Search operations livestock carrier halted, another two crew found
Another two crew members of the cargo ship that sank off the coast of Japan during a heavy storm were rescued on Friday 4 September. A day later, the Japanese authorities had to temporarily halt...Read more
Fatal fall from ladder on board bulk carrier
Seafarers can become desensitised to the hazards around them, which can have dramatic consequences. A recent Mars Report describes a fatal accident on board a bulk carrier, where it had become common practice to climb...Read more
Don’t use the anchor to keep your ship in place in heavy weather
Anchors and associated gear are for holding ships in light to moderate weather conditions. For more adverse weather, drifting or slow steaming (hove-to) would be the safer option. The Nautical Institute gives this advice after...Read more
Two dead after sudden vessel movement causes load to swing
Close attention should be given to mooring lines and ship-shore interfaces at all times, but especially while working cargo and when tides are present. It would not be unreasonable to undertake hourly rounds. This is...Read more
Make sure you understand your ship’s motion monitoring and forecast tools
Container ship CMA CGM G. Washington lost 137 containers overboard as a result of parametric roll. The Nautical Institute points out that a major contributing factor was that the crew was not fully conversant with...Read more
Do you check your ship’s air moving equipment before first use each day?
Before commencing gas freeing operations, air moving equipment has to be grounded. On a tank barge where this was not carried out properly, static electricity caused an explosion.Read more
Two tanker mooring lines caught in bow thruster
Due care must always be taken with lines near a working bow thruster. A recent Mars Report features an incident in which the mooring lines were drawn into the thruster tunnel fouling the propeller blades.Read more
Bulk carrier dragging anchor leads to grounding
Anchoring a ship on a lee shore with expected high winds is asking for trouble. In a recent Mars Report, a master did just that. Despite keeping the main engines ready, he could not get...Read more
Shipping ever safer, but fires are cause for concern
The number of shipping disasters involving the complete loss of a ship fell to its lowest level ever last year. On the other hand, the growing number of serious fires on container ships is giving...Read more
Inland container ship hits bridge in Rotterdam and loses three containers
A container barge has collided with the Willemsbrug in Rotterdam. The ship lost three containers, which ended up in the water, said a spokeswoman of the Dutch police. There were no casualties. There were no dangerous...Read more
Unsafe berth leads to fatal fall in water
Don’t tolerate an unsafe situation against your own better judgment is the advice given by The Nautical Institute after a crew member died when he fell into the water at an unsafe berth. Despite the...Read more
Crew member dies after fall during ramp hatch maintenance
A vessel’s safety procedures are always at risk of becoming routine, which may cause real hazards to be overlooked. A recent Mars Report serves as an example, in which a crew member fell from 4.5...Read more
Minister gets started on Safety Board advice following MSC Zoe disaster
Dutch Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen is going to do her best to better protect the Wadden area against shipping accidents such as the one involving the container ship MSC Zoe. However, she cannot yet promise...Read more
DSB: Both Wadden Sea shipping routes at risk of losing containers
The Wadden area must be better protected against the loss of containers on the shipping routes that pass the islands to the north. During northwestern storm, both the northern and southern routes form a risk...Read more
Smart fishing nets are hailing ships by call sign
The Automatic Identification Systems-equipped fishing net problem seems to be increasing exponentially and constitutes ‘an accident waiting to happen’, according to The Nautical Institute. The picture above was taken on a recent trip from Shanghai...Read more
Heerema’s Aegir suffers dropfall incident while piling in Taiwan
Heerema has halted piling works for the Changhua offshore wind farm in Taiwan after installation vessel Aegir suffered a dropfall incident while installing a foundation. The company is currently investigating the cause of the incident. A...Read more
Do you conduct a risk assessment before working on your ship’s boiler?
Boilers involve heat and pressure and are, therefore inherently a risk and should be included in vessel procedures. In a recent Mars Report, such a procedure was lacking resulting in the death of a crew...Read more
Crew member falls into open manhole
An unattended, open manhole can pose a hazard on board ships and should be dealt with as such. The Nautical Institute gives advice on how to prevent such accidents in a recent Mars Report after...Read more