Excessive speed led to tug grounding in Texas, NTSB says

Excessive speed led to tug grounding in Texas, NTSB says

(WASHINGTON) — Excessive speed during a bow-to-bow harbor-assist maneuver led to the grounding of the tugboat CC Portland in the Corpus Christi Ship Channel last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday. It is the second marine casualty the NTSB investigated in 2022 caused by excessive speed in azimuthing stern drive, or ASD, tugboats while in the center…
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Interim rule steps up safety measures for duck boats

Interim rule steps up safety measures for duck boats

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard has issued an interim rule as the first step to implement the statutorily mandated requirements for DUKW amphibious passenger vessels, commonly known as duck boats. This statutory mandate was enacted after the sinking of Stretch Duck 7 on July 19, 2018, which resulted in the loss of 17 lives on Table Rock Lake, Mo.…
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Overboard tanker crewman rescued off coast of Galveston

Overboard tanker crewman rescued off coast of Galveston

(HOUSTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a tanker crewmember from the water 10 miles offshore Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston command center watch standers received a distress call on VHF-FM Channel 16 at 9:23 a.m. from personnel aboard the tanker vessel Ghibli, stating that a crewmember had fallen overboard and was not wearing a life jacket.…
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Towing safety report shows second-lowest crew fatality rate

Towing safety report shows second-lowest crew fatality rate

(ARLINGTON, Va.) — For almost 30 years, the Coast Guard-AWO Safety Partnership’s National Quality Steering Committee has been tracking overall trends in towing industry safety and environmental protection, which it conveys in an annual report. This year’s report, compiled by the Coast Guard Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis, included the following notable findings: • The 2022 crewmember fatality rate…
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Pilots, NOAA sign pact to enhance navigation safety

Pilots, NOAA sign pact to enhance navigation safety

(WASHINGTON) — Senior leaders of the American Pilots’ Association (APA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office of Coast Survey, have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that calls for the two parties to cooperate and share information so that they can better carryout their respective roles and responsibilities related to safe maritime navigation…
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OSHA: Maersk must rehire whistleblower on boxship

OSHA: Maersk must rehire whistleblower on boxship

(NORFOLK, Va.) – A federal whistleblower investigation has determined that Maersk Line Ltd. — one of the world's leading providers of marine cargo services — suspended and terminated a seaman's employment illegally after the seaman reported numerous safety concerns about a company vessel to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) determined Maersk Line's termination of…
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SCA renews OSHA partnership for shipyard workers

SCA renews OSHA partnership for shipyard workers

(WASHINGTON) – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Philadelphia Regional Office and the Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the national association representing the U.S. shipbuilding, maintenance and repair industry, have renewed a partnership to continue protecting the nation’s shipyard workers from workplace safety and health hazards. The partnership was first established in July 2021 as a two-year alliance, and…
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Safety alert: Dangers of avoiding load line requirements

Safety alert: Dangers of avoiding load line requirements

(WASHINGTON) — A recent marine casualty resulting in the total loss of a crane barge, estimated at over $6 million, is a stark warning of the risks involved with failing to adhere to load line regulations. The incident occurred approximately 18 miles offshore of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico while the crane barge was being towed in calm weather…
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