Trump Cuts Threaten Fishing Safety
By the time Robbie Roberge spotted the fire consuming his boat's galley last August, he knew he had just minutes to evacuate his beloved Three Girls fishing vessel, named for his daughters.As the flames spread up the boat's walls, he helped his crew into safety suits, deployed a life raft and made a mayday call to alert nearby mariners and the U.S. Coast Guard that he was abandoning ship more than 100 miles offshore.Roberge, a commercial fisherman from South Portland, Maine, learned…
ClassNK Releases Ammonia Guidelines
ClassNK has released the “Guidelines for Safety Operation for Ammonia-Fueled Vessels” to ensure safe operation on board ammonia-fueled vessels.The introduction of alternative fuel vessels is approaching 40% of the total on an order basis and is expected to increase further in the future, and alternative fuels such as ammonia have unique risks that conventional heavy oil fuels do not.The guidelines give top priority to protecting the safety of seafarers and cover matters to be kept in mind in daily operations…
Procedural and Safety Failures Implicit in High-Voltage Panel Fatality
The US Coast Guard has released its report into the death of a crewmember onboard the Red Stag while moored at the Adriatic Marine Dock, in Port Fourchon, LA, on October 14, 2023. The incident occurred when an unqualified engineer (UE) opened the panel for the mud pump system and touched the high voltage conductors containing 480 volts.The 184-foot OSV moored at the dock the previous day with a crew consisting of a Master, Relief Captain and three crewmembers. The vessel had been in dry dock and had recently moved to the Adriatic Marine Dock to prepare for an upcoming work assignment…
Bosun Crushed: Unsafe Practices Had Become Normal
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its report into a crush incident on board ro-ro cargo vessel Clipper Pennant in Gladstone Dock, Liverpool, England on July 20, 2021.At 1353 on that day, the bosun was fatally crushed while working on the vessel’s vehicle deck as the vessel was being loaded with a cargo of semi-trailers.A tractor unit driver pushed a semi-trailer into a corner space, marshalled by the vessel’s bosun in their assigned role as banksman. The accident was not seen by the driver, who disconnected the tractor unit and drove away.
Safety and Communication Failures Led to Fatal Fall
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published its report into the death of a seafarer on the bulk carrier Equinox Seas whilst the vessel was undergoing scheduled maintenance in a yard.On April 17, 2023, a crewman on board Equinox Seas was fatally injured when he fell 10m down an open ventilation trunk where a fan had been removed for maintenance by the shipyard. The fitter was recovered from the base of the ventilation trunk and moved to a local hospital, where…
US Investigation Leads Maersk to Change Reporting Policy for Employees
As part of a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor, Maersk Line Limited will change its safety reporting policies and compensate a seaman the company terminated after they reported safety concerns to the U.S. Coast Guard without first notifying their employer.The actions follow a three-day hearing in June 2024 where Maersk challenged the findings of a whistleblower investigation by the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) which found the company…
Number of Accidents on Ships Remains Consistent
Accidents onboard ships are not decreasing, according to latest accident statistics submitted to the IMO by InterManager.The number of seafarers injured in falls has remained fairly consistent year on year, as has the number of injuries resulting from rescue and survival craft accidents. However, the casualty rate for enclosed space accidents has almost doubled, the Association warns.InterManager has submitted its figures, which span several decades, to the 10th session of the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Implementation of IMO Instruments, taking place from July 22 to 26 in London.
