One of the fundamental principles of safety management is that all incidents and accidents are preventable. Therefore, it is important to ensure that if there is an accident or incident the causes are thoroughly investigated and measures are taken to prevent recurrence. 

The Hong Kong Marine Department has issued Merchant Shipping Information Note regarding a fatal fall on slippery deck. A bosun of a Hong Kong registered bulk carrier fell down on deck and died shortly while he was checking and closing the hatch covers after finishing the loading of coal cargo. This note draws the attention of Shipowners, Ship Managers, Ship Operators, Masters, Officers and Crew to the lessons learnt from this accident.

On Thursday or Friday a group of shipowners, suppliers, classification company representatives, and consultants will enter the bowels of Emma Maersk, which has been drained. This marks the beginning of the process to place the responsibility for the damage sustained to the ship. ShippingWatch has learned that a new theory is in play.

On a tanker on passage, the fire alarm suddenly sounded. At the same time, the engine room crew saw small flames and smoke rising from the after exhaust manifold and cylinder heads of the running main engine. After extinguishing the localised fire, it was discovered that hydraulic oil from the cargo pump system had leaked from a flange connection in the vent/overflow line situated directly above the main engine cylinder head platform.

In the last week of November 2012 the 91st session of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) was held at the IMO in London. The topics for this session were amendments to the SOLAS convention covering new requirements for passenger vessels, the Code for noise levels on board ships, procedures for recovery of persons from the water, requirements for on board drills related to fire fighting and furthermore piracy, goal-based standards and the approval of circulars from other subcommittees.

Twelve months on from the Costa Concordia incident, a new Allianz report identifies that 106 ship losses were reported worldwide in the 12 months to November 25 2012 - up from 91 ships the previous year but a 27 percent decrease on the ten year average of 146 ships per annum.

In the past four years, 153 marine accidents have occurred off the Indian coast and 66 people have died in these mishaps. In a written reply in Lok Sabha on Monday, shipping minister G K Vasan said seven people died in such accidents in 2009 while the toll was 24 this year. The reply said 78 ships involved in accidents had Indian flags. The nature of casualty included accidental death, collision, man overboard, fire, loss of ship and sinking

A general cargo ship arrived with an import cargo that was stacked high on the hatch covers, exposing a large lateral wind area. A strong offshore wind was blowing during the final approach to the berth (starboard side to) with a pilot on board, but it had been already decided that the docking could be safely completed without tug assistance.

IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), meeting at the Organization's London Headquarters for its 91st session from 26 to 30 November 2012, agreed that rules to require passenger safety drills to take place prior to, or immediately upon, departure should be made mandatory, in the wake of the Costa Concordia incident.