Safety News

Late last year, the Transportation Research Board released a major study that was undertaken “in response to the rapid development of domestic sources of energy and questions about the safest ways to move these products.” The Study Committee examined the operational responses of the three primary modes impacted by the fracking revolution – rail, pipeline and maritime. A primary observation of this work was that that the “Marine Transportation System Offers a Model for Robust Safety…

The Amver participating containership CMA CGM Brazil towed a 46-foot sailboat with two sailors aboard to safety in St. Marten after the sailboat reported they were taking on water and disabled approximately 315 miles east north east of San Juan, Puerto Rico on Thursday, May 24, 2018.U.S. Coast Guard rescue authorities in San Juan were notified by two sailors who's boat was taking on water through the rudder shaft. While they were able to keep up with the flooding with pumps, they…

46th Safety Week Celebration was inaugurated in V.O. Chidambaranar Port. The Safety Week Celebration for the year 2017 commenced with the flagging off of safety procession by U. Rajendran, Traffic Manager, V.O.Chidambaranar Port Trust. A huge gathering of Officers & Employees of the Port, Port Users & Stakeholders participated in the procession from V.O.C Square to the Multipurpose Hall at Port. In the Inaugural Function at Multipurpose Hall, S. Natarajan, Deputy Chairman V.O. Chidambaranar Port Trust, unfurled the Safety Flag and administered the Safety Pledge.

Effective leadership and a safety management system are the keys to success. Failure to lead has consequences. Over the last 20 years we have seen a dramatic shift in the way that our industry operates. When I started practicing law, many companies looked at safety planning as a balancing act where you weighed the costs associated with safety against the costs associated with working through employee claims. Unfortunately, our employees often ended up on the losing side of the balancing test. The industry goal seemed to be completing the task at hand, regardless of the risk.

New safety analysis can be used to harmonize safety on board offshore vessels carrying wind turbine technicians. The Danish Maritime Authority is striving to make the International Maritime Organization (IMO) develop international standards. The Danish Maritime Authority has hosted two workshops with experts from the offshore wind industry at which a safety analysis was made for vessels carrying wind turbine technicians – now, this has resulted in a report. The normal operations…

The Project SEAHORSE consortium, led by the University of Strathclyde, brought together experts from across the maritime world to research and implement safety considerations pioneered by the aviation industry – the first project of its kind in the world. It has been recognized with the Maritime Safety Award from the Royal Institution of Naval Architects in association with Lloyd’s Register. Headed up by Professor Osman Turan from the University of Strathclyde’s Department of Naval Architecture…

On June 12, 2017, the Coast Guard's national Director of Inspections and Compliance formally recognized PVA's Flagship Safety Management System (SMS) as an acceptable method for developing and implementing a company specific voluntary SMS. In a letter to PVA's Executive Director, Capt. Jennifer Williams stated, "The U.S. Williams' letter also acknowledged that vessel companies that effectively implement PVA Flagship SMS will be recognized and considered by local Coast Guard inspection offices for reduced scope of inspections under the Coast Guard Risk Based Decision Making policy for small passenger vessels. In response to the letter, PVA's Executive Director John Groundwater stated, "We are pleased with the Coast Guard's formal recognition of the PVA Flagship SMS program.

The International Safety@Sea Conference was officially opened yesterday by Mr Niam Chiang Meng, Chairman of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). Organised by MPA as part of Safety@Sea Week, over 250 international maritime professionals convened to share best safety at sea practices. This year’s Safety@Sea week will also see the inaugural ‘Community of Practice’ (CoP) Forum which will be held on 23 August 2017. The CoP Forum is a collaborative platform for maritime administrations…

Falck Safety Services and Simwave are joining forces to serve the maritime and oil and gas industries with combined simulation and practical training. For more than 30 years, Falck Safety Services has offered safety training for the offshore, maritime and wind industries. On November 8th, Simwave will open its doors to the most advanced maritime simulator center in the world. This co-operation means that customers will be able to undertake simulation training at Simwave to complement the training at one of the training centers of Falck Safety Services.

Weather Channel Forecasters are predicting a “near-average” hurricane season for 2016, but warn that an average season does not mean businesses and residents shouldn’t prepare for the worst. While it is unclear whether the season, which began June 1, will bring about a few mild storms or a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane, one thing is for sure: safety and preparation are on the radars of the owners and operators of brownwater vessels. Although forecasters consider this year’s predicted 12 named storms “average”…

MARIN is working together with the industry to develop the Nautical Safety Profile for operations and risk management. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is increasingly being used as an alternative fuel, both at sea and on land, to reduce pollution from transportation. In 2011 the first LNG carrier arrived at the Rotterdam Gate terminal, and last year the terminal was upgraded to facilitate the transfer of LNG to shuttle tankers. An extensive safety analysis was carried out prior to the development of the terminal and a dedicated harbor access policy has been defined.

