Coast Guard Will Not Enforce New California Rule, Citing 'Safety Concerns'
(The Center Square) - The U.S. Coast Guard says it âwill not enforceâ a new California Air Resources Board regulation, citing âsafety concerns.âThe Coast Guard and business organizations oppose CARB's requirement that commercial harbor craft install diesel particulate filters (DPF) linked to a number of fires. Seventeen states are suing the Environmental Protection Agency for giving an exemption to California alone to enact its own air standards that, by power of its market sizeâŠ
Port of Long Beach Opens New Fireboat Stations
Officials dedicated two new Port of Long Beach fireboat stations that are enhancing the Long Beach Fire Departmentâs waterside and landside emergency response capabilities, better safeguarding visiting ships, cargo and waterfront workers.The facilities â Fireboat Station 15 and Fireboat Station 20 â are the products of a $109 million Port of Long Beach program to preserve business continuity, security and economic interests. With an anticipated lifespan of 50 years, both stationsâŠ
USS Hershel âWoodyâ Williams Maintenance Completed in Croatia
The Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary sea base USS Hershel âWoodyâ Williams (ESB 4) completed its routine planned maintenance in Rijeka, Croatia Feb. 8, 2024 at Viktor Lenac Shipyard.Military Sealift Command, Europe and Africa (MSCEURAF) and Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center (FDRMC) executed the shipâs planned Mid-Term Availability (MTA), a depot-level maintenance period, to maintain safety and mission-essential equipment and ensure the ship will reach its planned service life.Maintenance work during the MTA included Safety of Life At Sea equipment such as communicationâŠ
Many Different Vessels but One Goal â Passenger Safety
Because there are so many different kinds of passenger vessels, the critical topic of passenger safety can sometimes appear as a set of niche topics, each one just distantly connected to another. After all, passengers aboard a cruise ship in the Caribbean face safety issues that are much different than a commuter going from Jersey City to Manhattan or a tourist crossing from the Mukilteo, Wash. ferry terminal to Whidbey Island or a family on a fishing vessel in Miami.Importantly, though, for passenger vessel operators, a commitment to safety is not siloed.
EST-Floattech Receives âŹ4 Million Investment
Developer of maritime battery systems EST-Floattech has received an investment of 4 million euros from Energy Transition Fund Rotterdam and existing shareholders Rotterdam Port Fund, PDENH, Ponooc, and Yard Energy.Energy Transition Fund Rotterdam is investing 3 million euros, the fund's first investment in maritime battery systems. The existing shareholders are jointly investing 1 million euros.The announcement was made by Chantal Zeegers, the Alderman for Climate, Building, and Housing in Rotterdam.
Survitec Saftey System Earns Type Approval
Dry chemical powder solutions have long safeguarded LNG and LPG cargo vessels, but as the industry embraces liquefied gases as a propulsion fuel, the unique requirements for protecting bunkering stations on a wider range of vessels, such as large cruise ships, containerships, and tankers, is becoming increasingly important. In response to the growing demand for advanced fire safety solutions to support the maritime's energy transition, Survitec has reconfigured and enhanced its Dry Chemical Powder (DCP) fire extinguishing system.
Exploring 'Future Fuels' - Methanolâs Superstorage Solution
Technical inquiries to SRC Group ramped up after it received Approval in Principle (AIP) for a concept which âreinvented methanol fuel storageâ on board ships. Delivering the answers has seen technical talk converting into project discussions âGreenâ methanol has the ability to one day run vessels almost emission-free, and commercial shipping increasingly investigates. Derived today principally from natural gas, methanol is nonetheless available, relatively easy to handle and predictable.
NTSB Urges USCG to Remove Subchapter K Exemptions for Fire Safety
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended Tuesday that engine-room fire detection and fixed fire extinguishing systems be installed in small passenger vessels previously exempted from U.S. Coast Guard regulations in Subchapter K.The NTSB issued the recommendations after investigating an engine room fire aboard the Spirit of Norfolk during a sightseeing cruise near Naval Station Norfolk, Viriginia, on June 7, 2022, with 108 people on board. The fire was too large for the crew to fight, and the passengers and crew were evacuated to other vessels.
CIC on Fire Safety Starts September 1
Lloydâs Register has reminded the industry that the Member Authorities of the Paris and Tokyo Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control (PSC) are launching a joint Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on fire safety from September 1 to November 30, 2023.The Member Authorities of the Black Sea Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control and the Member Authorities of the Acuerdo Vina Del Mar 1992 are concurrently also launching a CIC.The purpose of the campaignâŠ
MoUs Announce Fire Safety Inspection Campaign
The Member Authorities of the Tokyo and the Paris Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control will launch a joint Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Fire Safety in September.The purpose of the campaign is to create awareness among the shipâs crew and owners about the importance of fire safety measures and to verify that the ship complies with fire safety requirements under the relevant IMO instruments.This inspection campaign will be held for three months, commencing from September 1, 2023 and ending November 30, 2023.
Ship Fires in the Crosshairs of Ship Inspection Campaign
The Member Authorities of the Tokyo and the Paris Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control will launch a joint ConcentratedInspection Campaign (CIC) on Fire Safety to create awareness among the shipâs crew and owners about the importance of fire safety measures; and to verify that the ship complies with fire safety requirements under the relevant IMO instruments.The three-month inspection campaign will commence September 1, 2023 and end November 30, 2023, and willâŠ
Cracked Muffler Led to Towboat Fire -NTSB
Cracks in a muffler and the substantial use of combustible materials in accommodation spaces led to a fire aboard a towing vessel last year on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway near Freeport, Texas, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.On June 25, 2022, the four-person crew aboard the towing vessel Mary Dupre departed Port Comfort, Texas, for Houston, pushing a single barge loaded with bio-diesel fuel. The following day, a fire broke out, leading to a total loss of the vessel, which was estimated at $1 million.
