News

River Canal Rescue reports 171 major incidents in 2021 on UK canals including sunken vessels

River Canal Rescue has published its 2021 statistics and reports it responded to 171 major incidents during the year with emergency situations either involving submerged, partially sunken or grounded craft, plus salvage work.

The figure is 25 per cent lower than the 231 incidents River Canal Rescue reported in 2020, which the organisation says is primarily due to a reduction in boat use until lockdown restrictions eased in June 2021. Between June and December however, there was a peak in call-outs which continued into January Continue reading “River Canal Rescue reports 171 major incidents in 2021 on UK canals including sunken vessels”

UK government launches new national shipbuilding strategy

In support of the announcement of the new national shipbuilding strategy Prince William is pictured setting a plasma cutting machine to work on the first plate of steel for the third Type 26 frigate
In support of the announcement of the new national shipbuilding strategy Prince William is pictured setting a plasma cutting machine to work on the first plate of steel for the third Type 26 frigate

The UK’s shipbuilding industry will be revitalised through a refreshed national strategy, the UK government has announced.

First published in 2017, the National Shipbuilding Strategy outlined ambitions to transform naval procurement, securing export and design contracts for British naval ships. Building on that success, the new release outlines the government’s further ambitions to reinvigorate the whole British shipbuilding industry while contributing to its levelling up mission to boost productivity, pay, jobs and living standards across the country.

Over £4bn of government investment aims to galvanise and support shipyards and suppliers across the UK, with new measures including Continue reading “UK government launches new national shipbuilding strategy”

Error in maintenance led to diesel engine failure reveals NTSB report

Left: EMD 710 cylinder arrangement showing the affected area in red. Center: EMD 710 connecting rod arrangement. (Photo credit: Dynamark Engineering)
Left: EMD 710 cylinder arrangement showing the affected area in red. Center: EMD 710 connecting rod arrangement. (Photo credit: Dynamark Engineering)

An improperly tightened fastener led to a diesel engine failure on a Washington State Ferries passenger and car ferry near Bainbridge Island, Washington are the findings of a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report.

Marine Investigation Report 22/06 details the NTSB’s investigation into the April 22, 2021, catastrophic failure of the no. 3 main engine aboard the Wenatchee during a sea trial in Puget Sound. The failure led to the ejection of components from the engine and resulted in a fire in the no. 2 engine room. No injuries or pollution were reported, while damages were estimated at nearly $3.8 million. Continue reading “Error in maintenance led to diesel engine failure reveals NTSB report”

Merger plans announced by North P&I and Standard Club to create new global marine insurer

illustative purposes only

North P&I and Standard Club have entered formal discussions for a proposed merger to create a new global marine insurer and one of the largest providers of mutual cover in the maritime industries. With 300 years of shared P&I heritage, the combined mutual insurer would provide cover for vessels equivalent to 400M GT.

Combination would establish a global marine insurer positioned to thrive in the face of current and emerging challenges and opportunities posed Continue reading “Merger plans announced by North P&I and Standard Club to create new global marine insurer”

IMO agrees to ban perfluoro-octane sulfonic acid from firefighting systems on board ships

Perfluoro-octane sulfonic acid is to be banned under IMO regulations
Perfluoro-octane sulfonic acid is to be banned under IMO regulations

The IMO’s Sub-Committee on Ship Systems and Equipment (SSE) has finalized prohibition of perfluoro-octane sulfonic acid from fire-fighting systems on board ships.

This prohibition will protect the crew against exposure to dangerous substances that are used in fire-fighting systems and will minimize the negative consequences on the environment.

The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) sub-committee on ship systems and equipment (SSE) met for the 8th session from 28 February to 4 March. It is important Continue reading “IMO agrees to ban perfluoro-octane sulfonic acid from firefighting systems on board ships”

Container loaded with discarded lithium batteries catches fire

Photo of the fire damage caused by the burnt discarded lithium batteries taken by the U.S. Coast Guard
Photo of the fire damage caused by the burnt discarded lithium batteries taken by the U.S. Coast Guard

The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a safety alert and is warning about the hazards of transporting discarded lithium batteries after a container illegally loaded with them caught fire while en route to the Port of Virginia, where it was set to be loaded onto a ship.

