ABS updates Fatigue Assessment of Offshore Structures guide

ABS Guide: Fatigue Assessment of Offshore Structures
ABS Guide: Fatigue Assessment of Offshore Structures

ABS has released its updated Fatigue Assessment of Offshore Structures guide, which incorporates updated approaches for addressing fatigue including new S-N curves and guidance regarding fatigue strength based on fracture mechanics.

Fatigue assessment is a process where the fatigue demand on a structural element is established and compared to the predicted fatigue strength of that element. One way to categorize a fatigue assessment technique is to say that it is based on a direct calculation of fatigue damage or expected fatigue life. Three important methods of assessment are the Simplified Method, the Spectral Method and the Deterministic Method. Alternatively, an indirect fatigue assessment may be performed by the Simplified Method, based on limiting a predicted (probabilistically defined) stress range to be at or below Continue reading “ABS updates Fatigue Assessment of Offshore Structures guide”

Ignition of gas vapor onboard barge Alaganik the cause of fatal explosion reveals NTSB Report

Barge Alaganik: Photo courtesy of Alex Fefelov for The Cordova Times
Barge Alaganik: Photo courtesy of Alex Fefelov for The Cordova Times

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has published an investigation report on the explosion and subsequent sinking of barge Alaganik in the Canal Passage, off Alaska in July 2019, which resulted in one fatality. The investigation identified ignition of gasoline vapor from a fuel cargo tank as key cause of the accident.

On 7 July 7 2019 an explosion occurred on the barge Alaganik as it was moored port side to the end of the Delong Dock in Whittier, Alaska. The vessel was serving as a platform for pumping fish cargo ashore from fishing vessels and tenders that came alongside. It also provided diesel fuel and gasoline to the fishing vessels. No cargo operations were ongoing when the explosion occurred.

Despite the efforts of shore-based responders to fight the ensuing fire, the vessel eventually sank in 60–80 feet of water. The Continue reading “Ignition of gas vapor onboard barge Alaganik the cause of fatal explosion reveals NTSB Report”

RMI publishes its annual report on marine casualties

RMI publishes its annual report on marine casualties
RMI publishes its annual report on marine casualties

RMI has published its Annual Report on the investigation of Marine Casualties, revealing that it received reports of 806 very serious marine casualties, marine incidents, and occurrences in 2019. Accidental falls, enclosed space incidents and collisions-groundings during pilotage were the main issues of concern last year.

Specifically, during 2019:
– 17 very serious casualties were reported to the Administrator. Two very serious casualties resulted in the constructive total loss of a ship, while 11 others resulted in the loss of one or more lives. Additionally, four occurred on yachts and resulted in their constructive total loss due to fire.
– Accidental falls were the leading cause of death during 2019, with seven lives lost. Four of these fatalities were the result of falls from height and three were falls overboard. Improper enclosed space entry also resulted in the loss of two seafarers
– There were 331 marine casualties.
– Serious injuries (resulting in incapacitation for 72 hours or more) were by far the most frequently occurring marine Continue reading “RMI publishes its annual report on marine casualties”

Autonomous Barge Master gangway landing solution set to improve safety for offshore structures

Autonomous Barge Master gangway
Autonomous Barge Master gangway

A new autonomous landing solution for offshore structures, called the Barge Master gangway, is designed to significantly improves both safety and performance.

Through a combination of radar technology, cameras and sensors, Bosch Rexroth’s system automatically attaches the landing from the ship to the required site without the need for manual input. This means that the operation is consistent and reliable, regardless of weather and ocean conditions.

After the automated landing procedure, the Barge Master gangway is held safely in place through a combination of motion compensation and the ship’s dynamic positioning.

“There are a number of benefits to the autonomous landing system,” says Rene Coppens, Business Development Manager for Continue reading “Autonomous Barge Master gangway landing solution set to improve safety for offshore structures”

What types of biofuels could ships burn in 2030?

What types of biofuels could ships burn in 2030?
What types of biofuels could ships burn in 2030?

Shipping is the backbone of the global economy, responsible for about 90% of world trade. But it also accounts for almost 3% (and rising) of man-made carbon dioxide emissions. The industry’s regulator set a series of emission-cutting targets back in 2018 aimed at driving a transition away from high-polluting fossil fuels. If the more ambitious goals are to be hit, the world’s ships will need to start burning new, clean fuel by 2030; such as biofuels. The question is, which one?

