Brm News

The liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier LNG Barka, operated and managed by an NYK Group company, along with the bulk carrier Lily Fortune, operated by NYK, was honored with the "Best Quality Ship 2024" award sponsored by the Japan Federation of Pilots' Associations. The award ceremony took place on June 26, 2025. Notably, among the approximately 24,000 vessels evaluated in fiscal year 2024, the NYK Group had two of the nine award-winning ships.The award was established in 2003 to promote safe vessel operation and the protection of ports and the marine environment.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released its investigation report into a bulk carrier’s collision with two tugs in Tasmania last year highlighting the importance of bridge resource management (BRM) and the design of bridge systems to reduce the risks of human error.On January 28, 2022, the Australian-flagged bulk carrier Goliath was turning in the swing basin to berth at the Port of Devonport, Tasmania, when it collided with two moored tugs, which subsequently sunk.

It takes a thick skin to live in New York City, let alone to run its Staten Island Ferry service. James C. DeSimone, Deputy Commissioner, Ferry Division, New York City Department of Transportation, has been charged with running the ferry service for the last 16 years. We met with him for his insights on the challenges of keeping the iconic ferry running safely and efficiently.Jim DeSimone has led a maritime life, with his time equally split between the private and public sectors. His maritime affiliation is literally in his blood, as his father Guy J.

When James C. DeSimone, Deputy Commissioner, Ferry Division, New York City Department of Transportation, signed on to run the Staten Island Ferries in 2003, the organization was still in the aftermath of one of the most significant accidents in its history: the ferry Andrew J. Barberi allision of October 2003, an accident which included a number of fatalities and serious injuries. DeSimone, who had long-tenures in both the commercial and public end of the marine business, brought a unique perspective to the organization.“For the city to go outside the system to hire (me) was huge…

The twists and turns of any marine casualty investigation can be unpredictable, but what is predictable is the potentially crushing cost to defend your license, livelihood and professional reputation.It was early afternoon on a late summer day in a busy commercial and fishing port in coastal New England. The captain of an offshore supply vessel was returning to his company’s dock and was lining up to transit past the harbor’s fixed storm mitigation gate when he decided to ‘bail out’ on his approach because the tide was ebbing and the outbound current of approximately two knots was offsetting his vessel to the east. No stranger to these waters…

Members of the Houston Pilots recently participated in two custom-built simulation courses vital to their Pilotage duties in the Houston Ship Channel and the Port of Houston, the largest landlocked Port in America. Each course was two days long, and was provided by the Maritime Simulation Resource Center (MSRC), at their Quebec City, Canada-based facility. The Houston Pilots face a multitude of factors when piloting ships in their waterways, including weather and wind, particularly with large ships, a very small turning basin, as well as intricate 24/7 traffic management.

In the world of maritime training, MSRC has carved a unique niche in the training of pilots. Founded in 2005, MSRC is a division of the Corporation of Lower St. Lawrence Pilots (CLSLP). The MSRC is a purpose-built simulator with a fully instrumented DNV Class “A” configured bridge with 330° visuals that exceed the requirements of the 1995 STCW Convention. MSRC’s Full Mission Simulator (FMS) is one of the most advanced simulators of its type and is continually being upgraded. The Center is also equipped with three fully instrumented ship bridges, with a horizontal view of 240°.

You have either been hacked... or just didn’t know you have been hacked. I predict that the first catastrophic maritime cyber incident will not be the result of a direct attack on a safety critical specific piece of equipment. It will be the result of an infection on a random PC, perhaps an unassuming email to a crew member, whose PC is either connected to the vessels internal super highway or he transmits the infection internally whilst it lies dormant. Crypto locker, or Ransomware software (used by thousands of hackers)…

It’s a major understatement to say that Subchapter M is top of mind for workboat operators. While most would agree that the new regulations will raise the level of safety and operational sophistication, most would also likely agree that with change comes uncertainty, cost and effort. Thus it was no surprise that at October’s national meeting of the American Waterways Operators, discussions were dominated by Subchapter M and its implications for operators. As a former faculty member at a large research university and someone very focused on training in the maritime industry…

I have never been in a hurricane. That’s a fact. Actually, my wife likes to say that whenever there is any kind of natural disaster, I’m typically nowhere to be found. And, when I think about it, I realize that she is right. Whether by accident or by design, that’s exactly how it has played out during the 30+ years that we have been together. Whenever this touchy subject does come up – typically once a quarter – she usually points to one particular event as proof of concept. In August of 1983, long before Katrina left her indelible mark on the U.S. Gulf Coast and the city of New Orleans in particular, there was Alicia. On August 18 of that year…

The e-Navigation Underway 2015 – North America conference will be hosted by The State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College from September 28 to 30 on the college’s Throggs Neck, N.Y. campus. The conference’s theme is: “Reducing Risk through E-Navigation,” which follows the pace of the IMO’s Correspondence Group on e-Navigation. The keynote speaker will be Joseph Trotti, CEO of AIG Global Marine and Aerospace, and Francis Zachariae, the new Secretary General of the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) and formerly the deputy director general of Danish Maritime Authority (DMA), will be the luncheon speaker on the conference’s final day. Other confirmed speakers include Tracy Murrell, Director Office of Marine Safety, U.S.