Thankfully the container was not loaded on a ship at the time. Rather, the container was being transported on a chassis from Raleigh, North Carolina when the discarded lithium batteries caught fire on the highway on August 19, 2021, resulting in loss of the cargo and significant damage to the shipping container. Continue reading “Container loaded with discarded lithium batteries catches fire”

AMSA launches campaign to improve construction barge safety

Construction barge safety is the focus of a new campaign by AMSA. Photo credit: AMSA
Construction barge safety is the focus of a new campaign by AMSA. Photo credit: AMSA

AMSA has launched a new construction barge safety campaign focused on the importance of regularly reviewing risks as part of the safety management system to protect lives on these types of vessels.

All domestic commercial vessels are defined as workplaces in Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws. This includes construction barges which must meet the risk assessment requirements of state and territory WHS regulations, as well as the risk assessment requirements under the National Law administered by AMSA.

“These barges undertake different and high-risk activities daily Continue reading “AMSA launches campaign to improve construction barge safety”

MAIB issues safety warning after discovery of blocked fixed CO2 fire extinguishing system pilot hoses

Picture for illustration purposes
Picture for illustration purposes

On 19 September 2021, a fire broke out in the auxiliary engine room on board the Finland registered roll-on/roll-off cargo ship Finnmaster while departing Hull. In an attempt to extinguish the fire, the ship’s crew activated the machinery space’s carbon dioxide (CO2) fire extinguishing system, but only half of the system’s gas cylinders opened. The initial investigation identified that one of the CO2 system pilot hoses was blocked due to a manufacturing defect. Several coupling leaks were also found in the pilot lines.

Safety Issues

– The quality assurance processes of the pilot hose assembly supplier failed to identify that the hose couplings had not been fully bored through Continue reading “MAIB issues safety warning after discovery of blocked fixed CO2 fire extinguishing system pilot hoses”

Recent new and updated documents issued by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

In recent weeks the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency has published a number of revised and amended documents, as well as announcing a new Statutory Instrument (SI).

Issued on 10 January 2022
MSIS 27 – Annex 1 – Under 15 m LOA FV Inspection Regime (Rev. 12/21)
Click for more details

Issued on 12 January 2022
Safety Bulletin 024 – Non-SOLAS Lifejacket Servicing Requirements
Click for more details Continue reading “Recent new and updated documents issued by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency”

Significant number of ships do not comply with basic navigation safety requirements is finding from the AMSA FIC

Vessel image for illustrative purposes only
Vessel image for illustrative purposes only

AMSA conducted a Safety of Navigation Focused Inspection Campaign (FIC) over the period 1 August to the 8 September 2021 and, extremely concerning, they found that a significant number of ships failed to comply to basic navigation safety requirements.

The campaign focused specifically on:
– The level of compliance with the safety of navigation requirements of International Conventions;
– The familiarity of the master and officers with their processes for ensuring safety of navigation. Continue reading “Significant number of ships do not comply with basic navigation safety requirements is finding from the AMSA FIC”

NTSB report determines probable cause in Miss Dorothy vessel towing fire

NTSB report determines probable cause of fire
NTSB report determines probable cause of fire

An engine room fire aboard a towing vessel started when diesel fuel spray hit an uninsulated section of the engine’s exhaust system, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report has revealed.

On March 17, 2021, the towing vessel Miss Dorothy was pushing 14 barges upbound on the Lower Mississippi River, north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, when a fire broke out in the engine room. The eight crewmembers aboard briefly attempted to fight the fire but were unsuccessful and evacuated to the barges. No pollution or injuries were reported and the vessel was declared a total loss at $2.4 million. Continue reading “NTSB report determines probable cause in Miss Dorothy vessel towing fire”

Consortium set to assess and report on containership fire safety for EMSA

DBI set to lead the consortium to look at containership fire safety
DBI set to lead the consortium to look at containership fire safety

A consortium led by the Danish Institute of Fire and Security Technology (DBI) will deliver a Formal Safety Assessment study on containership fire safety to the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). The project aims to identify cost-effective risk control options for cargo fires on board container vessels.

Considering the constant increase in containership sizes and the frequency of fire originating in containers, the study will quantitatively assess the fire risks on board such vessels and Continue reading “Consortium set to assess and report on containership fire safety for EMSA”

Instagram Posts from the IIMS @iimsmarine

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

Show details
Performance & Marketing Cookies

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages. This also helps us optimise our marketing campaigns. User data sent to Google Analytics may be used for ad personalization and measurement of our ad campaigns. Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.

Show details