Training Tips for Ships: Empowering Seafarers with AI
In the maritime industry, seafarer safety and professionalism are critical to ensuring smooth operations and minimizing risks. As technical advancements continue to reshape every industry including ours, large language models like ChatGPT and Bard have the potential to directly assist seafarers in performing their duties more safely and professionally. So, how can a seafarer leverage these tools to enhance their onboard performance? Letâs look at some examples.One example is in providing instant, human-readable access to regulations and guidelines.
Survitec Unveils Interactive Safety Monitoring Solution
Survitec has announced a new interactive safety management solution it hopes will substantially improve onboard safety.The Safety Management and Rapid Response Technology Interface (SMARR-TI) uses a graphical monitoring interface to integrate fire detection and fire suppression systems within one system.SMARR-TI, which Survitec developed in cooperation with Turkish shipyard Tersan and Norwayâs Havila Voyages, is already in operation on a pair of 15,500gt passenger ships.SMARR-TIâŠ
NTSB Cites Potential Fire Risks for Marine Operators Carrying Scrap Materials
Lithium-ion batteries and other possible ignition sources could pose a fire safety issue in the transportation of scrap materials as cargo, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.Although scrap metal cargo is typically nonhazardous and poses a low fire risk, there have been several recent fires involving such cargo. In January 2022, a shoreside pile caught fire in Newark, N.J. Two international vessels carrying scrap material experienced cargo fires in 2022âŠ
US Coast Guard: Latvia Records Highest Detention Ratio in 2022
The US Coast Guardâs Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance has released its U.S. Port State Control Annual Report for 2022, with Latvia noted as having the highest detention ratio, ahead of Bolivia.The report lists highest risk flag administrations based on their 2020-2022 detention ratio as: Latvia (57.14%), Bolivia (31.25%), Togo (7.69%), Curacao (4.88%), Italy (3.39%), Turkey (2.90%) and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (2.30%).Medium risk flag administrations were CyprusâŠ
US Coast Guard Announces Fire Safety Campaign for Small Passenger Vessels
The US Coast Guard has published Marine Safety Information Bulletin 05-23, Fire Safety on Small Passenger Vessels and announced a concentrated inspection campaign.The Bulletin encourages owners and operators to do a self-assessment of the fire safety of their vessels and provides a checklist evaluating fire safety and emergency preparedness on board.MSIB 05-23 also announces that the concentrated inspection campaign, which will focus on fire safety aboard small passenger vesselsâŠ
Lessons Learned from the USS Bonhomme Richard Fire
Shipboard fire a constant threat: Bonhomme Richard tragedy an enduring lesson in fire prevention, responseJuly 12, 2020 was a lazy Sunday morning at Naval Base San Diego. USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), which had been commissioned only two years earlier, had recently made the base its new homeport and was docked as it underwent a maintenance availability.But, the silence of that morning was rocked by an explosion a few minutes before 9 a.m., changing everything for the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship.Below the decksâŠ
Australia Bans MSC Containership Over Safety Deficiencies
A Liberian-flagged containership operated by MSC Shipmanagement Ltd (MSC) has been banned from Australian ports for 90 days over a long list of safety failures and deficiencies, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said.AMSA said it issued a refusal of access direction notice to the MSC Kymea II following months of sub-standard performance from the shipâs operator, including critical maintenance issues.The agency's inspection of the vessel found 21 deficiencies in total, including a defective free fall lifeboat steering system, defective fire safety systems, dangerously-stored flammable materials, and multiple wasted or missingâŠ
Combustible Materials Near Hot Work Sparked Passenger Vessel Fire -NTSB
A fire that broke out aboard a Mississippi River cruise vessel was found to be caused by combustible materials left unprotected near hot work, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday.The passenger vessel Natchez, used by the New Orleans Steamboat Company for daytime and dinner jazz cruises daily from the French Quarter in New Orleans, was moored and out of service when it went up in flames on May 3, 2022. The fire resulted in $1.5 million in damages to the vesselâŠ
New Firefighting Vessel Delivered in Poland
A new fireboat built by the Remontowa Shipbuilding SA shipyard in GdaĆsk for Poland's Szczecin and ĆwinoujĆcie Seaports Authority SA has been delivered in Szczecin.The new firefighting vessel Firefighter-28 left the Remontowa Shipbuilding SA shipyard in GdaĆsk on November 13 and arrived at the port of ĆwinoujĆcie the next day in the evening. On November 18, the delivery and acceptance protocol was signed, which means that the ship formally belongs to the Szczecin and ĆwinoujĆcie Seaports Authority SA.
Firefighting at Sea â Towards a Safe Ship Concept
The most important of all international maritime safety conventions is the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). The first version was adopted at a conference in London in 1914. The catalyst for this conference was the sinking of the Titanic on her first voyage in April 1912, which cost the lives of more than 1,500 passengers. This was the beginning of the journey that put in place a regulatory framework to protect those who work and travel by sea.Whilst the sinking of the Titanic was not fire-relatedâŠ
New Zealand Seeks Industry Input on Possible Regulatory Changes
New Zealand's maritime regulatory, compliance and response agency said it is seeking feedback from the sector and other interested parties on three key pieces of work.Dialogue has been opened on Part 53, which relates to pilot transfers, and Part 23, which considers amendments to requirements for lifeboat drills, Maritime NZ said. Consultation is also set to begin on New Zealandâs work toward acceding to the Cape Town Agreement (CTA), an IMO convention dealing with design, construction and equipment standards for large fishing vessels.Maritime NZ is reviewing Rule 53.4(2)(a)âŠ