The sinking of the container ship ‘El Faro’ in October 2015, claiming the title of one of the biggest marine tragedies in the recent history of US, was largely attributed to the Captain’s wrong assessment of the conditions. Anastasios Chrysikopoulos, Chief Officer at Maran Dry Management Inc. analyzed the Captain’s actions which identified human error as the key lesson to be learned from the El Faro loss.
In its latest Maritime Safety video, CHIRP highlights the dangerous practice of fishermen of not wearing lifejackets and discussing the possible tragic consequences in overboard incidents. The report advises that all fishermen should take their personal safety into account by conducting a (dynamic) risk assessment into the possibility of falling overboard.
It has been 20 years since the ISM code became mandatory. Widely known as the ‘International Safety Management Code’, its implementation was a landmark for shipping industry given that for the first time, each shipping organization was obliged to develop an effective safety management.
Bulk carriers constitute a significant fragment of the global maritime transport of goods, making up 15–17% of the world’s merchant fleets. Bulk carrier operations require careful planning and preparation to maintain cargo quality as is and to avoid any delays and disputes. One critical aspect of this preparation is the cargo hold cleaning.
The change in ice conditions is opening the high Arctic as a trade route, fishing ground and potential tourism destination, but more infrastructure support is required to facilitate the provision of adequate insurance, says IUMI in a new position paper.
Harvey and Irma, two of the three powerful hurricanes which hit the Caribbean and southern US in 2017 along with Maria, resulted in damage of approximately 63,000 boats in the US alone, at a cost of an estimated $655 million, providing a clear reminder that traditional maritime risks should not be overlooked.
Nikos Kefalas, HSSE/QA Manager at LNG Shipmanagement provides his thoughts in risk assessment processes. Mr. Kefalas tries to identify how much risk a company can tolerate, saying that this process is complicated and dynamic, as different operation parameters, have to be taken into account.
Regional conflict and piracy threats continue to pose potential risks to commercial vessels operating in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Indian Ocean, warned the US MARAD. US flagged commercial vessels are advised to avoid entering or loitering near Yemen’s Red Sea ports.
A Japanese research partnership, comprising Japanese shipping company MOL, MOL Techno-Trade, National Institute of Maritime, Port and Aviation Technology, and Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (TUMSAT), aims at developing an advanced navigation support system.
On 31 October 2017, the UK registered and commercially operated yacht ‘CV24’ ran aground on Cape Peninsula, South Africa. CV24 was abandoned and the crew was rescued uninjured. There was no pollution and the wreck was subsequently disposed of locally. UK MAIB issued an investigation report on the incident.
