International News

Marine safety concerns about firefighting capabilities at Canadian ports raised in report

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The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has released its investigation report regarding a fire incident that occurred aboard a bulk carrier near Windsor, Ontario in 2019. The TSB said the report raises a board safety concern regarding firefighting resources at some Canadian harbours and ports.

On December 15, 2019, a fire ignited in the engine room of the bulk carrier Tecumseh while it was transiting the Detroit River off Windsor, Ontario with 16 crew members on board. The crew attempted to extinguish the fire with the CO2 fixed fire suppression system. The investigation found that the onboard fire originated following the failure of a flexible fuel hose assembly supplying fuel to the ship’s port main engine. Continue reading “Marine safety concerns about firefighting capabilities at Canadian ports raised in report”

Admiralty court finds three vessels at fault in Suez collision

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An admiralty court in London has found fault with all three vessels involved in a collision on the Suez Canal in 2018, including a bulker that struck two vessels within the span of a single day.

On July 16, 2018, the bulker Panamax Alexander was moored in the southern stretch of the Suez Canal, near the 150-km milepost in one of the narrowest sections of the waterway. She had been damaged the day before in a collision and grounding with the bulker Sakizaya Kalon, and her rudder stock and propeller blades were bent. Due to the damage, she was awaiting a tow to the Great Bitter Lake. In the meantime, the crew had made fast to bollards on the side of the canal with six lines. Continue reading “Admiralty court finds three vessels at fault in Suez collision”

Update on survival craft equipment requirements

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The US Coast Guard has announced it is updating the type approval requirements for certain types of equipment that survival craft are required to carry on U.S. flagged vessels. The purpose of this rule is to update the requirements for 12 types of equipment required to be carried onboard survival craft on certain U.S. flagged vessels:

– Bilge pumps
– Compasses
– First-aid kits
– Fishing kits
– Hatchets
– Jackknives
– Signaling mirrors
– Emergency drinking water
– Sea anchors Continue reading “Update on survival craft equipment requirements”

IIMS 2022 Safety & Loss Prevention Briefings Compendium published

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Following the surprise runaway success of the first edition of the Safety & Loss Prevention Briefings Compendium, published in January 2022 by the International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS), and subsequently downloaded many thousands of times, Edition II has been launched covering the period January to October 2022. It is now available to download and read in pdf or eReader formats.

Edition II builds on the success of the launch publication and extends to 160 pages. The simple aim is to highlight the dangers of working in the maritime industry, the ensuing accidents and some of the prevention measures available to mitigate disasters at sea. The publication blends a mix of incident and accident reports with essential loss prevention advice generated over the year. One significant new feature is a calendar, featuring some of the many accidents that have occurred during 2022, catalogued month by month. Continue reading “IIMS 2022 Safety & Loss Prevention Briefings Compendium published”

Containership strikes crane due to faulty propeller: A case study

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Containership strikes crane due to faulty propeller: A case study
Faulty propeller causes containership to strikes crane

The Swedish Club has published its latest monthly safety scenario in which it describes how a faulty propeller caused a vessel to strike a quay and a crane. The container vessel had finished its cargo operation and the pilot had boarded. Two tugs werer standing by to assist the vessel during departure. It was a clear summer day with no strong winds or currents.

The two tugs pulled the vessel clear of the berth and the propeller pitch was then set to Stop (Zero). Both tugs were cast off. The pilot ordered dead slow ahead. However, when the Master set the propeller pitch control to dead slow ahead the main engine stopped. The Master called the engine control room to find out why the main engine had stopped and requested the main engine be restarted. Continue reading “Containership strikes crane due to faulty propeller: A case study”

Lack of personal flotation device led to skipper’s death

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Colin Golder perished because he was not wearing a personal flotation device
Colin Golder perished because he was not wearing a personal flotation device

In a tragic accident, the failure by a skipper to wear a personal flotation device, harness and tether, caused his death when he was washed overboard during the 2022 Newport-Bermuda race in June 2022 is the finding from a review by US Sailing.

Colin Golder was racing the Centurion 42, Morgan of Marietta, when he went overboard on 19 June 200 miles off the US east coast. Despite the efforts of the crew, which rescued Colin in challenging seas, he died soon after, most likely from drowning.

