The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency has issued a Marine Guidance Note (MGN) amending the guidance on the safe carriage of electric vehicles on board passenger ferries. The MGN was released on 7 August 2023.
This MGN provides the UK shipping industry with best practice guidance to facilitate safe carriage, and potential charging of, electric vehicles onboard roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) Continue reading “MGN 653 (M) Amendment 1 electric vehicles onboard passenger roll-on/roll-off ferries”
The Sub-Committee on the Implementation of IMO Instruments (III) 9th session took place 31 July to 04 August 2023 where, among other things, the draft amendments to the Procedures for Port State Control were finalised.Continue reading “Revised Port State Control procedures effective from January 2024”
Allianz has highlighted that battery fires on vessels remain one of the biggest safety issues facing the shipping industry. There have been a number of serious fire incidents in recent years where Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries have been reported as the source of, or contributing to fires on vessels. Allianz experts Capt. Rahul Khanna, Captain Randy Lund and Captain Anastasios Leonburg, share their thoughts on how electric vessels may impact safety onboard.
Decarbonization and electrification are increasing the number of shipping goods that contain Li-ion batteries, from electric vehicles (EVs) Continue reading “Lithium-ion battery fires on vessels remain one of the biggest safety issues”
Applicable from 28 July 2023, this Marine Guidance Note explains the new legal requirement for cargo ships that are 24m or more in length and less than 500GT to be fitted with bilge water level detectors and alarms. This mandatory requirement has been introduced following several incidents in which ships have become flooded due to an undetected ingress of water occurring in bilge spaces and implements a recommendation of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) following the flooding and sinking of a grab hopper dredger Abigail H. The fitting of bilge alarms in the prescribed manner is intended to improve the safety of affected ships, their crews and the marine environments in which they operate. Continue reading “MGN 651 (M) Bilge alarms on cargo ships 24m or more in length and under 500GT”
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has published its National Compliance Plan (NCP) for 2023-24 giving details of the focus areas of its compliance activities over the next 12 months as the national safety regulator for domestic commercial vessels, regulated Australian and foreign-flagged vessels.
AMSA uses inspection and incident data to refine the focus of its compliance activities, a data-driven risk-based approach to improving safety outcomes for the people who work in maritime industries across Australia. Key focus areas for domestic commercial vessels include safe navigation, electrical safety, reporting culture and fire safety. Continue reading “AMSA publishes its National Compliance Plan 2023-24”
Almost 3 years after bulk carrier, the Wakashio, ran aground and spilled oil along the coast of Mauritius, the Panama Maritime Authority’s investigation report into the accident has been made public. The bulk carrier was not carrying cargo when it grounded on a reef off Mauritius’ Pointe d’Esny during a voyage from Singapore to Brazil on July 25, 2020. The incident sparked an “environmental emergency” after the ship broke up and spilled approximately 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil into the pristine waters. The report does not contain any major Continue reading “Wakashio report by the Panama Maritime Authority issued 3 years after Mauritius grounding”
The US Coast Guard Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis has published an investigation report about the capsizing of the liftboat Seacor Power in the Gulf of Mexico. The accident claimed the lives of 13 people.
On April 13, 2021, the liftboat made its way into the Gulf of Mexico from Port Fourchon destined for an offshore rig. On its journey, the boat encountered a severe storm and Seacor Power capsized. Just 6 of the 19 onboard the vessel owned by Seacor Marine were rescued. Among the dead was the boat’s captain, David Ledet. Continue reading “US Coast Guard issues final report on fatal liftboat capsizing”
FuelTrust’s new report finds that in the past year, over 600 vessels were disabled through fuel problems, despite the fuel being ‘on-spec’, resulting in estimated global supply chain losses exceeding $5 billion. FuelTrust’s analysis found that between 2021 and 2022, more than 39% of global bunkers exhibited a fuel content delta of 2% or more compared to the amounts stated in their delivery paperwork. The primary issue identified was the introduction of water into the fuels during the journey from onshore storage tanks to the ship’s bunker tank. This problem typically involved an increase from 0.1% to above 0.25% water content, which, although below the regulated threshold, still resulted in average losses of $14,910 per affected delivery, FuelTrust highlights. Continue reading “Maritime fuel fraud results in approximately $5 billion in losses”
The European Committee for drawing up Standards in the field of Inland Navigation (CESNI) has published a good practice guide on cybersecurity in inland navigation, focusing on ports. The good practice guide was developed in partnership with the European Federation of Inland Ports (EFIP) and aims to be an accessible framework for all inland ports, regardless of their size or location in Europe. Here is an insight into the new publication and its key takeaways.
As the world continues to become more interconnected and more reliant on digital services, cybersecurity attacks are continually increasing. Several ports have been victims of cyberattacks in the past few years, Continue reading “Boosting cybersecurity awareness in inland navigation and especially for ports”
UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) published its annual report for 2022, reporting that the branch received 1,263 reports of marine casualties and marine incidents involving UK vessels worldwide or other nations’ vessels in UK waters and commenced 16 investigations.
Merchant Vessels
The deaths of three stevedores on board the Isle of Man registered bulk carrier Berge Mawson in the middle of the year was a stark reminder that the industry still has much work to do to mitigate the hazards posed by noxious atmospheres. Continue reading “UK MAIB Annual Report 2022 published”
Cargo displacement of 1,900 tonnes of partially liquefied soil was, according to the Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority’s (NSIA) assessment, the cause why the bulk carrier MS Bjugnfjord sank on its way out of the Kattegat. According to the NSIA investigation, it is in practice difficult to have an overview of the characteristics of different masses in these type of freight assignments.
NSIA recommends the Norwegian Maritime Authority to investigate the extent of the problem and take relevant measures to ensure that the provisions in the current regulations Continue reading “Report on the sinking of the cargo vessel Bjugnfjord due to partially liquefied soil”
Mark Russell, Vice President, Head of Cargo Claims, Gard P&I Club, presents cases involving cargoes that may liquefy but are not listed in the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code as Group A cargoes and therefore are not declared as such.
Group A consists of cargoes which may liquefy if shipped with a moisture content in excess of their Transportable Moisture Limit (TML). In two of the instances the cargoes liquefied endangering the lives of the crew. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, although in one case the vessel sank posing risks to the environment. Continue reading “Beware cargoes which may liquefy not listed in the IMSBC Code”
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