Tag: life-saving equipment

Passenger boats carry more than 200 million passengers annually The Walla Walla ferry can carry a maximum of 2,000 passengers on its run 10 times daily between Kingston and Edmonds, Wash., but it has life rafts for only 600 people if they must abandon ship.Officials of Washington State Ferries and the U.S. Coast Guard, which regulates maritime safety, say the 440-foot-long ferry is compliant with federal safety regulations, and there is no reason for concern.Safety advocates and the National Transportation Safety Board disagree. They say - 100 years after the sinking of the Titanic - another disaster of a passenger vessel could happen.Passenger boats - which include ferries, tour and dinner-cruise vessels, whale-watching boats and charter fishing boats - carry more than 200 million passengers annually on domestic routes along U.S. coastlines and on rivers, lakes, bays and sounds.The Coast Guard requires a life jacket for each passenger, but its regulations pertaining to survival craft vary, depending on a boat's distance from shore, water temperature, vessel design, hull material and other equipment carried.Some passenger vessels are allowed to operate with no survival craft, and some can operate with survival craft for only a percentage of the maximum number of people ...

National Safe Boating Week Launches With Reminder for Boaters to 'Wear It! As the weather starts to warm up, we're all anxious to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. Families and friends gather together to enjoy the outdoors, travel on vacation and spend time on the water -- boating, fishing, sailing, and more. It's important to remember the safety precautions to take during all of these recreational water activities.But, with approximately 500 people drowning each year from recreational boating accidents, it is imperative to push the message of "Wear It!": wear your life jacket at all times while you are on the water.This year during National Safe Boating Week, and throughout the boating season, the National Safe Boating Council is working with their partner organizations to encourage safe and responsible boating, including the practice of always wearing a life jacket, and being alert and aware while on the water. Safe boating saves lives -- so, for this year's National Safe Boating Week (May 19-25, 2012) and throughout the boating season remember to "Wear It!"New this year, the National Safe Boating Council created a video PSA, "Casting Off," sharing the experience of three friends and a dog as they get ready ...

Passage Planning - Personnel Access To The Bridge - Lifejackets On behalf of the global cruise industry, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and the European Cruise Council announced that the cruise industry has adopted three new safety policies which are to be implemented with immediate effect.The announcement was made by Chairman of the European Cruise Council (ECC) and Member of the CLIA Executive Committee, Manfredi Lefebvre.Speaking at a major European Commission-organized Passenger Ship Safety event in Brussels, he outlined how these policies have been agreed to by the industry and represent the third such announcement arising from the cruise industry's Operational Safety Review.These three new policies, which go beyond even the strictest of regulatory requirements, address issues related to passage planning, personnel access to the bridge and lifejackets. Each of these three policies will be reported to the United Nations' International Maritime Organization (IMO) for consideration at their next session in May."As highlighted by these wide-ranging policies, we continue to take proactive measures to improve the safety of passengers and crew across the globe," said Christine Duffy, president and CEO of CLIA. "We look forward to working collaboratively to identify any additional operational issues that will achieve our longstanding goal ...

International safety regulations became far stricter following the disaster

Following rhe serious accident during drill on board ANNA MAERSK In March a serious accident occurred during a MOB-boat drill on board ANNA MAERSK. The Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Branch is investigating the accident. At this stage nothing precise can be said about the causes and the contributing factors.The Danish Maritime Authority would like to point out that boat drills must be planned and performed so that they are safe in every respect. The safety equipment should be checked and maintained. Abnormal conditions of wear and tear or corrosion should be reported to the master immediately.The boat should be lowered and recovered without persons on board and, when it has been ascertained that this functions correctly, the boat is lowered with no more persons on board than what is necessary to operate the boat.Lowering a boat with persons on board is an example of an element of drills that may - depending on the circumstances - involve an unnecessary risk. Such elements of drills should only be carried out if special precautions are observed and, if necessary, left out of the drill.Danish Maritime Authority's Guidance on safety during abandon ship drills and fire drills on board ships IMO's Measures to ...

