AWP Web Blog

While witnessing routine testing of a fixed firefighting system during an annual exam aboard a foreign passenger vessel, the Coast Guard discovered multiple high-pressure water mist nozzles that were incapable of discharging water.

Reported DGPS signal issues potentially from the ongoing military activity in the Middle East is resulting in vessels not being able to meet the minimum number of position reference systems (PRS) for DP station keeping.

The Coast Guard was recently notified of several vessels whose mariners were unable to properly don their Viking PS2006 immersion suits. This issue was encountered across crew members of various sizes, all sizes of the PS2006 immersion suit (small, universal, and jumbo), and multiple manufacturing lots. Therefore, manufacturing date and/or body type alone should not be used to determine viability of these immersion suits.

The Coast Guard recently investigated an engine room fire on board an inspected towing vessel which led to the discovery of issues with the maintenance and installation of fire detection systems on board multiple towing vessels. During the investigation, several towing vessels were discovered to have defective heat detectors installed in their engine rooms.

A general cargo ship was berthed to load steel products. The ship had a gantry crane which ran on rails on the coaming each side of the holds and was used to lift or replace the hatch covers.

A recent marine casualty, resulting in a fire and severe injuries to two crewmembers, highlights the risks associated with Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), performing hot work in hazardous zones, and the necessity of maintaining a robust lockout/tagout program.

A recent marine incident involving a tri-fueled vessel (liquified natural gas (LNG), diesel, battery) that resulted in a fire and severe injuries to crewmembers highlights the dangers of working in hazardous zones.

Marine Inspectors from Sector Maryland-National Capital Region (NCR) discovered counterfeit pilot ladders during a Port State Control Examination at the Port of Baltimore. The identification plate on the ladder (Figure 1) contained several errors, including referencing ISO 779-1 instead of the correct standard, ISO 799-1, and lacking the ISO 799-1 designation type. Additionally, while the serial number on the ladder matched the accompanying certificate, the number of steps and the length of the ladder did not align with the specifications listed on the certificate

Late last year an incident was brought to IMCA’s attention relating to a confined space entry hot work fatality in a shipyard.