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
‘Be aware of your senior role when supervising young seafarers’
When there is inexperienced crew on board a ship, senior seafarers should take special care in guiding and supervising them. This advice is given by The Nautical Institute in a recent Mars Report in which...Read more
Alcohol and fatigue lead to vessel grounding
Taking the watch alone at night while being tired is always a very bad idea. Adding alcohol into the mix is even worse. A recent Mars Report tells of a ship’s master who did just...Read more
Tug grounds after officer of the watch falls asleep
Even when you comply with the rules, fatigue can still jeopardise safe operations on board a ship. In a recent Mars Report, the officer of the watch fell asleep due to fatigue resulting in his...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
Collision of frigate Helge Ingstad and tanker was a ‘symphony of errors’
The Nautical Institute discusses the collision between the Norwegian frigate Helge Ingstad and the tanker Sola TS in a recent Mars Report and calls it a ‘symphony of errors’. A lack of situational awareness, no...Read moreHave your anchors at the ready when navigating restricted waters
Anchors can do more than simply keep a ship in place. In a recent Mars Report a tanker used its anchors as an emergency brake and managed to prevent grounding. The Mars reports are compiled (anonymously)...Read morePassenger ship has parking problem
The marine industry is unusual in that up to five people have to coordinate their movements and actions to manoeuvre a massive floating object safely to berth. Working as individuals, each in their own bubble,...Read more
Don’t cut corners when mooring your ship
Mooring a ship safely usually requires more than one person at each mooring station. In a recent Mars Report, the focus was on getting the job done instead of doing it safely. The work-around the...Read more
How not to carry out work aloft on board a ship
Improvised procedures, wrongful use of machinery and equipment and bypassing safety switches. Sometimes a single Mars Report can tell you exactly how not to carry out a relatively simple task. The incident described here covers...Read more
Do you regularly inspect the solenoid valve on your ship?
Solenoid valves can control and regulate fluids and gases on board a ship. But when do they need to be inspected or changed? In a recent Mars Report, a tanker was confronted with a malfunctioning...Read more
Dare to relieve the pilot when ship manoeuvres go wrong
‘If the master believes the vessel’s safety is at risk, he must relieve the pilot,’ says The Swedish Club in its Navigational Claims 2020 publication. A recent Mars Report shows just why. In this Report,...Read more