Lloyd’s Register and UK P&I Club launch new Port State Control checklist mobile app

Lloyd’s Register (LR) and UK P&I Club have released a new and improved Port State Control (PSC) checklist app. The app helps ensure that ship personnel are trained in how to inspect, maintain and operate life-saving equipment and that equipment is ready for use at all times. The app also includes a list of common deficiencies to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and help reduce the risk of PSC detentions.

The full list of checklists featured include ILO MLC, ISM & ISPS, Life Saving Appliances, Marine Fire Safety, Marine Pollution Prevention and Port State Control into one, easy-to-use app. Checklists on the new and improved app are continuously updated to reflect new or Continue reading “Lloyd’s Register and UK P&I Club launch new Port State Control checklist mobile app”

Abandoned cargo: alert to risk escalation

The potential catastrophic impact arising from the deterioration of abandoned cargo cannot be disregarded as a remote risk. However, the considerable costs accruing from container demurrage, detention, storage and disposal regularly result from cargo that, for a variety of reasons, is no longer required by the original receiver or consignee, and is simply abandoned at a port terminal or cargo facility. Increased risks of safety and regulatory infraction are inevitably consequent, as well as significant demand on management and operational resources to resolve individual cases.

“Levels of cargo abandonment have always been problematic to forwarders, NVOCs, logistics operators and, of course container Continue reading “Abandoned cargo: alert to risk escalation”

Lessons learned from defect of lifeboat on-load cable release unit

During an annual lifeboat safety inspection it was discovered that the on-load cable release could not easily be moved, and the release lever required extreme force to operate. The forward hook cable release also did not operate properly. A replacement cable release arrangement was procured locally, and repeated tests were conducted to confirm that it was once again fully operational.

The post-event investigation noted that the company’s shipboard safety operations manual required the lifeboats to be inspected on a weekly and monthly basis.

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CHIRP Maritime 2020 Safety Digest of reports published

The CHIRP Maritime 2020 Safety Digest is available to read
The CHIRP Maritime 2020 Safety Digest is available to read

The CHIRP Maritime 2020 Safety Digest has been released, an impressive 106 page report of the many incidents and cases it featured in its quarterly safety publications last year. The pdf can be downloaded at the end of the article. The following text is extracted from the introduction to the CHIRP Maritime 2020 Safety Digest, written by editor, Capt Alan Loynd.

Welcome to the fifth annual review of CHIRP Maritime reports, covering all the cases we published during 2020 and including a number of in-depth articles specially commissioned to highlight important safety topics. This has been a strange and disturbing year, dominated by Covid-19 and the global disruptions it has caused. Continue reading “CHIRP Maritime 2020 Safety Digest of reports published”

New loss prevention video series launched by West P&I Club

As training onboard holds a positive and important role in the development and promotion of shipboard safety culture and to further bolster the Club’s hard and soft copy loss prevention publications, we are undertaking the production of a new series of loss prevention videos.

Entitled “LEARN THE ROPES”, the videos will be covering a variety of focused topics to further enhance crewmembers’ learning and development to strengthen their knowledge and skills needed during the performance of onboard tasks. Continue reading “New loss prevention video series launched by West P&I Club”

Industry bodies joint initiative to tackle safety of dangerous goods storage and transport

Container ship fires and explosions in port storage facilities continue to be the result of poorly packed and misdeclared hazardous materials as they move through the global supply chain. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) recently signed by two influential industry bodies, ICHCA International and IVODGA adds impetus to disseminating effective guidance on the correct safety procedures that need to be employed. According to international transport and logistics insurer TT Club, it is estimated that a major containership fire incident at sea occurs on average every 60 days.

The MOU has been signed by ICHCA International, representative of global cargo handling operators, including many of the leading cargo and container terminal groups, and the International Vessel Operators Dangerous Goods Association (IVODGA), whose membership Continue reading “Industry bodies joint initiative to tackle safety of dangerous goods storage and transport”

Golden Ray NTSB report reveals inaccurate stability calculations as the cause of the capsizing

Golden Ray NTSB report reveals inaccurate stability calculations as the cause of the capsizing
Golden Ray NTSB report reveals inaccurate stability calculations as the cause of the capsizing

Inaccurate stability calculations caused the capsizing of the vehicle carrier Golden Ray that resulted in $200 million worth of damages, the National Transportation Safety Board reveals in its marine accident report. The report gives details of the NTSB’s investigation into the capsizing of the roll-on/roll-off vehicle carrier as it transited outbound through St. Simons Sound near Brunswick, Georgia on 8 September 2019.

