US Coast Guard vessel deficiency reports to be posted monthly

Ensign Patricia Carrow, a Coast Guard vessel inspector, examines a passenger vessel. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Andrea Anderson)
Ensign Patricia Carrow, a Coast Guard vessel inspector, examines a passenger vessel. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Andrea Anderson)

The Coast Guard will begin posting monthly data vessel deficiency reports on domestic and foreign vessels on the Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance (CG-CVC) website in an Excel file format. Access to data such as common vessel deficiencies or marine casualty occurrences can inform vessel owners and operators of current trends on similar vessels. Armed with this information, vessel owners and operators may proactively take action to identify potential deficiencies on board their vessel and improve safety.

For years, the Port State Information Exchange (PSIX) XML data service has provided a means for the public to access large quantities of Coast Guard vessel deficiency and marine casualty data. However, XML data service requires a level of programming knowledge that can make it difficult for the average user to access the information. Continue reading “US Coast Guard vessel deficiency reports to be posted monthly”

Lloyd’s Register and UK P&I Club launch new Port State Control checklist app

Lloyd’s Register and UK P&I Club launch new Port State Control checklist app
Lloyd’s Register and UK P&I Club launch new Port State Control checklist app

Lloyd’s Register (LR) and UK P&I Club have released a new and improved Port State Control (PSC) checklist app. The app helps ensure that ship personnel are trained in how to inspect, maintain and operate life-saving equipment and that equipment is ready for use at all times. The app also includes a list of common deficiencies to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and help reduce the risk of PSC detentions.

The full list of checklists featured include ILO MLC, ISM & ISPS, Life Saving Appliances, Marine Fire Safety, Marine Pollution Prevention and Port State Control into one, easy-to-use app. Checklists on the new and improved app are continuously updated to reflect new or amended legislation as it comes into force, so users remain up to date. Continue reading “Lloyd’s Register and UK P&I Club launch new Port State Control checklist app”

Abandoned cargo: alert to risk escalation

TT Risk logoThe potential catastrophic impact arising from the deterioration of abandoned cargo cannot be disregarded as a remote risk. However, the considerable costs accruing from container demurrage, detention, storage and disposal regularly result from cargo that, for a variety of reasons, is no longer required by the original receiver or consignee, and is simply abandoned at a port terminal or cargo facility. Increased risks of safety and regulatory infraction are inevitably consequent, as well as significant demand on management and operational resources to resolve individual cases. Continue reading “Abandoned cargo: alert to risk escalation”

Lessons learned from defect of lifeboat on-load cable release unit

3D image of a lifeboat on he side of a shipDuring an annual lifeboat safety inspection it was discovered that the on-load cable release could not easily be moved, and the release lever required extreme force to operate. The forward hook cable release also did not operate properly. A replacement cable release arrangement was procured locally, and repeated tests were conducted to confirm that it was once again fully operational.

The post-event investigation noted that the company’s shipboard safety operations manual required the lifeboats to be inspected on a weekly and monthly basis.

Continue reading “Lessons learned from defect of lifeboat on-load cable release unit”

CHIRP Maritime 2020 Safety Digest of reports published

The CHIRP Maritime 2020 Safety Digest is available to read
The CHIRP Maritime 2020 Safety Digest is available to read

The CHIRP Maritime 2020 Safety Digest has been released, an impressive 106 page report of the many incidents and cases it featured in its quarterly safety publications last year. The pdf can be downloaded at the end of the article. The following text is extracted from the introduction to the CHIRP Maritime 2020 Safety Digest, written by editor, Capt Alan Loynd.

Welcome to the fifth annual review of CHIRP Maritime reports, covering all the cases we published during 2020 and including a number of in-depth articles specially commissioned to highlight important safety topics. This has been a strange and disturbing year, dominated by Covid-19 and the global disruptions it has caused. Continue reading “CHIRP Maritime 2020 Safety Digest of reports published”

New loss prevention video series launched by West P&I Club

A screenshot of the Can Test video linked belowAs training onboard holds a positive and important role in the development and promotion of shipboard safety culture and to further bolster the Club’s hard and soft copy loss prevention publications, they are undertaking the production of a new loss prevention video series.

Entitled “LEARN THE ROPES”, the videos will be covering a variety of focused topics to further enhance crewmembers’ learning and development to strengthen their knowledge and skills needed during the performance of onboard tasks. Continue reading “New loss prevention video series launched by West P&I Club”

Joint initiative to tackle dangerous goods storage and transport

Multiple warning signs
Multiple warning signs

Container ship fires and explosions in port storage facilities continue to be the result of poorly packed dangerous goods and misdeclared hazardous materials as they move through the global supply chain. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) recently signed by two influential industry bodies, ICHCA International and IVODGA adds impetus to disseminating effective guidance on the correct safety procedures that need to be employed. According to international transport and logistics insurer TT Club, it is estimated that a major containership fire incident at sea occurs on average every 60 days.

