Tristar Safety at Sea Conference – Promoting welfare and well-being of seafarers

Tristar Group will host its Third Annual “Safety At Sea” conference on 8th December 2021 (1330 UAE time) at the Dubai Expo Site in the India Pavilion. This continued initiative by Tristar, supported by IIMS, Nautical Institute, and IMarEST, is to draw industry and global attention to crew mental health issues and to improve the general well–being of all seafarers.

As business owners and leaders in the maritime industry, the onus is on us to take a leading role to ensure that the mental health of seafarers is no longer a taboo subject and that we create platforms to discuss and put in place an ecosystem that will enable seafarers to Continue reading “Tristar Safety at Sea Conference – Promoting welfare and well-being of seafarers”

Hong Kong investigation reveals lessons learned from fatality during loading steel pipes

The Hong Kong authorities have concluded and released details of an investigation into a fatal accident that took place onboard a Hong Kong registered bulk carrier when loading its cargo of steel pipes in various sizes at a pier.

A Hong Kong registered bulk carrier was berthed at a pier to load its cargo of steel pipes in various sizes. During the crane operation, the stack of steel pipes below was displaced by lowering a heavy steel pipe. It caused the nearby stevedores to lose their balance and fall into the gaps between the steel pipes. Although the two injured workers were rushed into the port hospital for medical treatment, one of the stevedores responsible for unhooking the cargo was declared dead the day after the incident, and the other stevedore responsible for cargo securing was seriously injured. Continue reading “Hong Kong investigation reveals lessons learned from fatality during loading steel pipes”

What you need to know about preventing fires onboard containerships

A collaboration between Standard Club and David Townsend, Principle Fire Investigator at Andrew Moore & Associates Ltd, has resulted in a helpful loss prevention alert being released that focuses on container fires while offering some suggestions for dealing with and improving the situation.

According to Mr. Moore, there has been an increasing number of fires onboard containerships in recent years, some with disastrous consequences, not only for the shipowner and the crew on board but also for the environment and the shipping industry’s reputation.

He added that fire safety in container shipping has, for various reasons, and predominantly due to the sheer capacity, become Continue reading “What you need to know about preventing fires onboard containerships”

Guidelines for the shipment of petroleum cargoes issued

The Swedish Club has published helpful cargo guidelines, focusing on petroleum cargoes shipments. The Club said that they wanted to give advice on the shipment of petroleum cargo specifically. A variety of refined petroleum cargoes are transported via the shipping industry. These cargoes are classified by the hydrocarbon range of the products. As the club explains, a common contamination found in refined petroleum products is the presence of particulates. This often leads to a failure in the appearance parameter which states that the cargo should be ‘clear and bright’ and typically leads to further cargo processing operations.

Pre-loading Continue reading “Guidelines for the shipment of petroleum cargoes issued”

Call for applications for appointment as MCIB Investigator

The MCIB (Marine Casualty Investigation Board) was established in 2002 under the Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Casualties) Act 2000. The purpose of the MCIB is to investigate marine casualties with a view to learning lessons to prevent them from happening again. It is not the purpose of an investigation to attribute fault or blame. The MCIB invites applications from suitably qualified investigators to carry out contracted marine casualty investigations on behalf of the Board.

To date the MCIB has published approximately 243 accident investigation reports and now wishes to engage additional investigators to carry out accident investigations on its behalf and to develop reports for the MCIB. Continue reading “Call for applications for appointment as MCIB Investigator”

Loss of over one hundred containers from Zim Kingston due to heavy weather and port congestion says initial report.

The container ship Zim Kingston that spilled 109 boxes off the Strait of Juan de Fuca on October 22 was at sea in a storm caused directly as a result of port congestion says a new report. Using satellite AIS data, Seattle public radio station KUOW found that the Zim Kingston loitered off the strait’s entrance in gale conditions, moving at three knots on a course beam to the prevailing winds for about six hours.

While she was off the Strait, significant wave heights of about 16 to 20 feet were noted and the sustained wind speeds were in the range of 35-40 knots. The Zim Kingston began to roll through 35 degrees, and with extreme forces acting on her stacked deck cargo, she lost more than 100 containers over the side. Continue reading “Loss of over one hundred containers from Zim Kingston due to heavy weather and port congestion says initial report.”