All 23 crewmembers and one pilot on board were rescued, including four engineering crew who were trapped in the vessel for nearly 40 hours. Two crewmembers sustained serious injuries. The Golden Ray sustained significant damage due to fire, flooding and saltwater corrosion and was declared a total loss estimated at $62.5 million. An estimated $142 million worth of cargo, including more than 4,100 Continue reading “Golden Ray NTSB report reveals inaccurate stability calculations as the cause of the capsizing”

ClassNK has published guidelines for ships using alternative fuels

Classification society ClassNK has released Guidelines for Ships Using Alternative Fuels, updated with safety requirements for ships using ammonia as fuel on previously issued Guidelines for Ships Using Low-Flashpoint Fuels covering liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)/methanol/ethanol.

Ammonia has captured attention as a zero carbon fuel. Appropriate safety measures are required for ammonia as it is toxic to humans and corrosive to materials, while specific international standards for the use of ammonia as a marine fuel have not yet been established. ClassNK has described the requirements for installation, controls and safety devices of an ammonia fueled ship to minimizing risks for the Continue reading “ClassNK has published guidelines for ships using alternative fuels”

New sustainable propulsion to be offered by Rolls-Royce from 2022

Rolls-Royce has announced it is set to launch a range of sustainable solutions for yachts, starting with IMO III propulsion for production yachts from spring 2022. Along with the company announcing the first mtu-IMO-III systems for series yachts for 2022, Rolls-Royce says its mtu hybrid solutions will be on the market as of 2023, and mtu yacht engines certified for sustainable fuels as of 2023.

The first large yachts are already running with mtu systems based on the mtu Series 4000, which are certified for IMO III emissions regulations. Joining the market in April 2022 will be mtu Series 2000 propulsion systems with exhaust gas after treatment for production yachts.

Continue reading “New sustainable propulsion to be offered by Rolls-Royce from 2022”

Families of deadly dive boat accident victims sue US Coast Guard

Image credit: Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times
Image credit: Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times

Families of the 34 victims of a California dive boat fire have sued the US Coast Guard alleging the vessel was allowed to operate with faulty electrical and inadequate safety systems.

Built in 1981, the 75’x25′ wooden hulled Conception was engulfed in flames and sank off Santa Cruz Island September 2, 2019, killing 33 passengers and one crew. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) cited lax oversight by the owner, no roving watch as required by the Certificate of Inspection (COI), insufficient smoke detectors and poor escape routes and faulted the Coast Guard for not requiring safety management systems (SMS) on all U.S.-flag passenger vessels.

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ABS and Vanderbilt put spotlight on US waterways decarbonization

ABS and Vanderbilt put spotlight on US waterways decarbonization
ABS and Vanderbilt put spotlight on US waterways decarbonization

The current GHG emissions profile of the US inland waterway sector is low compared to other freight modes. The American Waterways Operators cites statistics that show that one dry cargo barge can carry the same amount of cargo as 16 rail cars or 70 trucks and that barge transportation produces 30% less greenhouse gas emissions than rail and more than 1,000% less than trucks. Still, that does not mean that decarbonization is an issue that the industry can afford to ignore, and ABS and Vanderbilt University have just published a landmark report analyzing decarbonization strategies for U.S. inland waterways.

Called “Decarbonization of the Inland Waterway Sector in the United States,” the report evaluates the potential for possible future Continue reading “ABS and Vanderbilt put spotlight on US waterways decarbonization”

Volvo set to unveil new IMO III solution for large yachts at Cannes Yachting Festival

Since January 2021, the IMO III nitrogen oxides (NOx) legislation that already applies to commercial vessels has been extended to marine leisure vessels above 24m load line length, which navigate in US waters as well as the North and Baltic Seas. Providing another step towards increased sustainability in the industry, the 2021 legislation is aimed at reducing emissions. To comply, affected yachts now need to be fitted with a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) after-treatment system. This has led Volvo Penta to work on an optimized solution for its yacht customers both for IPS and traditional inboard shaft installations.

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