Transportation Incidents News

A busy market, fraught with risk, needs specialized protection. The marine construction business is booming in the United States for many reasons. Nationwide, ports are expanding, deepening their channels to accommodate the bigger, so-called post-Panamax vessels. And, that means more than just deepening the channel. Docks, piers, cranes and other shoreside infrastructure need to be bolstered in order to stand up to heavier vessel impacts. Other infrastructure and bridges also need updating to be brought into the 21st century.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released a new guidance document, Traffic Safety in Marine Terminals, to help the maritime industry avoid traffic accidents and prevent or reduce work-related fatalities and injuries. The guidance document was recommended by the Maritime Advisory Committee for Occupational Safety and Health in March, 2004. It is not a standard or regulation and it carries no new legal obligations. Rather, it focuses on the factors that contribute to traffic related injuries and identifies measures to prevent them, such as safety checks, vehicle selection and maintenance, traffic controls, safe operation of vehicles, and safe driving techniques.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released a new guidance document, Traffic Safety in Marine Terminals , to help the maritime industry avoid traffic accidents and prevent or reduce work-related fatalities and injuries. Committee for Occupational Safety and Health in March, 2004. standard or regulation and it carries no new legal obligations. and safe driving techniques. incidents.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its HomelandSecurity Strategic Plan. The plan provides, among other things, that the EPA will be an active participant in national security and homeland security efforts pertaining to transportation. In this regard, the EPA will work to enhance emergency preparedness for transportation incidents involving radiation and work with the Customs Service to prevent importation of unwanted radioactive materials and to better control imports and exports of toxic and hazardous materials and wastes. Source: HK Law

The maritime community has increasingly become the target of Department of Justice (DOJ) and state prosecution efforts to pursue criminal sanctions against corporations and senior management involved in maritime transportation incidents. Though many of the prosecutorial efforts involve egregious cases, some involve incidents that were previously treated as accidents. DOJ recently announced that federal enforcement actions involving environmental issues rose by almost 50 percent from 1996 to 1997. Criminal enforcement efforts often focus on highly visible companies for the maximum deterrent effect and greatest public impact. Because of aggressive federal and state efforts targeting environmental crimes…