Health & Safety

Four key safety issues identified after fatal Conception fire

Posted on by News Hound
The aftermath of conception fire
The aftermath of conception fire

Following months of complex and forensic investigation, the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) has published its official report on the fire onboard the small passenger vessel Conception in September 2019 off California, which killed 34 people. It has highlighted poor oversight by the company and USCG regulatory issues as key areas of concern which were revealed in a recent preliminary report. There is a long list of recommendations for the USCG to adhere to following this most harrowing accident.

About 0314 on 2 September 2019, the USCG received a distress call from the Conception, a 75-foot-long small passenger vessel, anchored in Platts Harbor on the north side of Santa Cruz Island, California, reporting fire. When Continue reading “Four key safety issues identified after fatal Conception fire”

World Shipping Council containers lost at sea 2020 report issued and shows a decrease

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An improving picture is the finding from the World Shipping Council containers lost at sea 2020 report
An improving picture is the finding from the World Shipping Council containers lost at sea 2020 report

The World Shipping Council containers lost at sea 2020 report reveals that on average 1,382 containers are lost at sea every year, but there is a clear downward trend and in the 2017-2019 period 779 containers were lost every year.

With more than 5,000 container vessels in operation and about 789 million TEUs being handled in ports worldwide, the container trade, an extraordinary globalisation tool, accounts for nearly 18% of the total seaborne trade. On paper, having more containers crossing the oceans means a higher risk of incidents. But is that really the case?

Catastrophic events such as sinking or grounding of vessels account for half of the containers lost, but still the Continue reading “World Shipping Council containers lost at sea 2020 report issued and shows a decrease”

RMI flagged vessels require cyber risk management measures from January 2021

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RMI flagged vessels require cyber risk management measures from January 2021
RMI flagged vessels require cyber risk management measures from January 2021

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) has published a reminder that all RMI flagged ships, (including yachts), subject to the International Safety Management (ISM) Code, are required to integrate appropriate cyber risk management measures into their Safety Management Systems (SMS) by the first annual verification of the company’s Document of Compliance after 1 January 2021.

The ISM Code, supported by the IMO Resolution MSC.428(98), requires ship owners and managers to assess cyber risk and implement relevant measures across all functions of their safety management system. This resolution calls companies to Continue reading “RMI flagged vessels require cyber risk management measures from January 2021”

Frequency of containerised cargo fires shows no sign of decreasing

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Frequency of containerised cargo fires shows no sign of decreasing
Frequency of containerised cargo fires shows no sign of decreasing

Despite the important steps that shipping has taken to address the problem of containerised cargo fires, Gard estimates that so far in 2020, there has been one fire involving containers every two weeks. Are Solum, Senior Claims Executive at Arendal, indicates there has been no shortage of smaller fires, near misses on-board and fires taking place in containers within terminal areas.

Statistics suggest that the frequency of containerised cargo fires occuring is not decreasing. By Gard’s count and on average there has been roughly one fire every two weeks so far in 2020. Continue reading “Frequency of containerised cargo fires shows no sign of decreasing”

Canadian Government publishes new Marine Navigation Safety Regulations to improve maritime safety

Posted on by News Hound
Canadian Government publishes new Marine Navigation Safety Regulations to improve maritime safety
Canadian Government publishes new Marine Navigation Safety Regulations to improve maritime safety

The Government of Canada has published new Marine Navigation Safety Regulations 2020, which now apply to commercial vessels of all sizes, including fishing vessels, workboats, water taxis and ferries.

The regulations represent a consolidation of nine existing sets of marine safety regulations into a single one that:
– provides clearer and more up to date language on required navigational safety equipment;
– requires vessel owners to have equipment to help reduce the risk of collisions that could cause pollution, like oil spills, and threaten endangered marine life, such as Continue reading “Canadian Government publishes new Marine Navigation Safety Regulations to improve maritime safety”

USCG to update type approval requirements for survival craft equipment

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A life raft survival kit - USCG to update type approval requirements for survival craft equipment
USCG to update type approval requirements for survival craft equipment

The US Coast Guard (USCG) is proposing to update the type approval requirements for survival craft equipment required to carry on U.S. flagged vessels. The proposed rule is deregulatory and would remove US Coast Guard type approval requirements for nine of these types of survival craft equipment and replace them with the requirement that the manufacturer self-certify that the equipment complies with a consensus standard.

Comments and related material must be received by the US Coast Guard on or before December 4, 2020.

The US Coast Guard proposes to amend several approval and carriage requirements Continue reading “USCG to update type approval requirements for survival craft equipment”

Accelerated by disruption; shipping’s digital revolution in the pandemic era

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Accelerated by disruption; shipping’s digital revolution in the pandemic era
Accelerated by disruption; shipping’s digital revolution in the pandemic era

Accelerated by disruption; shipping’s digital revolution in the pandemic era.

