Government

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair, Jennifer Homendy, has welcomed maritime safety improvements in the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, which the President signed into law at the end of last year.

The legislation advances NTSB recommendations for amphibious vessels known as DUKW boats and requires the U.S. Coast Guard to provide an initial response to new NTSB recommendations within 90 days.

“We applaud lawmakers for their bold action to improve DUKW boat safety, something the NTSB has been concerned about Continue reading “New law will improve DUKW boats’ safety, says NTSB chair”

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has published a Maritime Safety Awareness Bulletin to highlight that a lack of planned maintenance can have a significant impact on the safety of the vessel, the people, and the marine environment.

Maintenance related issues do not always receive the attention they deserve, as these are often difficult to detect and can be regarded as entirely technical matters, unrelated to safety and pollution prevention. As a result, maintenance matters may not be reported or addressed Continue reading “AMSA: Effective and regular vessel maintenance can prevent machinery failures”

In a recent Marine Notice published by AMSA, the agency has given general information to vessel owners, operators, ports and marinas on the Australian biofouling management requirements, the Anti-fouling and in-water cleaning guidelines, the Australian in-water cleaning standards, and the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2011 Guidelines for the control and management of ships’ biofouling to minimize the transfer of invasive aquatic species (the Biofouling Guidelines).

New requirements for managing biofouling on international vessels arriving in Australia began on 15 June 2022. Continue reading “AMSA provides Information on biofouling and in-water cleaning requirements”