Coast Guard Plucks Sailors from Icy Annapolis Waters
Four people were rescued from frigid waters off Annapolis, Maryland, on Sunday after more than a dozen sailboats capsized during a race held in rough, windy weather, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The Severn Sailing Association reported that 22 people had fallen into the water off 15 small sailboats during a race on Sunday afternoon, the Coast Guard said in a statement. Rescue teams from the Coast Guard's Maryland-National Capital Region, the Maryland State Police, Anne Arundel County Fire Rescue and Maryland Natural Resources Police all responded. A Coast Guard crew based in Annapolis rescued four people from the frigid seas. "The water temperature in the Chesapeake Bay today was 42 degrees…
New Class of PFDs Target Improved Safety
Many people are still drowning unnecessarily at sea. Preparation, training and equipment undoubtedly save many lives, but the key questions remain: why are so many people still drowning and what solution exists today that may significantly reduce fatalities? For anyone travelling by sea, whether a passenger on a ferry or a maritime worker, being in the water after falling overboard, abandoning a vessel or being involved in a helicopter ditching is a dangerous situation. Survivors…
TSB Again Finds No Risk Management Caused Death
In its latest investigation report on Silver Angel (M11M0017), the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has identified, once again, that the absence of a practical and active risk management system onboard a fishing vessel continues to result in loss of life. On the morning of 3 May 2011, at 5.5 nautical miles southwest of Cape Sable Island, Nova Scotia, a crew member from the small fishing vessel Silver Angel fell overboard while retrieving paravane stabilizers. The captain, the only other crew member onboard, made several unsuccessful attempts to rescue the crew member who was lost at sea. “"Our investigation found that the deckhand was not wearing safety equipment and this significantly reduced his chances of survival and rescue," said Pierre Murray, TSB Regional Manager.
LR Safety Alert: Working Over Water
Safety alert: Working over water – Lloyd’s Register’s Golden Rules and Instructions for health and safety. Applicabilty: Owners, operators, shipyard managers and site controllers. The Lloyd’s Register Group has published a set of Health and Safety Golden Rules which our employees must follow to keep themselves, and those people around them, safe. Some of these Rules, together with our Instructions, are related to working over water, in particular the conduct of boat transfers. We would like to bring these to your attention so you can appreciate the requirements we are placing on our surveyors.
Hypothermia: A Potential Killer Anytime, Anywhere
It was March in South Louisiana and the last real cold front of the year whipped the water into an angry, foamy mass of three ft. high waves. A small workboat bounced against the pilings as two workers and their supervisor loaded their gear in preparation for servicing an oil well located in a nearby bay. Struggling to stay on his feet, one of the workers told the supervisor he didn't think it was a good idea to go out in such a small boat under such rough conditions. The supervisor smiled condescendingly and dismissed the advice. Silently, the workers braced themselves as the supervisor revved the outboard and the boat pulled away from the dock. After a long, tiring day of fighting wind and waves, the men completed their work and headed back toward the dock.
