Environment Archives - The International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS)

Inspection guidance for small passenger vessels issued by USCG

Posted on July 5, 2021July 5, 2021 by News Hound

The US Coast Guard (USCG) has issued inspection guidance for Officers in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI), Chiefs of Inspection Division (CID), and Marine Inspectors for the small passenger vessels (SPV) risk-based inspection program.

USCG continues to conduct statutory inspections on the SPV fleet in accordance with 46 U.S. Code § 3301; however, data analytics provide a new tool and modernized approach to the marine inspection program to prioritize marine inspection resources. Using various computational methods, machine learning-enabled software, and a database of deficiency and casualty information, the Coast Guard developed a model to categorize SPVs based on potential risk for an undesirable outcome.

The CVC-WI-028 “Small Passenger Vessel Risk Based Inspection Program” issued by the USCG Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance (CVC) on 14 June says:

Continue reading “Inspection guidance for small passenger vessels issued by USCG”

MCA to carry out unannounced inspections of fishing vessels

Posted on June 15, 2021June 15, 2021 by News Hound

Surveyors from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency are to carry out unannounced inspections of fishing vessels across the UK. The unannounced inspections are being carried out as part of ongoing work around fishing vessel safety in an industry recognised to be one of the most dangerous in the world.

Since November 2020, there have been eight deaths –that’s more than ten per cent of the total for the previous ten years. Between 2011 to 2020, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), reported 60 fatalities from UK fishing vessels. The MCA says it has worked solidly with the fishing industry, reinforcing the messages about the requirements of legislation around standards of safety for crew and for vessels. Surveyors regularly carry out surveys and inspections of fishing vessels and detain those that do not meet the requirement of the law, until those deficiencies are corrected. Continue reading “MCA to carry out unannounced inspections of fishing vessels”

AMSA to consider Conception fire NTSB findings when reviewing commercial vessel regulatory requirements

Posted on June 15, 2021June 15, 2021 by News Hound

Photo credit: Ventura County Fire Department - AMSA to consider Conception fire NTSB findings when reviewing commercial vessel regulatory requirements — Photo credit: Ventura County Fire Department – AMSA to consider Conception fire NTSB findings when reviewing commercial vessel regulatory requirements

Following the NTSB investigation into the fatal fire and loss of the passenger vessel Conception off California in September 2019, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has identified key points of concern for Australian vessels. As a consequence they have said it will consider the NTSB report in full when reviewing the current domestic commercial vessel regulatory requirements, including the standards for fire safety and accommodation.

The US-flagged passenger vessel Conception was at anchor off Santa Cruz Island, California, when a fire broke out in the early morning hours of 2 September 2019. Five crew members were asleep in the crew berthing area on the upper deck. One crew member and all 33 passengers were asleep in the bunkroom below. Continue reading “AMSA to consider Conception fire NTSB findings when reviewing commercial vessel regulatory requirements”

MAIB’s Annual Report 2020 published

Posted on June 10, 2021June 11, 2021 by News Hound

“I am pleased to introduce MAIB’s annual report 2020. It was another busy and successful year for the Branch improving safety at sea by our sustained output of safety investigation reports, safety digests, and safety bulletins despite lock-down conditions affecting work for much of the year. The Branch raised 1,217 reports of marine accidents and incidents and commenced 19 investigations in 2020,” said Capt Andrew Moll in his opening statement.

In 2020, the MAIB published two investigation reports into the collapse of container stacks on large container ships, both of which were transiting the North Pacific Ocean in heavy weather at the time. Such accidents are challenging to investigate due to the multiple inter-related factors involved and that critical evidence could be lost overboard during the accident. There have been more accidents involving Continue reading “MAIB’s Annual Report 2020 published”

Latest Tweets from the IIMS