The MOU has been signed by ICHCA International, representative of global cargo handling operators, including many of the leading cargo and container terminal groups, and the International Vessel Operators Dangerous Goods Association (IVODGA), whose membership consists of the world’s ocean carriers. Continue reading “Joint initiative to tackle dangerous goods storage and transport”

Steamship Mutual: alert about exhaust gas scrubber system

Alert issued for surveyors by Steamship Mutual about corrosion in the exhaust gas scrubber system
Alert issued for surveyors by Steamship Mutual about corrosion in the exhaust gas scrubber system

Steamship Mutual had published a risk alert to highlight the issues around the corrosion in the exhaust gas scrubber system. According to Vijay Rao, Loss Prevention at Steamship Mutual, corrosion in the exhaust gas scrubber system is a recognised issue requiring adequate corrosion protection measures to be in place in the installation. Despite this several cases of acidic corrosion within the scrubber discharge piping system have been reported and this is an increasing cause for concern.

Steamship Mutal notes that of particular concern is the case of severe corrosion in the section of the discharge piping outboard of the scrubber overboard valve – the distance piece. Wastage and failure of this piping section could, in worst case scenario, lead to flooding of the engine room. Continue reading “Steamship Mutual: alert about exhaust gas scrubber system”

NTSB reveals stability calculations caused Golden Ray capsize

Golden Ray NTSB report reveals inaccurate stability calculations as the cause of the capsizing
Golden Ray NTSB report reveals inaccurate stability calculations as the cause of the capsizing

Inaccurate stability calculations caused the capsizing of the vehicle carrier Golden Ray that resulted in $200 million worth of damages, the National Transportation Safety Board reveals in its marine accident report. The report gives details of the NTSB’s investigation into the capsizing of the roll-on/roll-off vehicle carrier as it transited outbound through St. Simons Sound near Brunswick, Georgia on 8 September 2019.

All 23 crewmembers and one pilot on board were rescued, including four engineering crew who were trapped in the vessel for nearly 40 hours. Two crewmembers sustained serious injuries. The Golden Ray sustained significant damage due to fire, flooding and saltwater corrosion and was declared a total loss estimated at $62.5 million. An estimated $142 million worth of cargo, including more than 4,100 Continue reading “NTSB reveals stability calculations caused Golden Ray capsize”

ClassNK has published guidelines for ships using alternative fuels

ClassNK has published guidelines for ships using alternative fuels
ClassNK has published guidelines for ships using alternative fuels

Classification society ClassNK has released Guidelines for Ships Using Alternative Fuels, updated with safety requirements for ships using ammonia as fuel on previously issued Guidelines for Ships Using Low-Flashpoint Fuels covering liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)/methanol/ethanol.

Ammonia has captured attention as a zero carbon fuel. Appropriate safety measures are required for ammonia as it is toxic to humans and corrosive to materials, while specific international standards for the use of ammonia as a marine fuel have not yet been established. ClassNK has described the requirements for installation, controls and safety devices of an ammonia fueled ship to minimizing risks for theship, crew and the environment, and added it to the guidelines. Continue reading “ClassNK has published guidelines for ships using alternative fuels”

ABS and Vanderbilt put spotlight on US waterways decarbonization

ABS and Vanderbilt put spotlight on US waterways decarbonization
ABS and Vanderbilt put spotlight on US waterways decarbonization

The current GHG emissions profile of the US inland waterway sector is low compared to other freight modes. The American Waterways Operators cites statistics that show that one dry cargo barge can carry the same amount of cargo as 16 rail cars or 70 trucks and that barge transportation produces 30% less greenhouse gas emissions than rail and more than 1,000% less than trucks. Still, that does not mean that decarbonization is an issue that the industry can afford to ignore, and ABS and Vanderbilt University have just published a landmark report analyzing decarbonization strategies for U.S. inland waterways.

Called “Decarbonization of the Inland Waterway Sector in the United States,” the report evaluates the potential for possible future Continue reading “ABS and Vanderbilt put spotlight on US waterways decarbonization”

MAIB and DMAIB publish report on ECDIS use

MAIB and DMAIB publish collaborative report on ECDIS use from the perspective of practitioners
MAIB and DMAIB publish collaborative report on ECDIS use from the perspective of practitioners

The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) and the Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board (DMAIB) have published a comprehensive 94 page study focusing on the practical application and usability of ECDIS. The study follows a qualitative methodology, primarily based on semi-structured interviews with 155 ECDIS users and observation data gathered between February and July 2018 during sea voyages in European waters on 31 ships of various types.

Challenges

The report showed that while the standardisation and allocation of simple and repetitive tasks (plotting the ship’s position and chart update for example) has brought about tangible benefits, the required user interaction with ECDIS has introduced challenges that cut Continue reading “MAIB and DMAIB publish report on ECDIS use”

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