Safety Device News

The U.S. has imposed a $2 million fine on the owner and operator of a bulk carrier that knowingly committed pollution crimes on the Mississippi River. Greek-based Empire Bulkers and related company Joanna Maritime were sentenced Thursday for committing "knowing and willful violations" of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and the Ports and Waterways Safety Act related to their role as the operator and owner of the bulk carrier Joanna.A March 2022 inspection of the…

Dynamic Protective Barrier (DPB) is an innovative safety device with a novel mechanism proposed to dissipate energy for short duration impact caused by the docking ship and/or vessels.The main job of the device is to dampen and contain the vessel movements, thus eliminating the effect that passing ships, tides, wind and long-period waves have on moored vessels and the constant low velocity impact that occurs with the port infrastructure. This means using Dynamic Protective Barrier…

Rotterdam-based McNetiq launched a new line of magnetic anchors for fall protection when working at height.The first product in this series from McNetiq is the workplace safety device McNetiq Fall Restraint, intended for workplaces constructed of steel without edge protection.The operator is connected to this anchor with a measured working line so that the worker can never get past the unsecured edge. Areas of application are: loading and unloading work on ship decks, construction and demolition work on drilling platforms…

The latest technology can detect the risk of an on board electrical fire – before it ignites. It’s not too late to incorporate this feature into your next workboat design.Fire on board always poses a risk to life, although certain vessels such as passenger ships present a particular danger because they carry a large number of people, and tens of millions around the world use them as a method of transport annually. However, a fire on any type of vessel, including the vast number and array of workboats…

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. The Production Safety Systems Rule addresses safety and pollution prevention equipment, subsea safety devices and safety device testing for the production of oil and gas resources on the U.S.

Being safe on board any workboat has never been easier. That’s because when the Sabine Pilots in Port Arthur, Texas took delivery of their all new all-aluminum pilot boat, the Port Arthur, in May of last year, the vessel came with all the bells and whistles that operators have come to expect from tonnage produced by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding in Somerset, Mass. For its part, the Gladding-Hearn name has over time become synonymous with cutting edge pilot boats, and the Port Arthur was no different.

Safety and survival technologies company ACR Electronics is introducing several new products at Posidonia 2016 taking place in Athens, Greece from June 6-10. ACR Electronics’ new GlobalFIX V4 EPIRB is a new professional grade design EPIRB, offering the latest in marine electronic lifesaving technology and featuring high-efficiency electronics for reliable performance which owners and operators in the commercial shipping and offshore industries can trust to ensure the safety of their crew.

Vesper Marine, a manufacturer of marine safety products, announced a free upgrade for its flagship AIS Class B transponder, the WatchMate Vision, streamlining usability, while adding new safety features and enhancements to the user experience. Preinstalled on all new units, the update is also available at no charge for existing owners. “When we first launched the WatchMate Vision, we raised the bar for boater safety,” said Jeff Robbins, CEO, Vesper Marine. “Today it is the premier AIS safety instrument on the planet.

An important addition to any commercial vessel’s survival gear kit, the Pathfinder PRO SART is introduced by ACR Electronics, Inc. at this year’s OTC. The new search and rescue transponder expands the broad range of commercial maritime survival products offered by ACR, global leader in safety and survival technology. The Pathfinder PRO is a fully-approved SART that complies with IMO SOLAS regulations and is suitable for all commercial vessels that are mandated to carry a SART, including vessels that must conform to GMDSS and those carrying more than one life raft. Greatly enhancing search and rescue efforts, the manually-activated ACR device can be used on ships, lifeboats and life rafts.

Consumers Energy informs it is coordinating with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to install buoys this month to help warn the public to stay out of potentially unsafe areas immediately downstream of hydro facilities. "People should not be in the immediate area of a dam's tailrace or spillway for boating, wading or any activity. For safety purposes, our employees can enter these areas only after following stringent safety procedures, which include locking out equipment that affect flow and wearing personal protection equipment," said Rich Castle, Consumers Energy's natural resource administrator for hydro operations. Foote and Cooke dams are on the Au Sable River in Iosco County. Croton Dam is on the Muskegon River in Newaygo County.

The McMurdo range of Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs), Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) and Automatic Identification System (AIS) MOB devices will be on display in booth D92 at the 2014 Newport International Boat Show, September 11-14 at the Newport Yachting Center in Newport, Rhode Island. The compact McMurdo Smartfind Plus G5 GPS EPIRB features a high performance, multi-channel GPS which brings the location accuracy down to typically less than 62 meters, greatly increasing the chances of rescue in an emergency situation.

The National Gas Shipping Company (NGSCO) of Abu Dhabi said new Lifeboat Release and Retrieval Systems (LRRS) are being installed in advance of new IMO regulations coming into force this year. The combination of the innovative Nadiro Drop-in-Ball  technology and Viking UAE’s certified lifeboat service technicians were the perfect solution to achieve compliance. New IMO regulations call for major and mandatory improvements to safeguard lives both during lifeboat drills and during emergencies at sea.