Sealing Valley is a new concept that has been developed by Hans Beele, President of Dutch engineering specialist Beele Engineering. He will invest in a center of expertise for the advancement of fire protection and watertight sealing technology to provide the highest possible levels of safety. Modeled on Silicon Valley, Sealing Valley will create a concentrated center of know-how, with shipboard and marine safety a prime focus area. It will be here that expertise, creativity and daily installation practice will come together in a campus set-up.

ABS Chairman, President and CEO calls upon insurance industry and class to work closer together in addressing the next-generation safety system. Christopher J. Wiernicki, Chairman, President and CEO of ABS, addressed the American Institute of Marine Underwriters (AIMU) today, describing the future of maritime safety and risk mitigation as it relates to cyber safety as well as outlining how the classification and insurance industries can strengthen their collaboration as the progression of cyber and autonomy propel maritime safety into new waters.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) launched the first-ever International Safety@Sea Conference in Singapore. The conference will run for two days and concludes on 31 August 2016. Held as part of Safety@Sea Week, over 30 international speakers and industry experts from different sectors of the maritime industry came together to share best safety at sea practices with more than 350 local and international participants. Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure & Minister…

In response to a Presidential Order to reduce undue burden on industry, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) completed a comprehensive review of the Production Safety Systems regulations. The proposed regulations will be published Friday in the Federal Register. The announcement describes the proposed revisions and invites public comment on the proposal. “I am confident that this revision of the Production Safety Systems Rule moves us forward toward meeting the Administration’s goal of achieving energy dominance without sacrificing safety,” said Director Scott A. Angelle.

American Maritime Safety recognized Foss Maritime's efforts in building and maintaining a strong culture of safety by awarding the company the American Maritime Safety Award for the implementation and management of zero-tolerance drug and alcohol policy. Foss will be presented with the award at the 2016 Annual Membership Meeting and Safety Awards Luncheon on Thursday, October 13. "Foss has a long history of leading the industry in safety and innovation, and we are honored by this recognition of our drug and alcohol policy," said Foss President John Parrott.

ABS announced it had zero work-related lost time incidents during 2017. The corresponding Lost Time Incident Rate (LTIR) of 0.00 represents a significant milestone in the organization’s continuing journey to safety excellence. “Safety is the heart of our mission and remains at the core of all we do, so we are thrilled to realize this exceptional safety record result,” said ABS Chairman, President and CEO, Christopher J. Wiernicki. Wiernicki added: “This achievement adds to our already strong industry-recognized safety leadership.

n August 24, NYK president Tadaaki Naito, NYK executive officers, and a group of six vessel captains and chief engineers held a meeting at NYK headquarters in Tokyo to openly exchange opinions about the safe operation of vessels that NYK is managing and operating. This meeting is part of NYK’s two-month Remember Naka-no-Se safety campaign,* which is implemented annually from July 1 of each year. The meeting is chaired by President Naito, who oversees NYK’s Safety and Environmental Management Committee…

The Maritime Safety Research Center (MSRC) is an industry-university partnership, involving Strathclyde's Department of Naval Architecture, Ocean & Marine Engineering, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL), and DNV GL. The world’s first center of its kind, the MSRC will aim to improve safety at sea through a close collaboration between industry and academia, that targets interdisciplinary, common-threaded research and development. The Maritime Safety Research Center was officially opened this week by the IMO Secretary General Kitak Lim…

The Maritime Safety Research Centre (MSRC) is an industry-university partnership, involving Strathclyde's Department of Naval Architecture, Ocean & Marine Engineering, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL), and DNV GL. The world’s first centre of its kind, the MSRC will aim to improve safety at sea through a close collaboration between industry and academia, that targets interdisciplinary, common-threaded research and development. The Maritime Safety Research Centre was officially opened this week by the IMO Secretary General Kitak Lim…

On 29 November 2015 at about 7.50 pm, the Indonesian registered, Batamfast passenger ferry MV Sea Prince, while enroute from Nongsapura Ferry Terminal, Batam, to Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, Singapore, was immobilised at about 0.24 nautical miles (444 metres), northwest of Nongsa. Investigation revealed that the Master of Sea Prince had deviated from his original planned route after leaving the demarcated navigational channel and went aground. Due to the grounding, Sea Prince sustained damages that immobilised the engines and resulted in flooding of the steering gear room.

New research from DNV GL, the technical advisor to the oil and gas industry, reveals that 46% of senior professionals in the sector believe there has been underinvestment in inspection and maintenance of infrastructure and equipment in recent years. Just a quarter (28%) said that they expect to increase spending on safety in 2018. 61% will maintain current budgets and 5% plan to cut investment. The findings appear in The State of Safety, a special report from DNV GL’s research on the outlook for the oil and gas industry in 2018.

Brian Salerno was sworn in as the Director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) on August 26, 2013. He is responsible for promoting safety, protecting the environment and conserving resources through the vigorous regulatory oversight and enforcement of offshore operations on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. Prior to his appointment as Bureau Director, Salerno served as the U.S. Coast Guard’s Deputy Commandant for Operations where he was responsible for establishing and providing operational strategy…