Safety alert – Professional Mariner

29 Feb

Safety alert: Keyed VHF radios may block AIS reception

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsElectronics, Navigation, Safety alert, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — A very high frequency (VHF) maritime radio transmission on one’s own vessel, or even transmissions by a nearby vessel a football field’s length away (about 445 feet), may block AIS reception for the duration the radio is keyed. An analysis of the relevant standards has shown that this may impact all classes of AIS equipment regardless of how…

21 Dec

Safety alert: Wire rope hazards on shipboard cranes

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newscasualties, Safety alert, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — A recent marine casualty involving a shipboard crane occurred while a 69-ton wind turbine nacelle was being offloaded. While hoisting, a wire rope parted, causing the load to fall eight feet to the deck, significantly damaging the vessel and resulting in a total loss of the cargo. Although no personnel casualties occurred, injury potential was high, as the…

29 Nov

Wood pellet fires on barges lead to safety alert

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsSafety alert, Tugboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — Over a two-week span, two unmanned and uninspected hopper barges loaded with wood pellets containing binders caught fire while awaiting transport at a Mississippi River fleeting facility. Each fire caused approximately $355,000 in damage, including total cargo loss and significant vessel damage. The ignition source for both fires was spontaneous combustion, which is not common, but also not…

21 Nov

Safety alert: By land or sea, firefighting preparation is key

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsSafety alert, shipping, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — The purpose of this U.S. Coast Guard marine safety alert is to raise awareness within the Marine Transportation System to the unique dangers of shipboard fires, particularly on multi-level freight vessels like vehicle-carrying roll-on/roll-off ships (ro-ros). In July, a foreign-flagged ro-ro experienced a fire on one of its vehicle decks while cargo was being loaded dockside. With over…

14 Nov

Safety alert: Overestimating DP system capabilities

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsSafety alert, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard's Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis has released Safety Alert 11-22 regarding an incident involving weaknesses within dynamic positioning (DP) systems. Dynamic positioning systems meeting equipment class 2 (DP2) and equipment class 3 (DP3) have control features and redundancies that are often regarded by the crews of vessels using these systems as infallible. A…

12 Jun

Safety alert: Condensate and dry compressed air

Rich MillerMaritime NewsSafety alert, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — A recent U.S. Coast Guard investigation involving a fire and subsequent loss of propulsion on board an inspected vessel serves as a reminder of safety issues caused by condensate forming in air lines. During the investigation, an underlying issue was discovered that caused condensate to form in air lines that supplied compressed air to the vessel’s air-operated engine…

07 Apr

Safety alert: Improper use of onboard heating cables

Rich MillerMaritime Newsbrownwater, Safety alert, Tugboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard recently investigated a fire on board an inspected towing vessel that resulted in the vessel suffering a loss of propulsion. The source of the fire was determined to be heat cables (also referred to as heat tracing cable or heat tape), which were improperly installed to prevent condensate from forming and freezing within hoses…

03 Feb

Safety alert: Saltwater-damaged EVs pose vessel hazard

Rich MillerMaritime NewsSafety alert, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — Recently, Hurricane Ian caused significant damage and flooding throughout Florida and the southeastern United States. During the response and reconstitution after the hurricane, first responders encountered numerous vehicle fires involving electric vehicles (EVs) that are powered by lithium-ion batteries. Subsequent investigations have revealed that the vehicle fires resulted from exposure of the lithium-ion batteries to salt water. Many…

01 Sep

Safety alert: Hidden corrosion on deck fittings

Rich MillerMaritime Newscasualties, Safety alert, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — A recent marine casualty that resulted in a severe injury to a crewmember on board a U.S.-flagged cargo vessel brought to light a dangerous and potentially fatal situation involving D-ring lifting points. While positioning a removable hatch cover on the vessel, three of the four D-ring securing straps failed, causing an uncontrolled snapback of the lifting sling assembly…

19 May

Safety alert: Preventing marine fuel contamination

Rich MillerMaritime NewsCoast Guard, propulsion, Safety alert

(WASHINGTON) — A towing vessel operating in a pushing-ahead configuration experienced a loss of all propulsion while operating on the Mississippi River. The loss of propulsion occurred approximately three hours after getting underway and about 3.5 hours after receiving fuel from a shoreside facility. Fortunately, there was no significant damage to the vessel, nor injuries to crewmembers because of this…