As part of President Obama’s commitment to promoting safe and responsible offshore oil and gas development, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) Director James Watson today announced another key step to strengthen both human safety and environmental protection on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. The proposed rule, which will be published in the Federal Register tomorrow, implements best practices and updates regulations regarding production safety systems and equipment used to collect and treat oil and gas from offshore production facilities.

ABB LV Products releases new generation of its proprietary Arc Guard System, providing enhanced arc flash protection. The ABB Low Voltage Products division has released TVOC-2, a new generation of its proprietary Arc Guard System that has been protecting electrical equipment from dangerous electrical arc flashes for over 35 years. TVOC-2 features numerous upgrades and new functions to provide superior arch flash protection, detecting faults in low and medium voltage switchgear and disconnecting the power provided to the arc within 30 to 50 milliseconds…

CML Microcircuits has announced the launch of the new cutting-edge Marine AIS Search and Rescue Transmitter (SART) processor, the CMX7045. The CMX7045 is a highly integrated and flexible baseband processor fulfilling the needs of an AIS-SART and meeting IEC 61097-14 requirements. In addition to providing the core AIS-SART formatted data functionality, the CMX7045 incorporates a number of auxiliary operations that assist in the overall system implementation and therefore reduce component count and cost.

Expert in marine personnel transfer Reflex Marine has developed an innovative safety accessory for use with the FROG – the ‘Arctic Thermal Pod’. The safety device is designed to combat potential exposure to wind chill whilst performing  crane transfers at low temperatures. During a detailed risk assessment of crane transfer activities an Operator in the Arctic recognised that, in the unlikely event of a crane stoppage mid-transfer, passengers could be exposed to very low temperatures and significant wind chill effects…

MAN Diesel & Turbo has announced that its latest, mark-9, 80-cm-bore engine recently passed its Type Approval Test (TAT). The super-long-stroke S80ME-C9 engine now powers a Maersk Line container vessel and successfully completed its TAT at HHI-EMD, the Engine & Machinery Division of Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd., in Korea. The TAT programme ran over three days and was completed in January after a comprehensive series of test runs. All international classification societies were represented during the presentation of the engine…

There are less than three months until July 1 ... Do you know where your International Ship Security Certificate (ISSC) is? If not, you are in grave danger of having your ship delayed or even denied entry into port in the United States and various other countries. The International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code comes into effect on July 1 and full enforcement of the U.S. Coast Guard regulations under the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) also commences. Ships engaged in international commerce and port facilities that they utilize are required to have fully implemented relevant provisions by that date. Port states, particularly the United States, have announced plans to vigorously enforce the ISPS Code and related provisions as of that date.

I know it is hard to believe but soon the cool winds of Autumn will be blowing. With the change in weather, heaters will be fired up and newspapers will fill with tragic tales of carbon monoxide poisoning. If this is a typical year, nearly 300 people will lose their lives to this "silent killer" and 5,000 people will require hospitalization from its toxic effects. Carbon monoxide is created by the inefficient combustion of carbon-based fuels such as gasoline, diesel, propane, natural gas, charcoal, and wood. These fuels can be found in virtually every home and every work setting. Carbon monoxide is a potential hazard in at your house, aboard vessels, and in poorly ventilated work areas in shipyards. One reason CO is a particularly hazardous gas is it is difficult to detect with the senses.

R&B Falcon Confirms U.S. Reading & Bates Development Co. (DEVCO), a wholly owned subsidiary of R&B Falcon Corporation, announced its Boomvang Project in deepwater offshore Texas is proceeding rapidly. DEVCO concurs with previously announced reserve estimates of 70-100 million boe in several oil reservoirs extending across portions of East Breaks Blocks 642, 643, 688 and 732. Platform, production facilities and pipeline contracts are being evaluated, and development drilling is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of this year. The partners anticipate first production in the first quarter of 2002. DEVCO owns a 50 percent working interest in the Boomvang Project. Kerr-McGee Oil & Gas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Kerr-McGee Corp. is operator and owns a 30 percent working interest.

Martek Marine Ltd has released VECSAFE, their innovative new safety device which safely monitors oxygen and pressure in vapor emission control systems. The combination of the MMS3000 oxygen sensor and MMS200 pressure sensor provides an intrinsically safe vapor emission control system, which continuously monitors oxygen content and pressure, all of which is controlled via the GDS404 control panel. Both the MMS3000 oxygen sensor and the MMS200 pressure sensor are constructed in 316 SS material, ensuring the system is rugged and weatherproof. Operation is fully automatic so, unlike conventional systems, there is no requirement for personnel to change settings, alleviating the danger of human error.

Prevention and control of fire aboard ships present a number of unique problems. Special attention must be paid to fire safety, and in particular to evacuation procedures from enclosed areas that can fill quickly with the toxic fumes generated by fire. A number of cruise lines are addressing this situation by providing their crews with a type of fire safety device that protects against these potentially lethal gases. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has joined several other major companies in the cruise industry with the decision to equip its fleet of cruise ships with EVAC-U8 Emergency Escape Smoke Hoods. These fire-safety products protect against smoke inhalation in the event of a shipboard fire.