Safety Alert News

The U.S. Coast Guard Safety Alert 03-26, issued on January 16, highlights critical findings related to immersion suit maintenance, inspection practices, and material integrity.ABS reports that U.S. Coast Guard inspectors have increasingly identified adhesive failures between immersion suit zippers and suit bodies, as well as other seam related defects. These deficiencies compromise watertight integrity and pose significant risks to crew survival in emergency situations.Contributing factors cited include use of non-approved lubricants…

U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) inspectors frequently find immersion suit defects caused by adhesivef ailures between the main zipper and the suit body. These failures, illustrated in the images, compromise watertight integrity and pose serious survival risks from water ingress. Contributing factors to the defects include improper maintenance (e.g., the use of non-approved petroleum based lubricants or scented powders), improper storage, and neglecting to conduct periodic pressure testing. Seam and closure deterioration may not always be detectable during routine visual inspections.

The Coast Guard’s Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis recently released a Report of Investigation (ROI) regarding the fire on the Italian flagged cargo vessel GRANDE COSTA D’AVORIO and subsequent fatalities of two Newark Fire Department firefighters. The vessel was conducting cargo operations at Berth 18, Port Newark, New Jersey on July 5, 2023, at the time of the event. The ROI can be found on the following website: Marine Casualty Reports.The fire was reported to have started late in the evening of July 5, 2023, and continued for five days.

This Safety Alert highlights the critical importance of preventing water intrusion into fuel tanks. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) investigated a marine casualty that occurred in the Corpus Christi Shipping Channel, involving a towing vessel constructed in 2011 with a low freeboard. While pushing a barge loaded with methanol, the vessel encountered sea state conditions with 4-foot wave heights and sustained winds of 35 knots. These conditions caused water to fill the fixed containment area beneath the vessel's fuel tank vent pipes…

The U.S. Coast Guard recently conducted a marine casualty investigation into an uncontrolled release of isobutane from a 2-inch cargo tank pipe aboard a pressure barge certificated to carry flammable cargoes. The direct cause of the incident was traced to the failure of the studs of a ball valve installed on a cargo tank’s gauging pipe which sheared off and caused the ball valve to separate from the cargo pipe. The affected ball valve, manufactured by Ohio Valve Company, was supplied…

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published its preliminary assessment of a cargo fire on the bulk carrier Atlay on June 27, 2025.The Marshall Islands registered vessel was loading scrap metal into its aft cargo hold at Albert Dock, Hull, England.At 0948, the master observed smoke rising from the cargo and immediately activated the general alarm and called for the shore grab operator to discharge cargo to remove or expose the source of the fire. Meanwhile…

The National Transportation Safety Board issued a safety alert Wednesday urging greater awareness and training for land-based firefighters who may be called to fight fires aboard vessels in local ports.The safety alert follows several NTSB investigations into deaths and injuries to firefighters. The NTSB found land-based firefighters often lack the necessary training and familiarity with vessel layouts and fire protection systems to effectively fight in-port vessel fires. They…

The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a Safety Alert following a recent oil spill on the Delaware River.The Alert says the incident starkly underscored the critical need for effective communication when completing the required Declaration of Inspection (DOI) prior to an oil transfer in accordance with Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), §156.120 (33 CFR 156.120).Prior to the incident, the facility person in charge (PIC) filled out their section of the DOI and sent the checklist…

A recent oil spill on the Delaware River starkly underscored the critical need for effective communication when completing the required Declaration of Inspection (DOI) prior to an oil transfer in accordance with Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), §156.120 (33 CFR156.120). Prior to the incident, the facility person in charge (PIC) filled out their section of the DOI and sent the checklist in a bucket hoist to the barge PIC who subsequently completed their portion. Notably, the two PICs never met in person nor exchanged any words throughout the DOI preparation process.

An integrated Li-ion battery bank recently caught fire onboard an inspected passenger vessel when loosely crimped lugs overheated. While no one was injured and the vessel sustained minimal damage, this casualty highlights safety hazards unique to Li-ion batteries. All integrated (installations used for propulsion and electrical power) Li-ion battery systems on inspected vessels must undergo engineering plan review, be fitted with supporting safety systems, be tested and inspected at installation and periodically afterward…

The Coast Guard recently investigated an engine room fire on board an inspected towing vessel which led to the discovery of issues with the  maintenance and installation of fire detection systems on board multiple towing vessels. During the investigation, several towing vessels were discovered to have defective heat detectors installed in their engine rooms. These detectors had been recalled by the manufacturer in 2019 for failure to activate within their listed temperature range.

