Safety Briefings

Golden Ray NTSB report reveals inaccurate stability calculations as the cause of the capsizing
Inaccurate stability calculations caused the capsizing of the vehicle carrier Golden Ray that resulted in $200 million worth of damages, the National Transportation Safety Board reveals in its marine accident report.
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Fire onboard stresses need for continuous monitoring of inactive vessels
NTSB has published an investigation report on the fire onboard the dive support vessel Iron Maiden, whilst docked at a shipyard in Louisiana, in April 2020. The investigation identified an electrical short from an unidentified source as the main reasons for the incident.
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Loss of containers off Hawaii due to poor cargo loading procedures
Poor barge loading resulted in the loss of 21 cargo containers into the ocean off the coast of Hawaii last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in its report on the accident.
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Four key safety issues identified after fatal Conception fire in the final report
NTSB has published its official report on the fire onboard the small passenger vessel Conception in September 2019 off California, which killed 34 people. It has highlighted poor oversight by the company and USCG regulatory issue.
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St Clair: Engine room fire on bulk carrier while in layup status report published
NTSB has published an investigation report on the engine room fire aboard the bulk carrier St Clair whilst in layup status at TORCO dock in Maumee River, Toledo, in February 2019. The investigation has highlighted a lack of operating procedures for continuous monitoring of the vessel while in layup.
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Overpressurization and rupture of cargo tank onboard Fairchem Filly report published
NTSB issued an investigation report on the overpressurization and rupture of a cargo tank on the cargo ship Fairchem Filly while at Houston Ship Channel, in May 2019. Investigators stressed that the vessel and terminal personnel involved were not following procedures related to cargo discharge and nitrogen-blanketing operations.
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Poor hull maintenance linked to flooding of towing vessel Tom Bussler says NTSB report
NTSB has published an investigation report on the flooding and sinking of towing vessel ‘Tom Bussler’ on Tennessee River in January 2019. The incident stressed issues associated with poor hull maintenance and repair.
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Report finds fire onboard cargo vessel was due to lack of compliance with SMS
The NTSB has published its report on the fire that took place on board the cargo ship Chipolbrok Moon. After the ocean voyage and before offloading the cargo, the steel sea fastener tabs used to secure the turbine components had to be removed by cutting, using an oxygen/acetylene torch.
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Numerous lessons learned from US maritime casualties in 2017 as NTSB releases its annual report
The NTSB has published its 94 page Safer Seas digest annual report giving an overview of key lessons to be learned from a series of major maritime casualties. The failure to maintain watertight integrity was the number one cause of vessel losses during the 2017 reporting year.
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Safety alert about the prevention of fuel spray fire published by USCG
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has released a safety alert to inform the industry about a fuel spray fire onboard a commercial vessel. These types of incidents, which involve fuel leaks contacting hot surfaces and igniting, happen with too much regularity and have been the subject for various marine safety organizations to consider for many years.
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A culture of poor maintenance practices led to Caribbean Fantasy fire says report
A poor safety culture and the ineffective implementation of a safety management system were identified as the most likely causes of the 2016 fire aboard the RoRo vessel Caribbean Fantasy. The vessel’s main engine room was hit by fire in the morning hours of 17 August 2016, when fuel spraying from a leaking flange came in contact with a hot surface on the port main propulsion engine, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in a report.
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Improperly tightened bolts on fuel inlet flange the probable cause of a fire on Carnival Liberty
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined the probable cause of the engine room fire on the Carnival Liberty as improperly tightened bolts on a fuel inlet flange.
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Rudder compartment hull leak causes major capsizing of towing vessel says NTSB investigation
The US NTSB issued an investigation report on the capsizing of the towing vessel ‘Gracie Claire’, while moored on the Lower Mississippi River in Venice, Louisiana. The report revealed that several factors affecting the stability of the vessel led to its capsizing.
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Lessons Learned from El Faro on main propulsion published by USCG
The US Coast Guard has published a safety alert to inform operators and other interested parties of the role that the main propulsion lube oil system was found to have played in the El Faro incident. They have recommended that operators, especially ships’ engineers, review the operational procedures and limitations of vital propulsion machinery and verify compliance with SOLAS, Classification Societies and regulatory standards.
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Deck water spray failure highlighted as one of the main deficiencies on LNG carriers
The US Coast Guard has published an information bulletin about the ongoing issue regarding inadequate deck water spray systems on LNG carriers. US Coast Guard has noted that inadequate coverage of the required areas by a deck water spray system is one of the main deficiencies identified when certificate of compliance inspections are undertaken on these vessels.
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MAIB report published into the cargo collapse on bulk carrier Graig Rotterdam resulting in one fatality
The bulk carrier Graig Rotterdam was discharging a deck cargo of packaged timber at anchor in Alexandria Port, Egypt. The bosun, a Chinese national, fell overboard and into a barge that was secured alongside after the timber deck cargo stack on which he was standing partially collapsed.
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Ethylene vapours activate carbon monoxide alarm says safety alert
The USCG has published a safety alert informing marine inspectors that ethylene vapours on LNG carriers can activate Carbon Monoxide alarms. Specifically, during an examination of a LNG carrier whose cargo tanks contained ethylene vapours, PSC Officers (PSCOs) received alarms on their portable four gas meters giving a reading of 60 to 100 parts per-million (PPM) Carbon Monoxide (CO).
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Marine bollard failures give USCG cause for concern
The USCG issued an alert informing that recently, there have been a number of shore side marine bollard failures whereby moored vessels were cast adrift. In some cases, this resulted in damage to the involved vessel, as well as other nearby vessels and shore side structures, the USCG warned.
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