Safety Violations
Coast Guard Cites Vessel Master for Safety Violations
A Coast Guard boarding team cited the master of a commercial fishing vessel with safety violations Tuesday off the coast of Atlantic City, resulting in the termination of the vessel's voyage and restriction to A law enforcement boarding team from the Coast Guard Cutter Ibis boarded the 70-foot commercial fishing vessel Lady Kimberly, fishing for summer flounder, about 63 miles east of Atlantic City. In the course of the boarding, the team found that the vessel lacked a general emergency alarm, a Coast Guard-approved flare and any sound-producing device. These are federally-mandated safety regulations that the Coast Guard routinely checks for when they conduct safety boardings. Additionally, the vessel's auto-inflatable liferaft was stowed in a manner that did not allow for it to float free if the vessel was to suddenly capsize or sink. These four safety violations were enough for the Coast Guard to terminate the crew's voyage and order the vessel to shore. The crew of the Ibis escorted the vessel toward Atlantic City where they were met by a Coast Guard Station Atlantic City boatcrew who completed the escort into the station, arriving at about 9 a.m. today. The master, Lindsey Tate, was issued a Captain-of-the-Port Order, which, under the authority of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act, restricts the vessel to shore until the discrepancies can be corrected and verified as such.
Safety Violations Terminates Voyage
Coast Guard law enforcement officials terminated a fishing vessel’s voyage Tuesday afternoon in Southeast Alaska waters after the boat’s captain failed to meet federally required safety equipment regulations. Boarding officers from the Petersburg-based cutter Anacapa boarded the 37-foot vessel Charisma at about 10 a.m. near Takatz Bay in Chatham Strait. The Coast Guard officials cited Charisma’s operator for safety equipment violations that included unserviceable survival suits
Coast Guard Detains Ship in Seward for Safety Violations
The Coast Guard detained the Arctic Transport in Seward Wednesday for five safety violations. Tom Rebar, skipper of the Arctic Transport, informed the Coast Guard Monday that the 203-foot ship was experiencing engine problems. The vessel departed Seattle days earlier and was in the Gulf of Alaska when it experienced engine problems and flooding. The Coast Guard cutter Mustang responded to the stricken vessel and escorted it to Seward at 6 a.m. Tuesday.
Tanker Captain Charged In San Francisco
The captain of an oil tanker that arrived in the San Francisco Bay with safety violations, including risky oil leaks, was charged on with falsifying documents and lying to Coast Guard inspectors. The Greek captain, who speaks little English, was arrested over the weekend after his Singapore-registered Neptune Dorado was found with oil in the ship's ballast tanks. If ignited, vapors from the oil could have caused the ship to explode, officials said
Tanker Captain Bail Set At $500K
A U.S. judge set $500,000 bail for a Greek tanker captain charged with falsifying documents and lying to U.S. Coast Guard inspectors after his ship was found in San Francisco Bay with numerous safety violations, including risky oil leaks. U.S. Magistrate Joseph Spero set a Friday hearing to determine conditions for Capt. Kiriakos Daioglou's release if he is able to post bail, local news reports said. Daioglou was also ordered to remain in the United States at least until a bail review hearing
USCG Detains Foreign Freight Vessel Again
USCG inspectors in Dutch Harbor detained 281-ft. freight ship Jacha for the third time since Aug. 1998 due to Safety of Life At Sea violations (SOLAS). Inspectors found seven discrepancies aboard 14-year-old Jacha, including fire doors that didn't close properly, an incompetent fire drill and water leaks on the vessel's main engine. Due to Jacha's history of safety discrepancies, this time, it is not permitted to conduct any cargo operations
Seabees Build on Combat Skills
Dusty and hot: that's April in Kuwait. These are perfect conditions for a day on the firing range, where the training department of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 spends plenty of time. The department is responsible for training every Seabee who comes through Kuwait. On this particular day, NMCB 28 received Enhanced Marksmanship Training, a course of fire which includes training in combat movement, search and assess procedures
Coast Guard Terminates Voyage for Fishing Vessel
The Coast Guard Cutter Cuttyhunk terminated the voyage of the 32-ft. fishing vessel Duffy Sunday. The master, Todd Cannon of Everett, was retrieving and setting crab pots in Possession Sound, south of Whidbey Island. A Coast Guard boarding team from the Cuttyhunk conducted a safety inspection and found significant violations. Specifically, the Duffy had expired flares, only one fire extinguisher, and no official identification markings on the boat's hull.
Training to Crackdown on Illegal Ship Discharges
The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) provides joint Interpol training to member-state represetatives. This year EMSA’s training and cooperation sector offered a new training course together with Interpol, the international police organization. The contents of the course was developed by Interpol withhin the framework of the project “CleanSeas” a training course on “Illegal discharges and MARPOL Violations”.
