Tag: safety equipment

A ship equipment contains many items that could be defined as ‘critical’. Normally, criteria for choosing a critical equipment or operation lie as its potential to carry on to a hazardous situation. When trying to decide which equipment items are ‘critical’, consideration is given to human safety and pollution prevention.

This video, published by CHIRP Maritime, presents an example of total lack of safety culture. Namely, the video depicts a crewmember hanging from an accommodation ladder on the outboard side of a coastal ferry, trying to paint the side of the ship. The crewmember was not wearing any safety equipment.

On the occasion of the Maritime Safety Week, the Shipowners Club issued its fishing vessel safety booklet, summarizing key safety tips for one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. There have been many studies carried out over the years showing that fatalities on fishing vessels remain a real threat. 

In its latest Safety Scenario, the Swedish Club presents an accident where a stevedore lost his life after falling from a ladder. The stevedore was climbing up the ladder using only one hand as he had a tea cup in the other, which could not fit in his boiler suit pocket, and he was not wearing a safety harness as well.

Ship navigation in restricted visibility doubles the likelihood of a collision or grounding. Such situations call for the use of special equipment and require some actions to be taken by the time the ship’s officer gets information of relevant weather conditions. 

OCIMF released a paper providing guidance on safety critical spare parts for companies to consider when preparing an SMS. The paper notes that the identification of safety critical equipment and the need for safety critical spare parts is a complicated subject and there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

New equipment combined with the latest technologies on vessels have brought to the front the need for familiarization with ship specific arrangements. Operators should understand the importance of effective bridge procedures, in order to support the conduct of safe navigation and efficient ship operations.

The Emergency Escape Breathing Devices are part of the critical safety equipment and are used for escape from a compartment that has a hazardous atmosphere. Their use has become mandatory under the new amendments to SOLAS 74 (Chapter II-2, Reg 16) for all ships to which the safety equipment certificate is required.

Norway's Petroleum Safety Authority has given a notice of order to French Engie to take the necessary measures to ensure that safety equipment on its offshore plants is properly operated, tested and maintained, following the condensate leak on the Gjøa field in June.

The UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency released a Marine Guidance Note about the use of equipment, while undertaking work on commercial Yachts, small Commercial Vessels and loadline Vessels. This Marine Guidance Note's goal is to provide guidance on the use of “rail and trolley” and similar systems.