Safety Technologies News

French player in the cable and optical fiber industry Nexans S.A. said that it has secured a 5-year contract extension with the compatriot shipbuilding giant Chantiers de l’Atlantique to supply cables and services for use in some of the world’s largest passenger vessels.The contract builds on a 45-year partnership between Nexans and Chantiers de l’Atlantique, an alliance which has facilitated the evolution of specialized ship cable technology and logistics.Throughout this partnership period, Nexans has been the leading cables provider in designing advanced fire safety technologies for secure passengers ships - one of the highest priority in shipbuilding industry.

A total of 5,300 gallons of Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings ensures that one of Washington’s most valuable assets will provide service for years to come. With a longstanding history of ferry operation in the Puget Sound, Washington State Ferries (WSF) was in need of a coatings company with just as strong of a reputation when preserving the 3,634-ton M/V Kaleetan auto/passenger ferry in the summer of 2015. Built in 1967 in San Diego, Calif., the M/V Kaleetan – which means “arrow” in Chinook – first went into service in early 1968 and was rebuilt in 2005.

There is a global boom in the development of unmanned systems, from below the ocean’s surface to high in the sky to the world’s roads. Add to this list the maritime industry, on both military and civilian vessels. Maritime Reporter & Engineering News examines in depth recent developments taking place in Europe to discover general thoughts and technical trends driving the future of unmanned shipping. The joint European Research Project MUNIN was finalized in August 2015, a project…

NavPlay, an innovative manufacturer of iPad apps for boaters, announced today its release of a new app designed specifically for American boaters – NavPlay US. Offering downloadable access to detailed NOAA vector maps, NMEA 2000 compatibility and WiFi-integration with onboard navigation and safety technologies, NavPlay US provides the tools needed to manage all aspect of yachting, right from an iPad, anywhere on a vessel. A powerful, robust and easy-to-use navigation app, NavPlay US allows boaters to download, plan routes and navigate using NOAA vector charts from Aqua Map. Delivering crystal clear detail and ultra fast refresh rates…

The second of Canada Steamship Lines' (CSL) two newbuild Trillium Class Great Lakes bulk carriers, CSL St-Laurent, was delivered on November 26, 2014 and set sail on her maiden voyage on December 13. She departed at 20:00 CST from Yangfan shipyard on Zhoushan Island, China, en route to Canada where she is set to operate throughout the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. The vessel is commanded by Captain Kevin Crouse and Chief Engineer Paul Beaudet, and is expected to take approximately 50-60 days to complete her voyage. CSL St-Laurent marks the successful completion of CSL's audacious newbuild program, which began with the delivery in December 2012 of the award-winning Trillium Class self-unloading Laker, Baie St. Paul.

An un-manned X-47B has completed a series of tests, operating safely and seamlessly with manned aircraft from 'USS Theodore Roosevelt' informs the US Navy. Building on lessons learned from its first test period aboard TR in November 2013, the X-47B team is now focused on perfecting deck operations and performing maneuvers with manned aircraft in the flight pattern. "Today we showed that the X-47B could take off, land and fly in the carrier pattern with manned aircraft while maintaining normal flight deck operations," said Capt. Beau Duarte, program manager for the Navy's Unmanned Carrier Aviation office. The first series of manned/unmanned operations began when the ship launched an F/A-18 and an X-47B.

On January 25, 2014, two newbuild Trillium Class bulk carriers were launched for Canada Steamship Lines Inc. (CSL) at Yangfan shipyard in Zhoushan, China. The 36,100-DWT, seaway size gearless bulkers are part of CSL’s ambitious fleet renewal program which oversaw the delivery of four new Trillium Class self-unloading Lakers and three Panamax self-unloaders in 2012-2013. The two new vessels are scheduled to enter the Canada Steamship Lines fleet later this year and will operate in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system.

American Cruise Lines (ACL) today confirmed it will be placing the first of four upcoming newbuilds on the Mississippi River, where it currently operates its newest riverboat, Queen of the Mississippi. The second newbuild will operate in the Pacific Northwest on the Columbia and Snake Rivers, where the line is operating the 120-passenger Queen of the West. Construction of both new riverboats is well underway at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Md. The new Mississippi riverboat will have a similar capacity to Queen of the Mississippi at 150 passengers, and will enter service in March of 2015. The new Columbia riverboat will follow later that same year. It will be slightly larger than American Cruise Lines’ other riverboats, with a planned capacity of 175 passengers.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) announced today a 45-day extension to the public comment period for the proposed rule on offshore oil and natural gas production safety systems. Comments will now be accepted through Dec. 5, 2013. The proposed rule will revise 30 CFR 250 subpart H, Oil and Gas Production Safety Systems, to address recent technological advances. This section of the regulations has not had a major revision since it was first published in 1988. During that period, industry’s use of subsea trees (the assembly mounted on a well head used to control the flow of oil and gas) and other technologies have evolved or become more prevalent offshore.

As part of President Obama’s commitment to promoting safe and responsible offshore oil and gas development, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) Director James Watson today announced another key step to strengthen both human safety and environmental protection on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. The proposed rule, which will be published in the Federal Register tomorrow, implements best practices and updates regulations regarding production safety systems and equipment used to collect and treat oil and gas from offshore production facilities.

Carnival Cruise Lines has appointed four esteemed maritime and transportation industry experts – Rear Admiral Mark H. Buzby, Rear Admiral Joseph F. Campbell, Ray Valeika and Dr. John K. Lauber -- to the company's new Safety & Reliability Review Board. As part of Carnival's comprehensive fleetwide technical enhancement program, the review board was created to provide independent third-party perspective and to drive continuous improvement across the line's fleet. The core objectives of the board are to review Carnival Cruise Lines' current policies…

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) Director Michael R. Bromwich delivered remarks June 22 at the 5th annual World National Oil Companies Congress in London. The World National Oil Companies Congress brings together senior executives from national oil companies and government leaders from around the world to discuss global energy issues. Director Bromwich is attending this year's meeting to further the bureau’s efforts to expand bilateral and multilateral cooperation with regulatory counterparts around the globe, especially in light of the recommendations of the National Commission on the Deepwater…