Safer Seas News

Jennifer Carpenter joined The American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national trade association representing the inland and coastal tugboat, towboat and barge industry, in August 1990 and became its president and CEO in January 2020. She highlights some of the greatest focus areas for the 80-year-old trade group—simultaneously looking at both the present day and the road ahead.The towboat, tug and barge industry is in a period of rapid evolution. How is AWO—now in its 80th year…

In response to increased awareness of the prevalence of sexual assault and sexual harassment (SASH) in the maritime industry — and following a widely reported account by a U.S. Merchant Marine Academy cadet of sexual assault aboard a U.S.-flagged ship during her Sea Year training — Congress enacted into law the Safer Seas Act (SSA) in December 2022.Intended as a direct effort to prevent and punish SASH, the SSA, among other provisions:Requires the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to revoke the license…

The evidence and industry subject matter experts both say ‘yes.’In its recently released SAFER SEAS DIGEST, Lessons Learned from Marine Accident Investigations (2017), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reports investigating numerous accidents across all modes of transportation where a properly implemented safety management system (SMS) could have prevented injuries, loss of life, or material damage. That document spans analysis of casualties across the full spectrum of all manners of marine craft, blue water and brown, foreign and domestic.Different authorities and subject matter experts (SME) differ on how they might explain a SMS, but it all adds up to one thing. But, what is a Safety Management System?

Maritime accident investigation reports for collisions, explosions, capsizings and allisions and the lessons learned within those reports are detailed in the National Transportation Safety Board’s Safer Seas Digest 2017, released online Thursday.The publication is a compendium of 41 marine accident reports for accidents involving fishing, offshore supply, cargo, passenger, tanker, towing and government vessels. Reports in the digest were adopted or issued by the NTSB during calendar year 2017.The Safer Seas Digest is a publication designed with mariners in mind…

Carnival Corporation, the world's largest leisure travel company, released its eighth annual sustainability report, announcing that in 2017 the company achieved its 25 percent carbon reduction goal three years ahead of schedule and is on track with its nine other 2020 sustainability goals.Looking to the future, the company continues to chart its sustainability journey, using the United Nation's 17 Sustainable Development Goals as a framework to identify new environmental management, energy efficiency, health, safety and wellbeing objectives to strive toward by 2030."We recognize that to be a responsible global organization and good corporate citizen…

At the ongoing EU-hosted Our Ocean conference in Malta (5-6 October), the European Union has committed to 36 tangible actions to foster healthier, cleaner, safer and more secure seas. Amounting to over €550 million and involving activities worldwide, the announcements underline the EU's determination to improve the situation of the seas and send a positive signal of encouragement to the rest of the world – governments and private sector alike - to step up and tackle the growing ocean challenges, from plastic pollution and protecting marine life to the impact of climate change and criminal activities at sea. The EU's 36 commitments are described in detail below.

Are we that far away from phantom fully autonomous vessels plying the world’s seas? Not according to many in the know. Many predict by 2020 that we will see this type of ship with a limited crew in smaller applications such as the marine highway short haul scenarios, local ferry service such as the Staten Island ferry and offshore supply boats in the Gulf of Mexico. Phantom/drone unmanned ships reportedly would be safer, cheaper and less polluting for an industry that carries approximately 90 percent of the world trade. However as with aircraft drones and on the horizon driverless auto’s, we must be concerned with regulatory and safety issues.

Marine safety in the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula area is getting a boost with the donation of 1,400 children’s lifejackets as part of the Torres Strait Marine Safety Program (TSMSP) School Based Maritime Safety Education Project. The primary focus of the TSMSP is to improve and promote boating safety in the Torres Strait, which will help reduce the number of search and rescue operations in the area and support the development of the region’s coastal maritime industry. Maritime Safety Queensland Cairns Regional Harbour Master and Chair of the TSMSP Steering Committee, Captain Michael Barnett, said his organisation was proud of the milestone achieved by the TSMSP.

The recently published annual review of trends and developments in shipping losses and safety – 'Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty Safety and Shipping Review' – indicates that world-wide ship losses declined by 20% compared with 2012. With more than 90% of global trade estimated to be carried by sea, the safety of international shipping vessels and routes is critical to the health of the global economy. During 2013 there were 94 losses reported worldwide, ensuring the annual total dropped under 100 for only the second time in 12 years, continuing the recent downward trend.

Carleen Lyden-Kluss, Co-Founder and Executive Director of  the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA), announced June 25, 2012 it is teaming up with the America’s Cup Healthy Ocean Project during the upcoming America’s Cup World Series being held in Newport, Rhode Island from Saturday June 23rd through July 1st. NAMEPA will be presenting marine environment education opportunities in the Exploration Zone as an America’s Cup Healthy Ocean Project Local Partner. “NAMEPA is honored to be teaming up with the America’s Cup Healthy Ocean Project,” stated Ms. Lyden-Kluss.

ClassNK Issues Certification for ECDIS Training Course Provided by TOKYO KEIKI INC. ClassNK announced today that it had issued type specific training course approval to an Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) course offered by Tokyo Keiki Inc. This approval, certifying the compliance of this course with ClassNK’s new Standard for Maritime Education & Training, is the first of its kind to be issued by the Society to an ECDIS manufacturer in Japan. Under amendments to SOLAS regulations the carriage of ECDIS systems is due to become mandatory in less then six months.

Safe Ships, Safer Seas 2011: Kelvin Hughes’ Athens seminar tackles piracy issues head-on. Thursday 20 October 2011 saw world-leading navigational systems provider Kelvin Hughes present the first in its series of  ‘Safe Ships, Safer Seas’ seminars to an audience in Athens consisting of 100 Greek ship owners, operators and senior executives. Held at the Apollon Divani Spa Hotel, Vouliagmeni, the event went ahead despite national strike action across Greece and was well attended, with a keynote address by George D. Gourdomichalis, President and MD of G.

The Commission has decided to authorize an Italian aid scheme granting an incentive to shipowners for the elimination of single hull tankers over 20 years of age. Strict conditions regarding the promotion of the use of double tankers have been specified in the aid scheme. The Commission welcomes the objective of the proposed aid, which aims at implementing Community maritime safety legislation and achieving higher safety standards in maritime shipping, prior to it becoming mandatory. Italy has notified a draft aid scheme granting an incentive to ship owners for the elimination of single hull tankers over 20 years of age. The Italian legislation goes beyond Community legislation on the phasing-out of single hull tankers.