It has been a year of disruption for shipping. With COVID-19 altering supply chains and exerting unexpected pressures on our operations, the industry now finds itself at a turning point, caught between mitigating current challenges and thinking about how to build back better in the new normal we face.

In terms of the digital domain, there has been a significant acceleration over the past year in how various segments within shipping are using data and new technologies. Many are arguably seeing these innovative solutions as miraculously Continue reading “Accelerated by disruption; shipping’s digital revolution in the pandemic era”

Poor oversight of regulatory requirements led to the Conception fire

Posted on by News Hound
Aftermath of the conception dive boat fire
Aftermath of the conception dive boat fire

Following an investigation into the California dive boat fire that killed 34 people in 2019, the National Transportation Safety Board has called for major safety improvements to small passenger vessels, including interconnected smoke detectors and a USCG inspection program. The 75-foot recreational diving vessel, Conception, with 33 passengers and six crew aboard, was anchored in Platts Harbor, off Santa Cruz Island, when it caught fire in the early morning of 2 September 2019.

All 33 passengers and one crewmember died of smoke inhalation after they were trapped in the berthing area while a fire raged on the deck above. Both exits from the berthing area led to the fire and smoke filled enclosed area above. Continue reading “Poor oversight of regulatory requirements led to the Conception fire”

Cause of Maersk Honam fire is inconclusive reveals report

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Maersk Honam fire - cause is inconclusive
Maersk Honam fire – cause is inconclusive

The Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) of Singapore has published its report on the fatal Maersk Honam fire which occurred in March 2018. The report concludes that the actual cause of the fire was not conclusive.

On 6 March 2018, during fine weather, the Singapore registered container ship Maersk Honam, which was carrying 7860 containers, while en route from Singapore to Suez Canal, experienced a severe fire that started from no.3 cargo hold when the ship was in the Arabian Sea, about 900 nautical miles west of the coast of India.

All the 27 crew responded to fight the fire by conducting boundary cooling and subsequent release of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the cargo Continue reading “Cause of Maersk Honam fire is inconclusive reveals report”

Fatalities caused by carbon monoxide poisoning

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The Moored Diversion cruiser after the carbon monoxide poisoning
The Moored Diversion cruiser after the carbon monoxide poisoning

On 4 December 2019 two men returned to 9.18m privately owned motor cruiser Diversion, which was moored on the river Ouse in York. The diesel fuelled heater had been leaking exhaust fumes into the boat’s cabin while they were ashore, and both men were overcome by a high level of carbon monoxide poisoning and died shortly after they entered the boat’s cabin.

Safety Issues

1) no carbon monoxide alarm was fitted;

2) the cabin heater had been installed by the vessel’s owner, but the installation had not been professionally checked and no servicing had been carried out. Continue reading “Fatalities caused by carbon monoxide poisoning”

Loss of towline shackle pin led to tugboat Mangilao sinking reveals NTSB accident report

Posted on by News Hound
Tugboat Mangilao (Photo: Cabras Marine Corporation / NTSB)
Tugboat Mangilao (Photo: Cabras Marine Corporation / NTSB)

The loss of a towline shackle pin and deteriorated watertight fittings caused tugboat Mangilao to sink in the Pacific Ocean about 800 miles northwest of Guam, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has revealed in a Marine Accident Brief.

The 114 foot US flagged tugboat Mangilao sank on August 5, 2019 while being towed to a drydock in Subic Bay, Philippines by the 97 foot US flagged tug Chamorro. Both vessels were owned and operated by Cabras Marine Corporation. No one was aboard tugboat Mangilao and there were 10 crew members aboard the Chamorro.

No pollution nor injuries were reported in connection with the sinking. The 1982-built tugboat Mangilao, which was estimated to be worth Continue reading “Loss of towline shackle pin led to tugboat Mangilao sinking reveals NTSB accident report”

NTSB accident report concludes that incomplete safety procedures led to barge explosion

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NTSB: incomplete safety procedures led to barge explosion
NTSB: incomplete safety procedures led to barge explosion

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has published Marine Accident Report 20-34 detailing the findings of its investigation involving the explosion of a barge at the Illinois Marine Towing Heritage Slip on the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal, Illinois on the 4 November 2019.

The barge explosion occurred when the IB1940 was being prepared for cleaning after its cargo of acetone had been unloaded. No injuries or pollution were reported in connection with the explosion. The barge, however, was declared a total constructive loss, valued at $1.75M. Continue reading “NTSB accident report concludes that incomplete safety procedures led to barge explosion”

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