1. What are the bio-bunker options for ships after 2030?
Ships burn about 5 million barrels of fossil fuel every day, pumping a constant stream of CO2 and other chemical nasties into the atmosphere. Yet figuring out the fuel of the future isn’t just about emissions. It’s got to have enough power to propel gigantic tankers around the globe, be storable and transportable, and, of course, not too costly. Here’s a list of the front- Continue reading “What types of biofuels could ships burn in 2030?”

Artificial intelligence based system detects misdeclared cargo

AI based system detects misdeclared cargo
AI based system detects misdeclared cargo

Dealing with misdeclared cargo and its consequences is one of the most challenging issues for the shipping industry at this current time. Known to be at the root of many major marine accidents, including fires causing loss of life and significant damage, shipping lines have been seeking to develop an approach to detect and reduce the risks of misdeclarations.

In July 2020, the National Cargo Bureau (NCB) reported that its recent inspection initiatives revealed an alarming number of containers included misdeclared dangerous cargoes. Citing the fact that on average a containership suffers a major fire every 60 days, the NCB reported that it conducted more than 32,000 dangerous dry and tank good inspections in the US in 2019, finding that more than six Continue reading “Artificial intelligence based system detects misdeclared cargo”

Why oh why oh why are deaths still occurring in enclosed spaces?

Why oh why oh why are deaths still occurring in enclosed spaces?
Why oh why oh why are deaths still occurring in enclosed spaces?

Yves Vandenborn, of the Standard Club, asks why deaths in enclosed spaces are still happening on a regular basis. This article is reprinted from the July/August edition of Maritime Risk International.

Despite the well-known risks and the numerous publications and articles available on the topic, deaths in enclosed spaces continue to account for a significant proportion of deaths at sea to date. More drastic measures are required if the industry wishes to turn this tide.

The most recent in a long list of such incidents is the death of a chief officer who entered a fumigated hold to inspect the cargo condition. In this case, detailed instructions for the fumigation of the cargo were given to the vessel clearly stating that the fumigant was potentially dangerous. Even though the chief officer checked the hold atmosphere prior to entry, unfortunately, the gas detector he used was not capable of measuring the concentration of toxic phosphine gas. Further, the confined space entry was made using only a mask, absent was the correct self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), leading to fatal consequences. Hence, it is vital to ensure that all possible risks are taken into consideration before one enters an enclosed space. Despite knowing the dangers and risks, and with the importance of taking appropriate precautions continually reiterated to seafarers, there remain incidents where these precautions have not been followed by the crew. A thorough investigation into these incidences, by industry bodies such as Intercargo and P&I Clubs, reveals that it is not always due to carelessness by the seafarer or a blatant disregard of the precautions. Some of these incidents include instances of ill attempted rescues of co-workers, where the crew in their urgent attempt to render aid to their co-worker, rush into enclosed spaces without proper care for themselves. These circumstances are understandably critical, but it is crucial that proper safety procedures are abided by, otherwise there will be multiple lives at risk and lead to more deaths in enclosed spaces. Continue reading “Why oh why oh why are deaths still occurring in enclosed spaces?”

Education paper on maritime accidents and how they can be prevented entered into Congressional Record

A recent education paper exploring maritime accidents and how they can have prevented if regulations are followed has been entered into the Congressional Record. The educational maritime paper, titled Spotlight on Safety: Why Accidents Are Often Not Accidental, discusses major marine accidents and tragedies.

The paper entered into the Congressional record looks at causal effects behind calamities that could have been prevented if promulgated Maritime Regulations were followed.

“In the shipping economy, however, commercial pressures may lead to conflicts with the regulatory regime. It is therefore no surprise that failure to comply with the regulatory regime is a factor in many maritime casualties,” the paper reads.

Continue reading “Education paper on maritime accidents and how they can be prevented entered into Congressional Record”

Paris MoU Annual Report 2019 shows port state detention rate is down

Port state detention rates are down is key finding of the Paris MoU Annual Report 2019
Port state detention rates are down is key finding of the Paris MoU Annual Report 2019

The Paris MoU Annual Report 2019 has been published and is available for download at the end of this article. This report provides an overview of the activities of the Paris MoU in 2019 including the statistics. Some of the highlights of the report are set out below.

