Safety Management System News

Kongsberg Maritime has won a contract from MKM Yachts to supply a package of equipment for the Scenic Ikon polar expedition vessel under construction for Scenic Cruise.The Scenic Ikon, the latest in a series of luxury expedition vessels for Scenic Cruise, features a hybrid electric propulsion system from Kongsberg Maritime, to enable emission-free operation in environmentally sensitive areas.The new 203-meter vessel will be the first in the series to feature Kongsberg Maritime Elegance Pods for main propulsion.

The Port of Virginia is using a layered approach to strengthen safety throughout its operation by identifying the most common critical risks at its terminals and offices, emphasize safety as a core value and creation of an internal safety brand that serves as a continual reminder for everyone on port property.The effort was recently recognized by Signal Mutual, the insurance carrier for The Port of Virginia, which presented its Executive Leadership Award to Virginia International Terminals Chief Operating Officer Joseph P. “Joe” Ruddy.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its report into the girting and capsize of tug Biter with the loss of two lives while assisting passenger vessel Hebridean Princess off Greenock, Scotland.At about 1527 on 24 February 2023, the twin screw conventional tug Biter girted and capsized off Greenock, Scotland while attached to the stern of the passenger vessel Hebridean Princess, which was making its approach to James Watt Dock. Biter’s two crew were unable…

Captain Steve Jones is President of the Passenger Vessel Association for 2025. As his term comes to a close in February at the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2026 in Covington, KY, Captain Jones has achieved several long-sought-after successes during his term and set in motion other important association undertakings intended to deliver noteworthy benefits to PVA members in the coming year and beyond. Captain Jones has been with the Gateway Clipper Fleet since 1987. The Gateway Clipper Fleet…

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has detained the Australian flagged vessel Coral Adventurer, that grounded on December 27 off the coast in Papua New Guinea (PNG).The Coral Adventurer was carrying 80 passengers and 44 staff when it ran aground on a coral reef about 90 kilometers from Lae.No injuries have been reported, and the vessel has been refloated.AMSA detained the vessel based on the “reasonable suspicion that it is not seaworthy due to potential damage sustained…

Safety management system procedures were not effectively implemented when the Spirit of Tasmania I’s second engineer was seriously injured in a fall during engine maintenance earlier this year, the final report from an Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation confirmed.The accident occurred during a routine oil change on one of the ship’s main engine turbochargers, while it was berthed in Geelong, Victoria, on March 6.Problems encountered during the work led to the decision to replace the turbocharger’s bearing housing cover plate.

A gas tanker had just left its berth at the Port of Brisbane, Australia, when it lost propulsion for two minutes as two of its three electrical generators were not properly configured, an ATSB final report has confirmed.On March 15, 2025, the 100-metre, Liberian-flagged Gaschem Homer departed the BP Products berth in the Port of Brisbane, under the conduct of a harbour pilot.While it was being turned towards the port’s entrance, it experienced an electrical blackout, resulting in the total loss of all propulsion and steering control.Power was able to be restored after about two minutes…

Maritime operations run on tight schedules and thin margins, and as ships, terminals and supply chains connect systems for visibility and efficiency, attackers gain paths to entry. Cyber risk has become an operational reliability and safety concern, not just an IT issue. “Whether we are looking at this challenge through an operational or organizational safety lens, cyber risk is a critical business risk. An incident will impact everyone,” says Michael DeVolld, Senior Director…

The Towing Vessel Inspection Bureau (TVIB) announced that Rio Marine, Inc. has become the first maritime services provider to achieve certification under the American Waterways Operators’ (AWO) Responsible Carrier Program (RCP).The RCP is a safety management system for the tugboat, towboat, and barge industry that sets standards for safety, environmental stewardship, and continuous improvement. To earn certification, companies undergo a third-party audit evaluating policies, procedures, employee practices, and operational performance.Capt. David A. Foret Jr.

Japanese shipping group NYK has carried out its first ship-to-ship (STS) transfer of liquefied ammonia, moving around 23,000 metric tonnes from one carrier to another off the coast of Ceuta in Spain.The transfer, conducted on September 2, involved the NYK-owned ammonia carrier Berlian Ekuator, time-chartered by Mitsui & Co., and the Eco Enchanted, operated by U.S.-based ammonia trader Trammo. NYK said the transfer was completed under strict safety protocols.While the company has experience in STS transfers of crude oil…

The Maritime Just Transition Task Force (MJTTF) has released frameworks designed to facilitate the development of training programs for seafarers working on ships powered by ammonia, methanol and hydrogen.The training frameworks address the needs of seafarers in entry-level or operational roles and senior officers. They are accompanied by comprehensive instructor handbooks.All material is accessible at: mjttf.orgThe MJTTF will also release guidelines for general familiarization programs…

A pilot of a towing vessel on the Mississippi River left the helm unattended for several minutes, leading to a grounding near Thebes, Illinois, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has concluded.While the towing vessel City of Louisville was upbound on the Mississippi River pushing 11 barges on July 29, 2023, it ran aground in a charted shallow and rocky area. The grounding caused fractures to the vessel’s bottom plating underneath the engine room, leading to water flooding into the engine room, machinery and aft accommodation spaces.

