Safety alert – Page 2 – Professional Mariner

21 Mar

Safety alert: Donning of Viking PS2006 immersion suits

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

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard was recently notified of several vessels whose mariners were unable to properly don their Viking PS2006 immersion suits. This issue was encountered across crewmembers of various sizes, all sizes of the PS2006 immersion suit (small, universal and jumbo), and multiple manufacturing lots. Therefore, manufacturing date and/or body type alone should not be used to…

10 Mar

Safety alert: Recalled defective mechanical heat detectors

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

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard recently investigated an engine room fire on an inspected towing vessel which led to the discovery of issues with the maintenance and installation of fire detection systems on multiple towing vessels. During the investigation, several towing vessels were discovered to have defective heat detectors installed in their engine rooms. These detectors had been recalled…

18 Feb

Safety alert: Know the explosion hazards of coal

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

(WASHINGTON) — A recent explosion on a foreign-flagged bulk carrier highlighted critical safety concerns associated with the shipment of coal. On Nov. 27, approximately 100 nautical miles off the coast of Virginia, a bulk carrier shipping a type of coal called “Bailey high vol coking coal” experienced consecutive explosions in the two forward cargo holds. While still under investigation, the…

21 Jan

Safety alert: LNG hot work, lockout/tagout procedures

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

(WASHINGTON) — A recent marine casualty, resulting in a fire and severe injuries to two crewmembers, highlights the risks associated with liquefied natural gas (LNG), performing hot work in hazardous zones, and the necessity of maintaining a robust lockout/tagout program. The U.S. Coast Guard's investigation revealed that two crewmembers were conducting hot work in a known hazardous zone on the…

15 Jan

Safety alert: Awareness and marking of onboard hazardous zones

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

(WASHINGTON) — A recent marine incident involving a tri-fueled vessel (liquefied natural gas, diesel, battery) that resulted in a fire and severe injuries to crewmembers highlights the dangers of working in hazardous zones. Despite being aware of nearby crankcase and LNG purge vents in their work area, the crew did not know that the vessel was actively using methane as…

08 Jan

Safety alert: Configuration of vessel control systems

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

(WASHINGTON) — A high-speed passenger ferry struck a pier in New York while docking. Numerous passengers sustained minor injuries, and the combined repairs to the vessel and pier exceeded $500,000. The U.S. Coast Guard’s subsequent investigation of the major marine casualty, which was conducted in parallel with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), revealed numerous safety issues, including concerns with…

03 Jan

Safety alert: Failure of pilothouse alerter systems

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

(WASHINGTON) — A towing vessel was pushing a barge loaded with aggregate when it struck a bulk liquid transfer terminal pier on the Columbia River. The U.S. Coast Guard’s marine casualty investigation determined that the operator fell asleep at the helm, resulting in more than $1.5 million in property damage to the barge, handling equipment and the facility. The incident…

30 Dec

Safety alert: Identifying counterfeit pilot ladders

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

(WASHINGTON) — Marine inspectors from Sector Maryland-National Capital Region (NCR) discovered counterfeit pilot ladders during a port state control examination at the Port of Baltimore. The identification plate on the ladder (Figure 1) contained several errors, including referencing ISO 779-1 instead of the correct standard, ISO 799-1, and lacked the ISO 799-1 designation type. Additionally, while the serial number on…

11 Dec

Safety alert: Restoring main power supply after blackout

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

(WASHINGTON) — This safety alert highlights the critical need for engineering personnel to be thoroughly familiar with, and trained on, the functionality of onboard electrical generation systems and emergency procedures to effectively manage a blackout. Sector Delaware Bay recently responded to an incident involving a ship that suffered a loss of its main power supply while operating in a restricted…

05 Nov

Safety alert: Fuel hose chafing can cause catastrophic fires

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

(WASHINGTON) — A recent fire on an inspected towing vessel has highlighted a critical safety concern involving fuel hoses on main engines. While it is standard marine practice to install protective chafing gear on areas prone to wear, there are currently no statutory requirements for inspected towing vessels to install such protections on fuel lines. Failure to prevent chafing on…