US Sailing’s review and subsequent report of the incident attribute his death primarily Continue reading “Lack of personal flotation device led to skipper’s death”

Advice on the safe carriage of hazardous chemical cargoes from the Swedish P&I Club

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Working in partnership with CWA International, the Swedish P&I Club has produced a guidance document to assist operators in the daily operation of their vessels relating specifically to the carriage of hazardous chemical cargoes.

A wide range of more than 5,000 chemical products and grades are carried on board chemical tankers. These chemical products often have a high minimum purity due to their intended end uses. The contamination of chemical cargoes can often affect the suitability for their intended end use, and this can play a significant role in the value of the cargo. As a result, special consideration should be given towards Continue reading “Advice on the safe carriage of hazardous chemical cargoes from the Swedish P&I Club”

Vessels bound for some European ports are diverting to remove fumigants from cargo holds

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Photo credit: Port of Rottedam
Photo credit: Port of Rotterdam

Vessels on route to some European ports are increasingly being requested by charterers to divert to an intermediate port to remove fumigants from the cargo holds prior to the final discharge port. According to North P&I Club, this mostly concerns vessels carrying Ukrainian and South American grains heading to the Dutch discharge ports of Rotterdam or Amsterdam.

Charterers are requesting vessels to divert to Cadiz for the reason that they wish to remove the fumigants to avoid delays due to strict requirements at the discharge port. Some European countries, such as the Netherlands, do indeed have strict requirements on fumigant Continue reading “Vessels bound for some European ports are diverting to remove fumigants from cargo holds”

Women seafarers experience onboard gender-based discrimination, harassment and bullying are key report findings

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An in-depth survey into the maritime industry has revealed shocking figures in gender-based discrimination against women, onboard harassment and bullying. The Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA International), Anglo Eastern, International Seafarers Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) conducted a public online survey designed to examine how female seafarers perceived “discrimination” and how it manifested itself onboard based on their personal experiences. The complete findings from the survey and recommendations are published in The Diversity Handbook, being launched at the WISTA International conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on 26 October 2022. Continue reading “Women seafarers experience onboard gender-based discrimination, harassment and bullying are key report findings”

BP Energy Outlook 2022 published

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BP Energy Outlook 2022 is available
BP Energy Outlook 2022 is available

Recently published the BP Energy Outlook 2022 explores the key uncertainties surrounding the energy transition and is focussed on three main scenarios: Accelerated, Net Zero and New Momentum. The Outlook sets out to identify aspects of the energy transition that are common across the main scenarios and provide a guide as to how the energy system may evolve over the next 30 years.

Some of the key points from the BP Energy Outlook 2022 are:

1 The carbon budget is running out: CO2 emissions have increased in every year since the Paris COP in 2015, except in 2020. Delaying Continue reading “BP Energy Outlook 2022 published”

Effective lube oil analysis crucial for vessels’ machinery systems

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The American Club has analysed the importance of regularly performing lube oil analysis for shipboard machinery, and has provided measures to prevent potential problems in a useful guidance document.

Oil analysis is important as it can help identify problems in the machinery such as abnormal wear, lube oil degradation, contamination of harmful agents, etc. all of which can lead to the potential failure of the machinery and its components. Failures can lead to a loss of propulsion and/or blackouts that can cause consequential incidents such as groundings, collisions, or damage to third party property. Periodic oil analysis can help maintain a proactive maintenance strategy, thus maintaining component life, mitigation of premature component failure and improved Mean Time Between Overhauls (MTBO). Continue reading “Effective lube oil analysis crucial for vessels’ machinery systems”

Reefer claims increase sharply over the pandemic is key report finding

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A new report by the Swedish Club, called “Container Claims – Refrigerated Containers,” has identified a peak in refrigerated (reefer) container claims during the pandemic as a result of disruptions in the supply chain, with a high number of reefer containers being delayed either in port or during transportation to and from port via road or rail.

Between 2021 and 2022 the Club saw an increase in reefer container claims of 270%, with 4.1% of all container vessels having a reefer claim in 2020 compared with 11.4% in 2021. Reefer containers are the main cause of all container claims with 30% of the Club’s total container claims being due to refrigerated cargo damage over the last five years. Continue reading “Reefer claims increase sharply over the pandemic is key report finding”

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