Safety Law News

The Board of Directors of the International Propeller Club of the United States has selected Mr. John M. Cullather as its new Executive Vice President.In the role of Executive Vice President, he will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the International Propeller Club, will oversee all activities and functions of the International Propeller Club of the United States, and will serve as the primary liaison to the Club’s 70 port chapters worldwide. Along with the Board of Directors…

Ballast water treatment systems manufacturer Coldharbour Marine said it has engaged Japanese classification society ClassNK to assist in the process of obtaining Japanese type approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The approval is a requirement for all foreign companies in the marine sector seeking to sell their products to customers in Japan. The type approval process, as required by Japan’s Ship Safety Law and the Marine Pollution Prevention Law…

French wheat exports to Indonesia are on hold as traders await the approval of a food safety agreement between the two countries, something exporters say is being delayed by Indonesia in retaliation against a French palm oil tax plan. A farm ministry official from Indonesia, the world's largest producer of palm oil, said the delay was a procedural one, and denied any link to the proposed tax. France's additional tax on palm oil, due to come into force next year, is billed as an environmental levy on a product associated with deforestation and other environmental damage. The delay to exports from the European Union's largest grain exporter was on the agenda of France's Secretary of State for Trade Matthias Fekl when he travelled to Indonesia earlier this month.

MetalCraft Marine Incorporated is a fully integrated designer and manufacturer of custom high performance fire, rescue, patrol, research, and other specialized work boats. Boats range from 24’ to 70’ in length and can reach speeds of 50 KT. Established in 1987, the firm is a leader in the design and manufacturing of aluminum water-jet propelled craft building over 600 hulls to date. Customers include the US Coast Guard, Navy, various cities and municipalities, the Panama Canal Authority, and several countries. MetalCraft designs and builds boats World Wide.

The crew of Coast Guard Station Emerald Isle is scheduled to hold a change-of-command ceremony Friday at the station in Emerald Isle, N.C. During the ceremony, Chief Petty Officer Matthew Wolanzyk will relieve Chief Warrant Officer Robert Lepere, who served as the officer-in-charge of Station Emerald Isle since 2010. Station Emerald Isle's missions include search and rescue, recreational boating safety, law enforcement and marine environmental protection. The station is home to 24 active-duty members and 11 reserve members. The area of responsibility for the station includes Bogue Sound, Bogue Inlet, Stump Sound, New River, New River Inlet and the intracoastal waterway via Surf City, N.C.

While it seems that half the world is monitoring the oil and gas exploration activities of Royal Dutch Shell (Shell Oil) on the United States outer continental shelf (OCS) in waters of the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off the north coast of Alaska, another historic event is occurring in those same waters: Arctic Shield 2012. The US Coast Guard is assembling its largest ever effort in the Arctic during the period July through October 2012. The Coast Guard has been gradually expanding its presence in the Arctic over the past four years.

The move, to take place over a four-year transition period, would send a clear message that New Zealand was serious about the fair treatment of fishing crews, the safety of vessels and its international reputation for ethical and sustainable fishing practices, Primary Industries Minister David Carter and Labor Minister Kate Wilkinson stated. The announcement followed the release in March of a report by the Ministerial Inquiry into Foreign Charter Vessels (FCVs), which was ordered after widely publicized cases of mainly Indonesian fishing crews jumping ship with claims of unpaid wages and physical abuse when their Korean-owned vessels docked in New Zealand.

Safety of passenger ships – Costa Concordia accident and Commission review of safety legislation. Vice-President Siim Kallas, European Commissioner for Transport has asked that the currently ongoing review of EU passenger ship safety legislation take fully into account any lessons to be learnt from the Costa Concordia tragedy. The review will prioritise, in particular, the issues of: design and stability of passenger ships, technological developments in the sector, crew training and safe operation, including emergency evacuation procedures.

The U.S. Coast Guard took final acceptance of the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf, the first of the Legend class National Security Cutter fleet, at the cutter's homeport of Alameda, Calif., Friday, May 8. Bertholf's final acceptance is part of the Coast Guard's deliberative acquisition process and represents the moment when the Coast Guard acknowledges that the cutter is ready to transition from an acquisition project to the operations and sustainment phases of the cutter's service life.

"Deepwater One Team" has delivered a $2.3-billion proposal to the U.S. Coast Guard for the design and development of an Integrated Deepwater System (IDS) that will help the Coast Guard meet vital offshore operational requirements into the 21st century. Construcciones Aeronauticas S.A. (CASA) of Madrid, Spain; Eurocopter, an EADS Company, of Marignane, France; John J. McMullen Associates Inc. (JJMA) of Alexandria, Va.; and Northrop Grumman Ship Systems Avondale Operations, a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman Corporation, located in New Orleans, La. The transatlantic team's proven capability in large-scale systems integration and demonstrated successes in partnering with customers is aimed at providing a best-value system solution to the Coast Guard for its planned multibillion-dollar…

and gas operations. relevant Rules and Guides of ABS. Azeri Technical Safety Law. on a major offshore project in Azerbaijan. Officer, ABS Europe. oil and gas industry in the Azerbaijan Republic. similar to the NPD in Norway, HSE in UK and MMS in the US. offshore operations concerns in the Azeri sector of the Caspian. of ABS Rules and Guides or other internationally recognized standards. established. between ABS and GGTN of the Azerbaijan Republic. drilling rig located in the Caspian Sea. setting standards,” says Lino Costa.

SAFE Boats International won a contract from the USCG Office of Boat Forces in Washington, DC to build two self-righting 42-ft. Archangel Class vessels. Designated by the USCG and the Department of Homeland Security as the Special Purpose Craft – Near Shore Lifeboat (SPC-NLB), the NLB is 100 percent designed and manufactured in the US by SBI at the Port Orchard, Wash., factory. The USCG plans to operate the NLB in varying sea and weather conditions along the entire coast of the U.S. and use it as a fast response and utility boat. The hull design will allow the NLB to operate in shallow water areas and transit surf zones through breaking seas in excess of 15-ft.

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley will celebrate on August 4 the service's 217th birthday as America's oldest continuous sea-going service. Since its inception in 1790, the men and women of "America's Lifesavers," the Coast Guard, have saved more than 1 million lives. In 2006 alone, the men and women of Sector Ohio Valley assisted 560 persons and over $800m in property. Moreover, that same year the Sector conducted 331 casualty investigations, 1,395 vessel inspections, 448 facility inspections, and 122 pollution responses. The Coast Guard traces its roots in Louisville back to 1852 with the assignment of the first local Supervisory Inspector of the U.S. Steamboat Inspection Service.

By Jeanne M. Over the last ten or so years, criminal prosecutions have become commonplace in the maritime industry. The most common prosecutions stem from environmental violations, but often also include charges of false statements, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice. Over the last several years, however, a new trend has begun - that of prosecutions under the Seaman's Manslaughter Statute. These prosecutions have come to the fore because of the Staten Island Ferry incident, which occurred in 2003, where the Seaman's Manslaughter Statute was used to extract guilty pleas from the pilot and a shoreside official. History of the Seaman's Manslaughter Statute.