Washington — The National Transportation Safety Board has published 10 safety recommendations “all mariners should consider,” stemming from its investigations completed last year.
Safer Seas Digest 2024 details the facts and analyzes the probable causes of 34 maritime casualties, including capsizings, collisions, contacts, fires, floodings, groundings and machinery damage. NTSB says that although each incident is unique, investigators uncovered notable commonalities. To prevent them, they recommend that mariners:
- Provide adequate procedures and training, which can help vessels operate safely and remain in compliance with mandatory rules and regulations.
- Determine appropriate staffing for all operations, including when a crew is docked or during maneuvers such as undocking, operating in areas of high traffic density, and transiting in or out of a port.
- Maintain alertness and vigilance. Fatigue and complacency can affect decision-making, reaction time and overall safe operation of a vessel.
- Maintain unimpeded return flow in diesel engine fuel oil return systems to avoid overpressurization and potential engine room fires.
- Mitigate fire risk by following standard industry practices, company policies and manufacturers’ guidance during maintenance work.
- Ensure watertight integrity of the hull and bulkheads to avoid vessel flooding.
- Install and test bilge alarms to provide crews with an early warning of flooding.
- Prevent hull corrosion via regular oversight and maintenance.
- Account for hydrodynamic forces, which can reduce rudder effectiveness in narrow channels.
- Plan for current, which can create unique hazards in situations where limited space is available to maneuver.
“Most of the accidents we investigated were preventable,” NTSB says in the digest. “It is critical for owners, operators, mariners and vessel designers to keep in mind the circumstances of accidents aboard similar vessels while reviewing their own operations.”
