Tag: life-saving equipment

The US Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate is collaborating with the US Coast Guard aiming to develop a large capacity-floating device to keep survivors out of the water during mass rescue operations. 

The Republic of the Marshall Islands stressed the importance of properly inspecting and maintaining all immersion suits, following recent cases of defective immersion suits found onboard RMI-flagged vessels. 

In its monthly safety scenario for June, the Swedish Club describes how two crew members were lost after being swept away by a large wave amid heavy weather, as lifebuoys were not in place. 

While the Bosun and an AB were recovering the accommodation ladder on a bulk carrier, heavy weather caused the AB to fall overboard from the lower platform of the ladder. The Hong Kong MARDEP shared lessons learned from the incident. 

The US Coast Guard shared equipment manufacturers' guidance to seek approval of pilot ladders and embarkation ladders that meet ISO 799-1:2019 or ISO 5489:2008, respectively, as well as current guidance on embarking and disembarking of pilots.

A total of 57 ships were detained in the US in 2020, marking a decrease in the annual ship detention rate from 1.10% to 0.77%, the USCG said in its PSC Annual Report for 2020. While ship detentions related to fire safety and lifesaving systems remained similar to the past few years, MARPOL Annex I deficiencies decreased in the last year, the report reveals. 

Claiming the title of the most high-level shipwreck in history, Titanic is far more than a famous tragic story as it redefined the concept of maritime safety and led to the adoption of SOLAS Convention.

In October 2020, the US Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach found eleven non-compliant SEE-ME 1.0 LED PFD lights. The bottoms of the lights were missing, cracked, or bulging.

PSCO’s checklists have a dedicated LSA section with specific items to be checked. Some PSC authorities issue specific information and PSC findings on LSA equipment (eg AMSA). This a practice to declare the importance of such items and systems. After all, LSA is the type of equipment which aims to provide seafarers protection in case of emergency.

Lifeboats save lives. Titanic had a limited number of lifeboats onboard because its construction was considered a technological miracle of safety and luxury. And this is why 1,500 out of the 2,200 people onboard perished in what is considered as the world’s most famous maritime disaster.