Health & Safety

Enclosed space safety isn’t a paperwork problem. It’s a leadership problem. MSC.581(110) finally treats it that way. Most enclosed space deaths don’t happen to the person who entered first. They happen to the person who rushed in to save them. One victim becomes two. Then three. Not because the crew didn’t care, but because nobody stopped to test the atmosphere before the rescue attempt.

And here’s what makes this pattern even harder to accept: in almost every one of these incidents, the permit was signed. The drill was logged. The SMS procedure existed on paper. The paperwork was perfect. The outcome was fatal.

This is the gap that IMO Resolution MSC.581(110) was written to close. Continue reading “The real reason why enclosed space deaths keep happening at sea”

Steamship Mutual P&I Club has issued guidance about the management of catfines in marine fuels, emphasizing best practices to minimize wear and ensure operational diligence.

Catfines, short for catalytic fines, are “left behind” microscopic particles comprising Aluminium Oxide (Al₂O₃) and Silicon Oxides (SiO₂) from the zeolite catalysts which are added to the catalytic cracking process utilized in crude oil refineries. The presence of catfines in fuels have been associated with damage to not only engine cylinder liners and pistons, but also to components in the fuel system such as injectors, fuel pumps and valves. As these catalysts are expensive, refineries attempt to recover and reuse them, until recovery is no longer economically feasible. Continue reading “Key tips and guidance for managing catfines”

Enclosed space fatalities at sea remain stubbornly high. In this article, Capt. Arora discusses what a truly human-centric approach to safety could change.

Despite decades of awareness campaigns, regulatory updates, and repeated industry commitments, seafarers and shore workers continue to lose their lives in enclosed spaces on board ships, often in circumstances that were entirely preventable. The persistence of these incidents forces us to confront a hard truth: the measures currently implemented are insufficient.

To break the cycle of fatalities, the industry needs a change of mindset, move beyond the checklists and procedures, and embed a genuinely human-centric approach to safety. Continue reading “Beyond the checklist: Preventing enclosed space fatalities at sea”

Results from the 2025 CIC on Ballast Water Management (BWM) show ballast water system itself accounts for 46% of all detainable deficiencies.

Results from last year’s Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on ballast water management revealed a marked change in regulatory compliance failures, which now include the actual performance, operation and maintenance of installed ballast water treatment systems.

Charlène Ceresola, BWT Project Manager and Regulatory expert at BIO-UV Group, Port State Control (PSC), explained that data show that while documentation and record-keeping issues remain widespread, the most serious non-compliances are technical in nature.

“When you look at the total number of compliance failures, documentation still ranks high. But once you focus specifically on deficiencies serious enough to result in a ship being detained, the majority are associated with the ballast water treatment system itself,” said Charlène Ceresola. Continue reading “Technical failures behind most ballast water detentions”