ClassNK has released "Prime Shipmanagement Guidelines," which aim to achieve sustainable ship management with safety as the highest priority. With an evolving environment surrounding ship management, including fuel transition, stricter regulations, and crew shortage, ClassNK aims to enable flexible responses to unexpected situations by drawing on lessons learned from successful case studies that had not received much attention before.At sea, where unpredictable conditions are common, case-by-case judgment is essential to ensure safe navigation.

DNV has encountered instances where ships have been detained during Port State Control (PSC) inspections due to the arrangement of emergency escape trunks from machinery spaces even though the arrangements were approved by the flag state or their Recognized Organization.As a result, DNV has issued guidance explaining that on many ships, the protected emergency escape trunk does not, for various reasons, extend all the way down to the lowest deck level of the engine room.Common…

The Maritime Technologies Forum (MTF) released a report today providing recommendations on how to develop and implement a Safety Management System (SMS) for ammonia-fueled ships.Recognizing the industry's forecasts on the uptake of future fuels with low to zero carbon emissions, ammonia has emerged as a frontrunner. However, it presents new risks such as toxicity and corrosiveness.

The Maritime Technologies Forum (MTF) has published a comprehensive report, aimed at addressing the critical issue of transporting electric vehicles (EVs) on Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC) vessels.The report, titled Safe Carriage of Electric Vehicles, offers detailed insights into the characteristics of EV fires and provides a framework for considerations necessary to supplement the safe carriage of EVs.The report further highlights the necessity of measures such as early detection…

Following the grounding of one of its pilot transfer launches in Port Phillip Heads, Australia, a Port of Melbourne pilotage services provider has developed additional operational guidance on the use of launch equipment and crew resources.On the evening of October 5, 2023, the pilot launch Corsair was returning through the entrance of Port Phillip after collecting a pilot from an outbound container ship, when it ran aground on Point Lonsdale Reef travelling at about 24 knots.The coxswain…

The installation of an incorrect valve in a pipe to a diesel oil tank led to a fatal fire aboard a cargo vessel docked in LaPorte, Texas, an National Transportation Safety Board shows.On Jan. 8, 2024, a fire broke out in the engine room aboard the cargo vessel Stride during bunkering, or fueling, operations while docked at the Barbours Cut Marine Terminal. The fire self-extinguished after crewmembers shut down all ventilation to the engine room. Two crewmembers died as a result of the fire and one was seriously injured.

Shipowners and operators of EU vessels must take steps to ensure that all new firefighting suits on board comply with changes to European regulations, which enter into force in June 2025, according to urgent advice from VIKING Life-Saving Equipment.Viking recommends fleet managers undertake a full risk assessment of their firefighting suits to verify compliance with requirements applying under MED regulations (EU) 2024/1975. These are in addition to provisions in effect since August 2024 - that all new firefighting suits must be tested to EN469:2020 standards.From June 2025…

On November 27, 2024, approximately 100 nautical miles off the coast of Virginia, a bulk carrier shipping a type of coal called “Bailey High Vol Coking Coal” experienced consecutive explosions in the two forward cargo holds. While still under investigation, the explosions are likely a result of the accumulation of methane gas that created an explosive atmosphere and resulted in significant damage to the two associated cargo holds. It was soon discovered that the other five cargo holds also had highly elevated levels of methane that were approaching the Lower Explosive Limit…

Container ship operator CMA CGM is revising steering guidance across its fleet after ambiguous procedures contributed to one of its ships colliding with a navigational beacon in the Yarra River, Victoria, Australia, an ATSB investigation report notes.Departing the Port of Melbourne on 25 May 2023 under the conduct of a harbor pilot, container ship CMA CGM Puccini contacted the navigational beacon after swinging wide in a turn when its rudder began responding erratically to helm orders.The ship was slowed and returned towards the middle of the channel…

A captain and barge company managers not identifying the crane they were towing was too high to pass under the Mackinac Bridge near Mackinaw City, Michigan, led to the crane hitting the bridge, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has concluded.On May 7, 2023, the towing vessel Nickelena was transiting the Straits of Mackinac, while towing a deck barge transporting a crawler crane, when the crane boom struck the main span of the Mackinac Bridge. The contact bent the crane boom backwards…

Patrick Murphy has been President of Blue & Gold Fleet, L.P., the San Francisco Bay Area’s largest and premier provider of Bay Cruises and ferry service, since 2016. Murphy grew up in the Maritime business. His father, Roger Murphy, founded Blue & Gold Fleet in 1979. Patrick Murphy began his career in 1982, working part-time in the Box Office and as a Deckhand before receiving his United States Coast Guard’s license in 1995 and was promoted to Captain in 1996. In 2005, Murphy advanced to Blue & Gold Fleet Operations Manager, and then to Director of Operations in 2009.