-building course.

Successful applicants will learn trade skills across five boat building specialisms, comprising carpentry, plumbing, composite bonding, engineering and electrical installations. Continue reading “Sunseeker launches new boatbuilding skills academy”

CHIRP 2022/23 annual digest published

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Welcome to the eighth annual review of CHIRP Maritime reports, covering all the cases we published during 2022 and including some in-depth articles specially commissioned to highlight important safety topics.

This was our first full year under the guidance of Adam Parnell as Director, Maritime, and Dave Watkins as his deputy, and you will see their influence in the way we analyse reports and seek to extract key points for our readers. As always, they benefit from the wise counsel of our Maritime Advisory Board (MAB) and feedback from our growing band of Ambassadors, who volunteer their time to spread the safety message as widely as possible. Continue reading “CHIRP 2022/23 annual digest published”

Key items to check for enhanced fire safety on small passenger vessels

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Tambrey Laine/Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, via Associated Press
Tambrey Laine/Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, via Associated Press

Over the past year, fires on several small passenger vessels (SPVs) have highlighted the need for a renewed focus on fire safety, says the US Coast Guard (USCG) and consequently has issued a Marine Safety Information Bulletin to address key areas of concern.

USCG has initiated a focused self-assessment by owners and operators of all small passenger vessels, and a Coast Guard-led concentrated inspection campaign. The Coast Guard’s concentrated inspection campaign will include additional inspections of some SPVs initially certificated prior to 1996 that carry 100 or more passengers.

The focus of the inspection aligns with the list below. Continue reading “Key items to check for enhanced fire safety on small passenger vessels”

Improper use of heat cables is a fire hazard

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The US Coast Guard (USCG) has recently investigated a fire on board an inspected towing vessel which resulted in the vessel suffering a loss of propulsion. The source of the fire was determined to be heat cables (also referred to as heat tracing cable or heat tape), which were improperly installed to prevent condensate from forming and freezing within hoses used to transmit compressed air for the vessel’s air-operated engine throttle control system.

The heat cables were designed to be installed on fixed piping systems. They were not designed to be used on hoses or in applications which subjected the heat cables to movement. This installation had the heat cables wrapped around hoses connected to a retractable pilot house, which would move whenever the pilot house was raised or lowered. This movement subjected the cables to stresses from flexing and bending for which they were not designed. Continue reading “Improper use of heat cables is a fire hazard”

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