Marine Link
Saturday, April 27, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

Katharine Sweeney News

30 Sep 2016

Subchapter M: Post Publication Highlights

Photo: AWO

An extra T in TSMS, nowhere left to hide from systems documentation, and an emphasis on continuous improvement. Back in January of this year, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) predicted Subchapter M would be released in spring 2016. I put my money on June 20, that being the very last day of spring, and on June 20 the long-awaited regulation was finally published. Subchapter M doesn’t come with much we weren’t expecting, which is a good thing. Surprises in this industry are not met with enthusiasm. The USCG should be complimented in that regard.

06 Sep 2016

MN100: Compliance Maritime

Katharine Sweeney (Photo: Compliance Maritime)

Compliance Maritime was founded by Captain Katharine Sweeney in 2010 and has since provided over 400 International Safety Management (ISM) audits and more than 300 vessel security audits. Compliance Maritime is a certified Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB). Clients consist of several key players in the industry, however each and every audit is confidential, and treated as such. Compliance Maritime auditors are certified, insured and current USCG licensed Master Mariners with 150 years of combined experience on a large variety of vessel types.

05 Apr 2016

The Master’s Authority: a Vital SMS Caveat

Katharine Sweeney

As safety management systems (SMS) on board vessels evolve, the vessel’s master still holds ultimate authority. Subchapter M is finally underway. A starring role in this new CFR is a safety management system onboard all vessels. While this system dictates how the vessel is to be operated and under what parameters, a key principle of any SMS is that the Master has the authority and the responsibility to override the SMS when safety of the crew, the vessel, or the environment is at stake.

02 Mar 2016

The (Updated) Responsible Carrier Program

Katharine SweeneyMonday, February 08, 2016

Last summer, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) announced its intent to accept the American Waterway Operators (AWO) Responsible Carrier Program (RCP) as an acceptable Towing Safety Management System (TSMS) under pending Subchapter M regulations. The acceptance did not come without some major changes to the RCP, changes that were needed to ensure the RCP would meet USCG requirements and become a viable option for operators once new Subchapter M regulations take effect. When that happens is anyone’s guess.

08 Feb 2016

Subchapter M: The Designated Person Ashore and You

Sweeney

As the workboat industry marches toward Subchapter M, and ever closer to the International Safety Management (ISM) Code, the appointment of a Designated Person Ashore (DPA) becomes more important, the position’s job functions become more defined, and the selection of the right individual becomes more critical. The DPA can be a very important “pressure relief valve” that keeps emerging ethical and safety related concerns from exploding into litigation. The DPA allows anyone working on board a vessel to report perceived unethical behavior or unsafe conditions (including the safety of the crew…

23 Jan 2012

New Year, New Vessel

Captain Katherine Sweeney

Start the year off right with the newest addition to your fleet. Vessels come with lots of manuals and instructions as well as increasing amount of high-tech equipment. That said and even if it just involves a new digital camera or Blu-Ray Player, reading manuals is never exciting. Similarly, reviewing equipment documentation on a vessel is downright daunting, especially when you consider all of the other work it takes to get a vessel into service. That said; it is critical that the crew understand new equipment and are able to operate it.

06 Jan 2012

An ISO Standards New Year’s Resolution:

Captain Katherine Sweeney

As a maritime compliance auditor in the field, I’m often called upon to explain the ISO’s (International Standards Organization) approach to continual improvement which says a company shall establish, implement and maintain documented objectives and targets at each relevant function and level within the organization. This is only a requirement of the ISO’s “E” or environmental standard. To get to the “E” or ISO 14001 certification you must first list all the aspects of your business and how each impacts the environment.

08 Sep 2011

WISTA at Seattle Maritime Academy: Sept. 23

Women’s Maritime Shipping Group Meets at Seattle Maritime Academy: Sept. 23; WISTA USA Pacific Northwest Visits Training Vessel E.L. Bartlett. The Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA) USA Pacific Northwest Chapter is gathering aboard Seattle Maritime Academy’s Training Vessel, E.L. Bartlett, on Sept. 23 at 3:00 p.m. Following a presentation on the academy’s programs and graduate placement, the WISTA USA Pacific Northwest Chapter will convene its quarterly business meeting. All are welcome.

16 Apr 2011

WISTA USA Discusses Regulatory, Enforcement, Congressional Impact

At its Annual General Meeting in Washington, DC in early April, more than 70 WISTA USA members and guests gathered to discuss issues of concern to the maritime community. Leading authorities from the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Department of Justice, regulatory and trade associations, and the U.S. Congress met with shipping professionals to discuss and debate the current status of environmental and enforcement issues and the impact of the 112th Congress on the industry, and to examine strategies for moving forward.

08 Sep 2003

Matson’s Manukai Heads Toward Panama Canal

Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyard, Inc. (KPSI), of Philadelphia, PA., today delivered the M.V Manukai, a CV 2600 Philadelphia Class Containership. This is the first ship to be constructed at the new yard located in the former Philadelphia Naval Base. The M.V. Manukai is the first ship in a series of two containerships to be built for Matson Navigation Company, a shipping company based in San Francisco, CA. The U.S. Jones Act ship was christened by Margaret Inouye, wife of Hawaii Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, at Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyard on July 12, 2003.