VIKING Life-Saving Equipment continued to increase its global expansion Last year, VIKING Life-Saving Equipment continued to increase its global expansion, lifting turnover and profits and creating more than 200 new jobs.Despite difficult market conditions, VIKING managed to achieve a record turnover of DKK1.442 bill, representing an increase of some 14% in comparison with 2010.Operating profit was DKK120.6 mill, up 23% on 2010. The average number of employees rose from 1,397 in 2010 to 1,557 for the 2011 fiscal year, with year-end staff numbers at 1,646.Last year, the market was influenced by increasing competition, accompanied by several consolidations. Markets were also affected by the European debt crisis. Pressure was particularly high in the Southern European market, traditionally a stronghold of the maritime industry.Reductions were felt, too, in the number of newbuilds, although this was countered by growth in the overall number of vessels in service and firm demand for replacement and servicing - both of which are key VIKING components.Henrik Uhd Christensen, VIKING's CEO, said; "VIKING's controlled diversification within the safety industry has allowed us to adjust appropriately to changing market conditions. It is our combination of a high quality product portfolio, a unique network and customised solutions that is difficult ...

What are the consequences? Reference is made to the revised LSA Code, applicable from 1 January 2012, where the person weight for the design and testing of liferafts has been increased from 75 to 82.5 kg.Until further notice, the following preliminary IACS position shall be DNV practice:All ships constructed (keel laid) on or after 1 January 2012 should carry liferafts approved on the basis of an average person mass of occupants of 82.5kg. The SWL of any davits installed for launching these liferafts should be approved on the basis of an average person mass of occupants of 82.5kg.All ships constructed before 1 January 2012 may continue to use inflatable liferafts approved on the basis of an average person mass of occupants of 75kg unless such rafts are "replaced". Replaced liferafts do not include rafts which are "exchanged" for servicing, in cases where Owners have made arrangements with service firms to exchange such liferafts. As such, "82.5kg inflatable liferafts" are only required when "75kg inflatable liferafts" are "replaced" due to damage, upgrade of equipment, etc.On passenger ships constructed before 1 January 2012, MSC.1/Circ.1347 permits the determination of the required SWL of a liferaft launching appliance to continue to be based on ...

The Republic of the Marshall Islands issues Marine Notice- updated The Republic of the Marshall Islands issues Marine Notice providing up-to-date information regarding Life-Saving Appliances and Equipment as follows:This Notice addresses a number of recent issues and requests involving Life-Saving Appliances aboard Marshall Islands Flag vessels that have been presented to the Republic of the Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator (the "Administrator") for interpretation and clarification of its policy.For more information, click here.Source: The Republic of trhe Marshall Islands

Covering multi-brand servicing and the re-hooking of lifeboats Lifeboat manufacturer and service provider Schat-Harding has widened the range of its global service network to cover multi-brand servicing and the re-hooking of lifeboats.For the first time, shipowners will be able to obtain most of their lifeboats, hooks, winches and davits serviced by a trained engineer working to the highest global standards, backed by a global service network. They will also be able to use Schat-Harding's range of modern hooks to replace older models, which may no longer meet IMO standards.Birger Grathen, CEO, Schat-Harding Service, said, "This is a major step forward for shipowners. They don't have to risk using small and unauthorised lifeboat service and testing stations, or hooks from companies with no track record."Our global network of service stations and partners is now authorised to service over 500 lifesaving products made by other OEMs, on top of all the products delivered by the 15 major brands we own," he said.Source: Schat-Harding

This tradition begun when the HMS Birkenhead sank in 1852 Anybody who has seen James Cameron's Titanic, about the 1912 sinking of the eponymous ocean liner knows that when a ship is sinking, women and children have first dibs on the lifeboats. The recent capsizing of a cruise ship off the coast of Italy, which killed at least 11 passengers, has inspired many to ask if "women and children first" is an official rule or just a popular convention. Here's the scoop.During an evacuation, men may choose to give up their seats on lifeboats to women and children, but there is no official maritime rule that mandates they must do so. An article from the BBC helps explain the process that crews follow when a ship is in danger of sinking.Upon boarding, all passengers are assigned a lifeboat based on the location of their cabins. If an accident should occur, it is the captain's decision whether or not to evacuate the vessel. The BBC quotes Rob Ashdown, operations director at the European Cruise Council, who says men on a sinking ship have no legal obligation to step aside.The tradition, as an explainer from Slate speculates, may have begun when the ...