The Paris MoU Annual Report 2019 reveals that in the past three years 76 ships have been banned for multiple detentions, 6 ships were banned for “failing to call at an indicated repair yard” and one ship for jumping detention. In the same period, 13 ships were banned for a second time. In the period 2017 to 2019 the flags of Comoros, the Republic of Moldova, the United Republic of Tanzania and Togo have recorded the highest number of bannings.

Continue reading “Paris MoU Annual Report 2019 shows port state detention rate is down”

Insurers pinpoint the complex causation of container casualties

A webinar organised by the Thomas Miller managed insurance mutuals, container freight specialist TT Club and protection & indemnity insurer, UK P&I Club, revealed the diverse range of factors important to safe container ship operations and the security of the container stacks they carry. ‘Container Casualties – the sum of the parts’ looked in detail at the complex range of moving parts involved in these operations and concluded that each must be considered individually and collectively in order to keep collapse of stow incidents to a minimum.

In chairing the session, UK P&I Club’s Loss Prevention Director, Stuart Edmonston set the scene, “Container loss incidents and container casualties attract attention. Overall, the industry loses a relatively small amount of roughly one unit per 160,000 carried but each loss has significance to a range of stakeholders, including the ship operators, cargo interests, insurers and, not least to the natural environment both at sea and on shore.”

A review of the webinar proceedings (https://vimeo.com/444176895) highlights the wide range of influences that can impinge on stack collapses on ships and the potential loss of containers overboard. Peregrine Storrs-Fox TT Club’s Risk Management Director took the lead in summarising these. “While adverse weather and the avoidance of it through to considered design and construction of container ships are clearly vital, the ‘moving parts’ of causation range through all aspects of container operations. TT Club is involved in all aspects of the container supply chain, but uniquely concentrates its energies on those factors considered within the Cargo Integrity campaign that have bearing on this type of casualty, such as the correct declaration of cargo mass as well as the safe packing and securing of the freight within the container, together with the container structure and maintenance.”

Ship-board factors run from proper inspection and regular maintenance of deck fittings, locking bars, twistlocks and lashing bridges, to the use of accurate data to predict parametric rolling and other ship motions, and the incidence of a so-called ‘stiff ship’ situation, at the design and construction stage. Neil Gardiner of casualty investigators, Brookes Bell lead the discussion on this area of causation. “In addition to taking into account the bending motions of ships in heavy seas in the design of, particularly, the larger container ships of today, operational prevention of isolated and unnecessarily high stacks coupled with high GMs should be prioritised,” advised Gardiner. “The whipping action that ships often experience can have a significant effect on high and isolated container stacks that may have been left between interim discharge/load ports to avoid restowing.”

From the legal perspective Tom Starr, Senior Claims Director at UK P&I pinpointed the difficulties in establishing causation and liability. “The very nature of the modern container shipping industry, the very large and sophisticated ships and the involvement of numerous parties means that evidencing seaworthiness, proper stowage and the cause of a casualty is a huge challenge,” explained Starr. “Add to this the variable investigation standards of flag states in conducting official investigations; it may be unsurprising that lessons learnt for the future can be speculative.”

MOL Prestige engine room fire caused by poor maintenance reveals accident report

Maintenance related issues led to the engine room fire on board the container vessel MOL Prestige in Haida Gwaii, British Columbia (BC) in January 2018, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) are revealed in its investigation report, now published.

On 31 January 2018, a fire broke out in the engine room of the 6,350 TEU MOL Prestige while the vessel, managed by Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) was at sea 146 nautical miles SSW of Haida Gwaii. There were 22 crew Continue reading “MOL Prestige engine room fire caused by poor maintenance reveals accident report”

The importance of manifold and first foot samples at load ports

importance of manifold and first foot samples
importance of manifold and first foot samples

Following the standard tanker practices of sampling when loading petroleum products could save owners millions of dollars in claims and save loss of time and ensuing losses for charterers and shipowners says P&I Club, Gard. When it comes to dealing with liquid cargo contamination claims, the majority of the losses could have been avoided if the vessel had followed basic tanker seamanship practice. Gard has previously highlighted the importance of manifold samples as the multimillion dollar samples for tankers. This alert focuses on the importance of the manifold and first foot samples, and the lessons learnt from cases arising in the Black Sea ports. A recent notification from Gard’s correspondents, Novorissiysk Insurance Company Nostra Ltd., highlighted several cases of flash point depression in gasoil Continue reading “The importance of manifold and first foot samples at load ports”

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