Australia Bans Cargo Ship Over Safety Issues

An Antigua Barbuda-flagged general cargo ship has been banned from Australian waters over serious safety deficiencies. 

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said it issued a 180-day ban on the Briese Heavylift GmbH & Co vessel BBC Pearl as the agency works to crack down on unsafe and unseaworthy vessels.

after inspectors found multiple failures of the safety management system as well as a defective emergency generator and defective fire dampers during a port State control inspection in Cairns.

The vessel was detained in Cairns for four days until the deficiencies were rectified before it proceeded to Port Hedland where the banning notice was issued.

This is the second banning of a Briese Heavylift GmbH & Co vessel in the past month, following the 90-day ban issued to the BBC Weser on June 12, AMSA said, noting it as issued multiple warnings to the German company.

AMSA executive director of operations Michael Drake said that the safety violations on the BBC Pearl were alarming and posed a real safety risk to the seafarers on board.

“The defective emergency generator would render the vessel helpless in the event of a main power supply failure, and this is the second time the BBC Pearl has been detained for a defective emergency generator,” he said. “These are clear violations of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.”

Drake said that any operators that think they can get away with substandard ships in Australia should be on notice.  

“Australia has a reputation for upholding high safety standards for vessels entering our waters,” he said. “We have imposed a longer ban of 180-days on the BBC Pearl to send a clear message to any poor-performing operator that Australia finds these conditions to be unacceptable.”