The Norwegian Maritime Authority (Sjøfartsdirektoratet)  granted approval to the CAE Oslo training center to conduct Bridge Resource Management (BRM) and Engine Resource Management (ERM) training. The training courses are designed to address human behaviour and attitudes which can lead to human error on the bridge as well as in control and engine rooms. This approval allows CAE to train engineers and deck officers separately or on a combined course (vessel team).The approval meets the Standards of Training…

It is one thing to have a policy posted. It is another to review and explain such a policy to a new crew during their orientation or when they first sign on a vessel. And, finally, it is still another to claim the policy has been effectively implemented. A number of recent maritime incidents have led to ‘Stop Work Authority’ (SWA) becoming a federally mandated part of a safety management system (SMS) for vessels operating in certain areas and industries. Other sectors, while not federally mandated with respect to this requirement, adopted and implemented SWA years ago, on their own. SWA, far from a new concept, is one that recognizes the importance attached to encouraging any employee on board a vessel (whether licensed…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) today announced that its group company MOL Marine Consulting, Ltd. (MOLMC) has acquired certification for its Bridge Resource Management (BRM) training program from Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NK), effective May 30. MOLMC is the first company in Japan to upgrade its BRM training program to meet all the requirements of the model course 1.22 (five-day course) established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The certification reflects MOLMC’s effort and dedication to developing a world-class BRM training program. MOLMC President Soichi Hiratsuka received the certificate from NK Executive Vice President Koichi Fujiwara on June 2 in a presentation ceremony at NK headquarters.

e-Navigation aims to harmonize navigation systems and ultimately make the mariners’ job easier, but its implementation will necessitate extensive changes to maritime training. Dr. Michael Baldauf of the World Maritime University, discusses the reasons for change, progress made so far, and further changes that will need to be made to reap the benefits of e-Navigation. In recent years, bridges have become increasingly ‘smart’ with a plethora of new equipment, systems and interfaces.

The Swedish Club Academy is celebrating 20 years of Maritime Resource Management (MRM), a spin off from the Bridge Resource Management (BRM), which aims to reduce accidents at sea caused by human error. In 1993, The Swedish Club, together with seven other organizations, developed the latter to serve as the first ever resource management training course for the shipping industry. The further development of the MRM program was taken over by The Swedish Club Academy from The Swedish Club in 2010. “Today, MRM is available in 35 countries worldwide, with over 100 licensed training providers. We are looking forward to increasing our training providers in the coming years,” says Martin Hernqvist, managing director of The Swedish Club Academy.

The Coast Guard issued a safety alert to personnel and the maritime community warning of the potential dangers of confined space entries. In the first case, an inspector was on board a tank vessel to conduct a Port State Control Examination. In anticipation of the examination, the crew opened the hatch to the Freefall Lifeboat to let it air out. As the Inspector entered the lifeboat his gas meter alarmed and he quickly exited. Upon investigation, it was confirmed with ship’s equipment that Carbon Monoxide had collected in the lifeboat.

Resolve Salvage & Fire (Europe), Ltd., the European emergency response subsidiary of U.S.- based Resolve Marine Group, Inc., has added a new office at 23, Austin Friars, London, expanding the company’s U.K. operations base. The 34-year-old marine salvage, emergency response and wreck removal company has been steadily expanding, both geographically and in its service offerings for the international maritime industry. Joining the new London office is Daniel Dettor, a Commercial Manager formerly based at Resolve’s corporate headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Maritime Simulation Institute to Provide Professional Maritime Training to NOAA Officers; Instruction to Include Critical Simulator Experience in Shiphandling at Institute Headquarters. The Maritime Simulation Institute was recently selected to provide professional maritime training to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Corps Officers. In the NOAA Basic Officer Training Class, professional maritime instructors from the Maritime Simulation Institute will train the initial accession NOAA Corps Officers in the nautical sciences including basic safety training, seamanship, electronic navigation, ship stability, Rules of the Road, and shiphandling.

Evergreen Seafarer Training Center (ESTC) earns ClassNK certification for its training courses. Classification society ClassNK announced that it has certified the Bridge Resource Management (BRM), Electronic Chart Display Information Systems (ECDIS) and Engine-room Resource Management (ERM) training courses offered by the Evergreen Seafarer Training Center (ESTC). ESTC boasts one of the world’s most sophisticated maritime training centers and has provided training for Taiwanese and foreign seafarers who serve on Evergreen’s fleet of some 100 vessels.

Leading class society ClassNK announced that it has certified the Bridge Resource Management (BRM), Electronic Chart Display Information Systems (ECDIS) and Engine-room Resource Management (ERM) training courses offered by the Evergreen Seafarer Training Center (ESTC). The new certification confirms that the training programs meet the requirements of ClassNK standards, IMO model course requirements and the STCW Code. The official certificate was presented to Evergreen Marine Corp. (Taiwan) Ltd.

VSTEP, a European-based developer of maritime simulators and virtual training software is offering a new option in Maritime Simulation with its Nautis Desktop Trainer. Designed to allow smaller maritime schools, corporate training departments and public educators access to dependable, affordable and portable simulation options, the product comes standard with three screens but can be configured for six or more. Customizable to each customer’s requirements, the Nautis Desktop Trainer needs only one customized notebook or PC computer to operate it.

State-of-the-art, simulation-based safety and navigation training center raises the bar for cruise line and commercial shipping professionals. Resolve Maritime Academy (Academy) opened its new Simulation Training Center on Monday, March 12 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA facility adjacent to Port Everglades. The state-of-the-art, 7000-square-foot facility will provide leading edge simulation-based training programs to enhance safe navigation at sea for cruise line and commercial shipping personnel and other maritime professionals worldwide.