The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended that 30 owners of 68 bridges across 19 states conduct a vulnerability assessment to determine the risk of bridge collapse from a vessel collision after the Key Bridge collapse.
The NTSB found the Key Bridge, which collapsed after being struck by the containership Dali on March 26, 2024, was almost 30 times above the acceptable risk threshold for critical or essential bridges, according to guidance established by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, or AASHTO. Over the last year, the NTSB identified 68 bridges that were designed before the AASHTO guidance was established — like the Key Bridge — that do not have a current vulnerability assessment. Continue reading “NTSB recommends risk assessments after Key Bridge collapse”
Germany’s Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation (
The 
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board have released the results of a report after the installation of an incorrect valve in a pipe to a diesel oil tank led to a fatal fire aboard a cargo vessel docked in LaPorte, Texas.
In recent years, IIMS has published a number of articles about the growing problem of what to do with end-of-life boats and the challenges of recycling them. It remains a thorny subject and will be discussed in this edition of what caught my eye: February 2025.
On November 27, 2024, approximately 100 nautical miles off the coast of Virginia, a bulk carrier shipping a type of coal called “Bailey High Vol Coking Coal” experienced consecutive explosions in the two forward cargo holds. While still under investigation, the explosions are likely a result of the accumulation of methane gas that created an explosive atmosphere and resulted in significant damage to the two associated cargo holds. It was soon discovered that the other five cargo holds also had highly elevated levels of methane that were 
The Norwegian Maritime Authority has reported an increase in the number of commercial vessel incidents in the past year. A total of 1,154 incidents were registered on commercial vessels in 2024. Half of these were accidents and the other half were near misses. This represents an increase of about six percent in incidents compared to 2023, according to Vegar Berntsen, Section Manager, Risk Management and Analysis, Norwegian Maritime Directorate. According to Berntsen, smaller vessels are primarily the ones that sink, with the majority being fishing vessels.