DOJ Bans Shipping Company for Three Years
The U.S. Department of Justice issued a news release stating that, after pleading guilty, a shipping company has been sentenced to pay a criminal fine of $2.7m for violation of pollution and safety laws and for making false statements. In addition, ships owned or managed by the company will be prohibited from entering U.S. ports for three years. The court awarded $540,000 to nine former crew members who extensively cooperated in the investigation
Statoil: ESA Conducts Inspection
Statoil's office in Stavanger is subject to an inspection visit by the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA), assisted by the Norwegian Competition Authority (Konkurransetilsynet). The inspection is carried out on request of the European Commission
BSEE Announce Final Safety Culture Policy Statement
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s (BSEE) Director James Watson released the Bureau’s final Safety Culture Policy Statement. The non-regulatory statement defines nine characteristics that are indicative of a robust safety culture
Seaspan, Walter Gretzky Celebrate NAOSH Week
With North American Occupational Health and Safety (NAOSH) week well underway across the continent, Seaspan welcomed Walter Gretzky to its Vancouver Shipyards to underscore the importance of health and safety in the workplace. Hockey’s most famous father addressed Seaspan employees with
Seaspan Mark NAOSH Week with Walter Gretzky
During North American Occupational Health and Safety (NAOSH) week Seaspan welcomed Walter Gretzky on a tour of its Vancouver Shipyards. For those not in the know, Walter Gretzky, is a Canadian who is best known as the father of NHL legend Wayne Gretzky
Double Triumph for Stork Technical Services
Stork Technical Services, a global provider of knowledge-based asset integrity management services for the oil and gas, chemical and power sectors, won two awards at this year’s U.K. Oil and Gas Industry Safety Awards. Marc Brankin, Scaffold Chargehand for Stork won The Most Promising
Managing Non-compliant Hazmat
If you ship and receive hazardous materials, chances are that you will eventually receive a shipment that does not meet the DOT's standards for hazmat packages, whether it's undeclared, misdeclared or damaged. Hazmat shipping mistakes are especially common in the reverse logistics supply chain
The Macondo Spill Trial
Offshore U.S. Gulf energy operators have already paid a steep price; more pain could come. Drilling in the Gulf of Mexico is now close to levels seen before the April 2010 Macondo spill that took 11 lives and caused the nation’s worst offshore oil spill
BSEE Completes Final Rule
As part of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s (BSEE) commitment to promoting offshore safety at all levels, at all times, Director Jim Watson has announced another step in a series of efforts to further identify, address and manage operational safety hazards and impacts
ITFShow Support for Striking Hong Kong Dockers
The ITF (International Transport Workers' Federation) spoke out against a temporary injunction that throws out striking dockers from Kwai Tsing Container Terminals, Port of Hong Kong. On January 30, the ITF Hong Kong Dockers Coordinating Committee comprised of Hong Kong Storehouses
Costa Concordia & Maritime Error Management
Costa Concordia: An opportunity for advancing human factor awareness? Will the casualty advance desirable critical thinking and cognitive awareness or merely trigger shortfall RRPP? A maritime casualty with everything a novelist could hope for – a huge state-of-the-art modern passenger
OPITO Launches New Research Project
Oil and gas industry skills body OPITO has commissioned a new study which aims to identify the skills and competence gaps in offshore supervisors and how this impacts on the prevention of major safety incidents. Researchers at Robert Gordon University are undertaking in-depth interviews
Stork Reaches Out to Improve Safety
Stork Technical Services held its second REACHing Out forum as the company aims to improve safety engagement with its employee community, customers and wider oil and gas industry. More than 70 business leaders and safety experts from across the UK attended the thought leadership event which was
Justice Dept to Consider Shell Arctic Rig Shortcomings
The Coast Guard found serious safety & environmental violations on 'Noble Discoverer' used in Arctic waters off Alaska. The Coast Guard found 16 violations on the Noble Discoverer, one of Shell’s two drilling rigs for Alaska’s Arctic waters
Bollinger HSE Executive Wins Award
Jodi Satches named 2011-2012 Safety Professional of the Year by Signal Mutual Indemnity Association Ltd. Ms. Satches is Bollinger's Vice President,Health, Safety & Environmental Services, and the award was presented to her recentlly at the Signal Mutual Board of Directors Meeting in Orlando
Liberty Maritime Files Complaint Alleging MSP Violations
Liberty Statement Regarding Maritime Security Program Complaint. January 23, 2013: Today, Liberty Maritime Corporation and several other Liberty companies filed a civil action in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York against the U.S. Maritime Administration and the U.S