Tag: safety measures

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Titanic disaster ‘unlikely to happen again’

Due to the many lessons that have been learned World-leading ship science expert, Professor Ajit Shenoi, says that a seafaring tragedy on the scale of the Titanic disaster is unlikely to happen again.Professor Shenoi, who is the Director of the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute at the University of Southampton, believes this is due to the many lessons that have been learned as a result of the tragedy 100 years ago."A detailed Board of Trade inquiry set up after the tragedy identified that the reasons behind the Titanic's sinking and the huge loss of life could be categorised under two headings," Professor Shenoi explains."Firstly, they relate to crew training and capabilities, as well as better communications and management on board ships, with clear allocations of responsibilities and regular checks on the actions and performance of crew. Secondly, they relate to the technology, whether it be the provision of lifeboats and life rafts, hull construction material and methods or watertight compartmentation."Professor Shenoi believes that the lessons learned from the disaster have been invaluable in ensuring that modern seafaring remains safe, and that when accidents do happen, lives are less likely to be lost."There are several lessons learned from the Titanic disaster ...

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Shipping accidents rise as market falls

Ship owners have cut their spending on safety As the world's shipping market slumped to its lowest point this year, ship owners have cut their spending on safety, resulting in a growing number of maritime accidents in recent months, maritime officials said.The Maritime Safety Administration has launched a three-month campaign to improve safety by checking crew numbers and qualifications on all domestic cargo and passenger ships with 5,000 gross tonnage or less, beginning on April 16.Huang He, deputy director of the administration, said the move followed an unusually high number of accidents involving ships in coastal waters or offshore since February.Two of the accidents happened in a period of three days, between Feb 16 and 18, near Shantou, in Guangdong province, and Quanzhou, in Fujian province. Eight people were killed and five were reported missing."Our investigations found that both ships lacked even the minimum number of crew members, and some of the sailors had no qualifications for their current jobs," he said.The situation was not limited to a number of individual cases, he said, adding that it appeared to be widespread.An administration official said that some small ship owners had fired sailors, and as a result, the ships did not ...

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Japan to Map Out Safety Standards for LNG-Fueled Ships

Japanese transport ministry plans to draw up safety standards by March 2013 In an effort to put liquefied natural gas-fueled ships into practical use, the Japanese transport ministry plans to draw up safety standards by March 2013, officials said Tuesday.Potential demand for environmentally-friendly LNG-fueled ships is high, as environmental regulations for marine shipping are to be gradually tightened after a revised international treaty on the prevention of ocean pollution takes effect in January 2013.Carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions from LNG vessels are, respectively, 25 pct and 40 pct less than those from petroleum-fueled ships, while LNG vessels emit no sulfur oxides.LNG ships also look more appealing as the price of LNG falls, thanks to improved mining technologies. "This will be the biggest shift in marine fuel since the shift from coal to oil," a transport ministry official said.The ministry intends to promote Japanese LNG vessel standards through the International Maritime Organization.Source: Jiji Press

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Shipowners told to be responsible for voyage safety

MARINA warns ship operators to comply strictly with safety standards and passenger safety The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) yesterday warned ship operators to comply strictly with safety standards and passenger safety rules amid the expected influx of travelers taking sea transport this Lenten season.Marina Administrator Emerson Lorenzo said MARINA has carried out random safety inspections of passenger ships, adding that shipowners should be responsible for ensuring vessel maintenance and safe travel not only this Holy Week but throughout the year."Random safety inspections of passenger ships were conducted in critical ports, including Batangas; Calapan, Mindoro; Roxas City; Caticlan, Matnog, Cebu, Bohol, and Maasin, Leyte," he said.MARINA has inspected shipping lines to see if they have adequate life-saving devices such as life jackets, lifebuoys, firefighting equipment and other emergency devices in case of accidents.The maritime regulator also directed shipping lines to implement the standardized cargo stowage and securing systems to prevent improper lashing that commonly result in vessel capsizing or sinking.For added safety, roll-on roll-off (RORO) ships must disembark passengers off buses while the voyage is en route.Lorenzo added that in cooperation with its sister agency, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), will be recording pre-voyage activities onboard, including cargo securing and cargo ...

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Top 10 facts about the International Ice Patrol

Are icebergs really still a danger? 1. When was the International Ice Patrol formed?Shipping areas in the North Atlantic have always been hazardous to navigate. The hazards of the North Atlantic captured global attention in April 1912 when the RMS Titanic sank after it struck an iceberg. The incident prompted maritime nations with ships transiting the Grand Banks off Newfoundland, Canada, to establish an iceberg patrol in the area. Since 1913, the U.S. Coast Guard has been tasked with the management and operation of the patrol. Except for the years of World Wars I and II, the ice patrol has been active each ice season since its inception.2. What are the specific duties of the ice patrol?Their mission is to monitor the iceberg danger near the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and provide the iceberg limit to the maritime community, including ice and current conditions.3. Who makes up the ice patrol?The ice patrol is a U.S. Coast Guard unit however the Canadian Ice Service, ice patrol and U.S. National Ice Center collaborate under the North American Ice Service. The ice patrol produces North American Ice service reports from February through July when icebergs may be present on the Grand Banks and ...