Consultation for the carriage and charging of electric vehicles on Ro Ro ferries is now open

The consultation seeks your views on the draft Marine Guidance Note MGN 653(M) Electric Vehicles Onboard Passenger Ro-Ro Ferries. The increase in electric vehicle (EV) numbers in the UK has led to increasing demand for transit of EV onboard passenger Ro-Ro ferries (Ro-Pax). Currently, there are limited requirements specific to the charging of electric vehicles onboard UK vessels. However, noting the increasing popularity of electric vehicles it has become apparent that there is a potential for users of these vehicles to expect charging to be available onboard, and for operators of such vessels to consider offering this facility. This marine notice provides guidance for the safe carriage and charging EVs. Continue reading “Consultation for the carriage and charging of electric vehicles on Ro Ro ferries is now open”

Practical aspects of the carriage of containers on dry bulk vessels

Practical aspects of the carriage of containers on dry bulk vessels
Practical aspects of the carriage of containers on dry bulk vessels

Mark Dunbar, Surveys Manager at West P&I Club, has highlighted practical aspects on the carriage of containers onboard dry bulk vessels. And as he says, individual cases will vary widely so the following should not be taken as exhaustive, but as an aide memoire for the major factors that need to be considered and addressed.

– Bridge visibility needs to meet SOLAS requirements.
– Vessel stability including bending moments and shear forces to be verified as within limits.
– Container stacking weights – check CSC plate for maximum allowable – US 53 foot containers are usually significantlylower than standard ISO containers.
– Strength of tanktop/hatch covers/deck plating – remember all the weight of a container is distributed Continue reading “Practical aspects of the carriage of containers on dry bulk vessels”

New online shipbuilding acquaint course exclusive to IIMS announced

Image used only for illustrative purposes
Image used only for illustrative purposes

The new Shipbuilding Acquaint Course has been developed by Broadreach Marine Ltd and is presented exclusively in conjunction with the International Institute of Marine Surveying, the leading worldwide professional body for the marine surveying profession. The aim of this unique one-week online course starting from 7 February 2022 is to provide an opportunity for the student to gain an understanding of modern shipbuilding procedures, from placing a contract to delivering a completed ship.

The course content and objectives can be summed up as follows:
– The Shipbuilding Acquaint Course content follows the logical processes and timeline required to build a ship from scratch. Continue reading “New online shipbuilding acquaint course exclusive to IIMS announced”

ABS Port State Control Quarterly Report for Q3 2021 published

The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Quarterly Report on Port State Control (PSC) provides information to owners on deficiencies identified on ABS vessels during inspections carried out by the various PSC regimes globally during the 3rd Quarter of 2021.

The report is being made available to assist owners by providing awareness of potential areas of concern that have been identified on ABS classed vessels.

Port State Control inspections have proven to be an effective tool for eliminating substandard vessels that may be in operation, which may impact maritime safety and the marine environment. A ship is regarded as substandard if the hull, machinery, equipment, or operational Continue reading “ABS Port State Control Quarterly Report for Q3 2021 published”

Guidelines for securing road vehicles onboard Ro-Ros published

The ro-ro ship should carry a Cargo Securing Manual, while the decks of a ship intended for road vehicles should be provided with securing points. The arrangement of securing points should be left to the discretion of the shipowner provided that for each road vehicle or element of a combination of road vehicles there is the following minimum arrangement of securing points:

– The distance between securing points in the longitudinal direction should in general not exceed 2.5 m. However, there may be a need for the securing points in the forward and after parts of the ship to be more closely spaced than they are amidships.
– The athwartships spacing of securing points should not be less than 2.8 m nor more than 3 m. However, there may be a need for the securing points in the forward and after parts of the ship to be more closely spaced than they are amidships. Continue reading “Guidelines for securing road vehicles onboard Ro-Ros published”

Report analyzing the impacts of underwater noise in Europe published by EMSA

The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has commissioned a study to consolidate information on the subject of continuous Underwater radiated noise (URN) from shipping, in order to derive recommendations for a future multi-stakeholder strategy within Europe. The 103 page report is now available to read.

The study focussed on four main subject areas, with noise sources, environmental impact and policy providing the basis for the main goal, mitigation. The main source of URN from shipping is broadband propeller cavitation, radiating noise over a large frequency range. Machinery, primarily main propulsion engines, can also have an important contribution. Continue reading “Report analyzing the impacts of underwater noise in Europe published by EMSA”

Instagram Posts from the IIMS @iimsmarine