Tag: injury onboard

US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) Gulf of Mexico Regional Director Lars Herbst has established two panels to investigate two serious incidents that took place in the Gulf of Mexico last week. Investigation panels will issue reports with their findings regarding the causes and make suggestions on how to improve current safety measures after the investigations are completed.

Ten people lost their lives, while 19 others were injured, due to a carbon dioxide leak that occurred on a cargo ship at the Longyan port in Weihai, China, on May 25. The 19 injured were sent to a local hospital and are now stable. The third officer of the ship is suspected as responsible of the incident.

Sadly, shipping appears in the news mostly when it comes to noisy debate issues and warnings, while casualties and/or major agreements are the topics that attract readers the most, generate clicks and get shared. Which are these topics though and why? In addition to casualties, regulations and cyber-security issues are among the most prevalent.

As of 31st December 2018, compliance with the Passenger Liability Regulation became compulsory for all Class B passenger ships carrying out domestic voyages in all EU and EEA member states. The Passenger Liability Regulation implements the Athens Convention and the 2002 Protocol.

Japan Transport Safety Board informed that it launched 922 investigations in 2017. The majority of these cases included collisions, while 1,199 vessels were involved in the accidents, most of which were fishing vessels and pleasure boats. Of the 922 investigations launched in 2017, 216 were cases of collision, 182 cases of grounding; 138 cases of fatality/injury; and 104 cases of contact.

EMSA published an infographic, providing an overview of key figures regarding maritime casualties and incidents, recorded for the period 2011-2017. Namely, the figures involve 23,264 vessels, informing about 20,616 casualties. What is more, 603 vessels were lost, with 6,812 people declared as injured. In addition, the overview informs about 683 fatalities, while it mentions that a total of 1070 inspections took place.

Maritime New Zealand informed that Auckland Jet Boat Tours Limited has been fined a total of $25,000 and ordered to pay $5000 in reparation after admitting Illegal and unsafe maritime practices. In addition, Director Julian Frank O’Neil has been convicted and ordered to conduct 275 hours of community work.

Maritime lawyers at Lipcon, Margulies, Alsina & Winkleman informed that they have filed a Class Action lawsuit against Viking Cruises regarding the Viking Sky incident where the cruise ship stranded off the Coast of Norway, raising the need for hundreds of passengers had to be evacuated by helicopter.

 A Coast Guard helicopter crew medevaced a 28-year-old man who was injured aboard an oil tanker off the coast of San Francisco, Tuesday, May 7. The seafarer suffered a neck injury and was immediately transported in Palo Alto.

IMCA published a safety flash concerning the accidents that take place in vessel machinery spaces. In the specific safety flash, two crew members were slightly injured. The injury was caused due to uneven surfaces that caused one crew member twisting their foot, and the other one having a medical treatment to the shoulder.