On November 27, 2024, approximately 100 nautical miles off the coast of Virginia, a bulk carrier shipping a type of coal called “Bailey High Vol Coking Coal” experienced consecutive explosions in the two forward cargo holds. While still under investigation, the explosions are likely a result of the accumulation of methane gas that created an explosive atmosphere and resulted in significant damage to the two associated cargo holds. It was soon discovered that the other five cargo holds also had highly elevated levels of methane that were approaching the Lower Explosive Limit…

A high-speed passenger ferry struck a pier in New York while docking. Numerous passengers sustained minor injuries, and the combined repairs to the vessel and pier exceeded $500,000. The Coast Guard’s subsequent investigation of the major marine casualty, which was conducted in parallel with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), revealed numerous safety issues, including concerns with the vessel’s control system configuration.The ferry was equipped with three identical navigation bridge control stations — center…

Two recent marine casualties on commercial fishing vessels (CFVs) highlighted hazardous stowage conditions that rendered onboard lifesaving equipment ineffective. During the first incident, a 41-foot CFV capsized and sank within two minutes after taking on water. The personal flotation devices (PFDs) were not stored in an easily accessible location, preventing the crew from retrieving them before exiting the vessel. Additionally, the liferaft and hydrostatic release unit were attached to an aftermarket fiberglass canopy…

A towing vessel was pushing a barge loaded with aggregate when it allided with a bulk liquid transfer terminal pier on the Columbia River. The Coast Guard’s marine casualty investigation determined that the operator fell asleep at the helm, resulting in more than $1.5 million in property damage to the barge, handling equipment, and the facility. The incident occurred near a pipeline that could have discharged 25,000 gallons of synthetic diesel into the waterway.The investigation also identified the failure of the Pilothouse Alerter System as a key contributing factor.

A 2022 fire aboard the Staten Island Ferry Sandy Ground was caused by a combination of engine design flaws and insufficient training for engineering crewmembers, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed on Tuesday.The incident occurred on December 22, 2022, as the ferry, carrying 884 passengers, was navigating New York Harbor between Staten Island and Manhattan. The fire ignited in the engine room, resulting in $12.7 million in damages. Despite the severity, quick…

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.

A new safety alert issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) urges vessel owners and operators to provide each crewmember with a personal locator device. These devices improve a mariner’s chance of rescue during an emergency.During an emergency at sea, a mariner’s chance of survival decreases if search and rescue cannot quickly and accurately identify their location. Personal locator devices, such as personal locator beacons (PLB) or satellite emergency notification devices (SEND), can accurately pinpoint a person’s location.

The fatal collision between the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Winslow Griesser and a small boat off the coast of Puerto Rico last year resulted from the failure of either vessel to maintain a proper lookout, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.On August 8, 2022, the cutter Winslow Griesser and the center-console boat Desakata collided about four miles off the northern coast of Puerto Rico. The cutter, with a crew of 21, was traveling westward along the coast. The 23-foot boat, with two aboard, was heading northbound.

The US Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis Commandant has released US Coast Guard Marine Safety Alert 07-23, Critical Insight from Ongoing Investigations into Small Passenger Vessel Fires.The Safety Alert was prepared in response to multiple ongoing investigations being conducted by the U S Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) into fires onboard two certificated small passenger vessels. Both vessels sustained millions of dollars in structural damages.The alert highlights the risk of the open flames that can be used during dinner cruises.

The Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis has released U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Alert 06-23: Avoiding Load Line Requirements.The safety alert cites a recent marine casualty resulting in the total loss of a crane barge, estimated at over $6 million, and cautions about the risks associated with not complying with load line regulations.The incident occurred approximately 18 miles offshore of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico while the crane barge was being towed in calm weather conditions.

Multiple training and personnel safety failures led to a 2020 worker casualty on board the Pacific Khamsin drillship in the Gulf of Mexico, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) said in a recent report..A rig crewmember was killed on August 23, 2020 while assisting his team in breaking out bolts and pulling riser joints to the surface as the Pacific Drilling drillship crew prepared to secure the well and evacuate the location ahead of incoming storms. The drillship was under contract with Total E&P USA, conducting well operations in Garden Banks Block 1003, approximately 174 miles offshore Louisiana at the time of the incident.A panel comprised of BSEE subject matter experts…

The United States Coast Guard issued the following Marine Safety Alert rergarding Dynamic Positioning Systems.Dynamic positioning (DP) systems1 meeting equipment class 2 (DP2) and equipment class 3 (DP3) have control features and redundancies that are often regarded by the crews of vessels using these systems as infallible. A recently investigated DP incident revealed that a DP system may still have weaknesses, even when the design and testing of the system aims to remove or mitigate those weaknesses through engineering controls.