Health & Safety

Transport Malta has issued guidance to Maltese-registered vessels regarding the potential fire hazards associated with Lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells and batteries. The Marine Safety Investigation Unit (MSIU) has issued a safety alert after being notified of several fires on board yachts and cargo vessels associated with Li-ion batteries.

The statement highlights the ‘fierce intensity’ of Li-ion battery fires, and also the potential challenges to control and extinguish them with the use of conventional fire-extinguishing systems.

Owners and managers of Maltese-registered vessels Continue reading “Transport Malta issues safety alert over fire hazard caused by Lithium-ion batteries”

In his introduction to the CHIRP edition number 68, Adam Parnell, Director (Maritime),writes – Sadly, this edition of FEEDBACK contains several reports involving loss of life. They remind us that we cannot relax our vigilance, even for a moment, because the consequences can be fatal. Every death or serious injury at sea has repercussions far beyond the ship itself, not least for the family and friends whose lives are also irrevocably affected.

There are a number of themes running through this edition, and many of them will be depressingly familiar to our regular readers. Continue reading “CHIRP FEEDBACK number 68 published”

In 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”

Ocean Network Express (ONE) has launched its Marine Safety & Quality Campaign to raise safety awareness and to mitigate marine accidents. The campaign runs from 8th August to 30th September 2022.

The campaign theme is “Safety Consciousness – A step ahead”. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect global shipping operations over the long term, ONE continues to face difficulties in conducting ONE’s Vessel Quality Standard (ONE-VQS) physical inspections on board Continue reading “ONE launches Marine Safety & Quality Campaign 2022”