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EMSA issues Safe Platform Study

Development of vessel design requirements to enter & operate in dangerous atmospheres EMSA publishes Technical Report - Safe Platform Study regarding Development of vessel design requirements to enter & operate in dangerous atmospheres.The objective of this project was to propose and describe vessel design requirements to enter hazardous environments and having the capability of performing various operational aspects during Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) incidents at sea, whilst protecting their crew and preventing an escalation of the incident.This also covers the adaptation/modification of existing vessels for HNS incident response.For more information, click here.Source: EMSA

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Asbestos ban update

DNV follow-up of the asbestos ban As from 1 January 2011, asbestos has been completely banned in new installations on both new and existing convention ships.Since then, there has been an increase in the regulatory focus and we have seen regulators like Australia and the Netherlands requesting sampling followed by the rejection/detention of vessels due to asbestos being identified on board.We also underline that the Netherlands as a flag state requires sampling to be carried out for newbuildings and upon a change of flag to the Netherlands.DNV and IACS have therefore been concerned about ensuring that no new installations on existing vessels and no newbuildings contain any asbestos.IACS policy IACS has developed a UI (unified interpretation), IACS UI SC249, on the implementation of this requirement which will be applied as soon as possible but not later than 1 July 2012, unless instructed otherwise by an Administration.The essence of the UI is that IACS societies are to ensure that new installations covered by SOLAS do not contain asbestos by reviewing the asbestos-free declarations and supporting documentation which are to be provided by shipyards, repair yards and equipment manufacturers.The UI SC249 is on the agenda for the IMO's Maritime Safety Committee in ...

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MCA issues safety alert re prohibited fire extinguishers

IRE EXTINGUISHERS, type MFZ/ABC6 and MPZ9L are prohibited under MED UK MCA issues Safety Alert regardingFIRE EXTINGUISHERS, type MFZ/ABC6 and MPZ9L which are prohibited under Article 13 of the Marine Equipment Directive (MED) as follows:The French Maritime Administration has informed the European Commission and EU Member States that they have prohibited Fire extinguishers type MFZ/ABC6 and MPZ9L from being placed on board French Flagged vessels.These products are manufactured by DONGTAI CITY XINGHAI MARINE EQUIPMENT, 888 New Kok Road Xinjie Town, Dongtai, City Jiansu Province, China. It was discovered during an on board inspection that the striking pin did not activate the CO2 bottle.The Manufacturer and approving Notified Body - Korean Register Hellas Ltd (Id 2198) were contacted and requested to provide clarification. During the investigation it was also discovered the manufacturer had attached the MED "wheelmark" before the conformity assessment (Module D) certificate was issued.As a result of the above, the French Administration implemented the safeguard clause procedure (Article 13 of the Council Directive 96/98/EC on marine equipment) prohibiting fire extinguishers type MFZ/ABC6 and MPZ9L, bearing the MED "wheelmark" 2198/10 and 2198/11, from being placed on board French flag vessels until the manufacturer guarantees that extinguishers with this defect problem, ...

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AMSA strengthens search and rescue partnerships

Enchaning maritime safety and in search and rescue Search and rescue officers from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's (AMSA) Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC Australia) will be in Burnie on Thursday (today) to discuss operational aspects of Australia's search and rescue system, present hypothetical situations and undertake tabletop exercises with Tasmania police officers.On Friday in Wynyard, police officers will have the opportunity to undertake a practice air search and rescue operation in one of AMSA's Dornier aircraft normally based at Essendon. AMSA's General Manager Emergency Response Division, John Young, said the two-day workshop demonstrates the cooperative nature of search and rescue activities in Australia."AMSA works closely with its state and territory colleagues in maritime safety and in search and rescue. The state police services and AMSA are vital partners when responding to aviation, maritime and land distress situations," he said."The relationship between RCC Australia and the Tasmania Police has led to many successful search and rescue operations. Workshops and practices such as these are ideal for search and rescue officers to understand the roles and responsibilities of all the key agencies during an emergency situation.""Training opportunities are important to ensure the skills employed by all the key agencies involved in emergency ...

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Maritime safety in Arctic regions under debate

Top safety when cruise ships embark on voyages in the Arctic regions is a priority At a recent meeting held by the Danish Maritime Authority, safety of navigation in the Arctic regions was discussed.The Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO), the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) and the Danish Maritime Authority recently met with the Government of Greenland and Visit Greenland to discuss safety of navigation in the Arctic regions.A number of safety measures were discussed, including using a risk assessment tool as a mechanism for managing risks, the possibility of establishing special tourist routes for cruise ships, the practical implications of coordinating ships' voyages, the crews' experience navigating the Arctic regions as well as the development of tools intended to assist the master when planning navigation.It was generally agreed that there must be top safety when cruise ships embark on voyages in the Arctic regions, and this meeting was considered to be a kick-off for a closer relationship between the maritime authorities and the cruise industry. All parties agreed that cooperation will be of mutual benefit as both sides will be able to share valuable insights, perspectives and knowledge on these matters.Source: Danish Maritime Authority

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