IIMS February 2024 News Bulletin
Below is a 'lite' selection of some of the key stories that you will find in the full February News Bulletin.
Thought for the month. A belated New Year’s Resolution.
Time to review your Terms and Conditions?
By Karen Brain, Matrix Insurance Services Ltd.
We all know that we should from time to time review our business terms and conditions, so why not make it one of your New Year's resolutions as we enter February?
A good reason to check and update your business terms and conditions is that the contents may need to change and can affect your insurance premiums as well, and should reflect your real risk for your own financial security.
On a couple of related points, did you know that you should advise your insurers of any change of business terms and conditions as you normally require confirmation from them that they accept the change of risk? Also, it is often a requirement of insurance policies that you make your client aware of your standard terms and conditions in writing prior to accepting the job, which is always good practice in any event. The number of claims we see where surveyors think they have incorporated their terms and conditions in the contract between them and their client and they have not has been growing.
So, this month take some time to review your business terms and conditions, and don’t forget to make sure your clients know they exist and apply to your work for them.
A series of fires on recreational vessels in Australia have been linked to lithium-ion battery powered devices
Lithium-ion battery safety is in the news again. Responding to this emerging safety issue for boat owners, Nautilus Marine Insurance has interviewed a panel of independent experts for an article in the latest issue of Nautilus Marine Magazine to share their technical advice.
Commenting on the lithium-ion battery safety initiative Lyndon Turner, CEO of Nautilus Marine Insurance and Publisher of Nautilus Marine Magazine, said “Nautilus Marine Insurance sees the safety of boat owners as our number one priority. We recognise the desire of boat owners and those in the wider marine industry to learn more about the safety issues surrounding the use of lithium-ion batteries on board vessels. So, we saw it as a responsible initiative to interview a range of experts to share their technical advice around lithium-ion battery safe practices.”
The nine-page lithium-ion battery safety article features in a recent issue of Nautilus Marine Magazine. Those interviewed within Nautilus Marine Magazine include Dr Adam Best (CSIRO), Matt Ruwald (AllMarine Power Solutions), Michael Lieberman (Marine Surveyor and Loss Adjustor) and Warren Damm (Technical Sales Director at NAVICO).
In his interview, Dr Best states that “lithium-ion batteries are statistically a very safe technology” and that fires caused by lithium-ion batteries are also a statistically rare event. However, the issues lie in the scale and intensity of such fires, and the problems associated with putting them out, commenting that “these factors are creating a lot of recent awareness, concern, and in some cases even hysteria, around lithium-ion battery safety.”
Read the much longer article in the full news bulletin.
Enclosed spaces on ships claim the lives of eight people in one week
With eight deaths in a week at the end of 2023 as a result of enclosed spaces on ships, InterManager has called on the shipping industry to work together to improve safety in these challenging onboard areas.
Three seafarers and five shore workers died over one week in accidents in enclosed spaces on ships, bringing this year’s known deaths to a total of 31, although the reporting process can be slow. InterManager, the international trade association for the ship and crew management sector, keeps records of these incidents on behalf of the wider shipping community, sharing them with regulators in its role as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
These statistics reveal that since 1996 310 people lost their lives in enclosed spaces on ships – 224 seafarers and 86 shore personnel in 197 accidents. “We have crew members and shore workers placed under unrealistic time pressures to conduct high-risk tasks such as tank cleaning, and we have confusing instructions which vary from ship to ship as to what procedures and protocols must be followed”, said InterManager Secretary General, Captain Kuba Szymanski. Furthermore, he noted it’s not enough to blame the seafarers and offer additional training. Accident investigations must delve deeper into why people make the decisions they do and examine what external pressures impact those decisions. And ship architects and builders must work harder to design out these hazardous spaces where possible. No one should lose their life doing their job.
AMSA issues warning of counterfeit pilot ladders
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has issued a Pilot Advisory Note advising coastal pilots and pilotage providers about the existence of counterfeit pilot ladders and associated certifications. In March 2019, one of AMSA’s Port Marine Surveyors identified a pilot ladder onboard a vessel that appeared to be non-compliant with the pilot transfer requirements. The associated inspection certificate presented at the time of the AMSA inspection suggested that the ladder was made by Qingdao Good Brother Marine Life Saving Appliance.
China Classification Society (CCS) was subsequently asked to carry out an investigation with the manufacturer. The reply received from CCS indicated that another company had apparently purchased ladders manufactured by the Qingdao Good Brother Marine Life-Saving Appliance. This company then copied the product and created fake certification for it. They then sold the counterfeit products to customers who thought they were purchasing the genuine item. CCS also indicated that the fake pilot ladder inspection certificate did not include various anti-counterfeiting features and marks of authenticity which are included in genuine CSS marine product and type approval certificates.
Product recall for two Mercury outboard engines
The UK’s Office for Product Safety and Standards has issued a product recall for Top Cowl Assembly in Mercury Marine V6 and V8 outboard engines, which present a risk of injuries. The product has been recalled due to the potential for fingers to enter the top cowl air vents on some engine models.
To prevent this, Mercury Marine is offering a bezel assembly to cover the top cowl air vents. Installation of the bezel assembly is required on all sold and unsold products. Mercury Marine says it has contacted all registered owners advising them of the issue and that they should contact an authorised dealer to schedule a service appointment to enable the bezel assembly to be fitted.
领英推荐
Announcing Electrika 2024
Electrika 2024 is a brand new and unique experience for anyone interested in electric narrowboating. Over the last few years, a near-silent revolution has been taking place, as a new generation of electric-propelled, hybrid narrowboats have been launched and cruised on UK waterways.
Adoption has been slowly gathering momentum, but finding good information is difficult, even at national boat shows. Electrika aims to provide a meeting point for early adopters, manufacturers, and potential new owners to share information and real-life experiences of this exciting new technology.
Electrika will take place on 3 and 4 May 2024 at Aquavista’s UK Brinklow Waterside & Marina, whose central location, facilities, and enthusiastic management team made it the obvious choice for the UK’s first-ever event, dedicated solely to electric narrowboats.
Paris MoU embraces Focus Inspection Campaigns as a strategic move for enhanced safety
Paris MoU has announced that it will start to implement short targeted inspection campaigns referred to as Focus Inspection Campaigns (FIC). Up to now, a similar approach has been followed by AMSA which conducts FICs on specific selected topics targeting specific Ship Types.
This is an alternative approach to Concentrated Inspection Campaigns (CiC). Paris MoU conducted the first (trial) FIC during summer 2023 (10th July – 9th August), focusing on Pilot Transfer Arrangements. After completion of the trials, the results with regards to implementation and effectiveness will be assessed and, on this basis, further decisions will be made on inspection campaigns and their format.
Part of the trial also involves the assessment of whether or not to announce the inspection campaign in advance. In this respect, ships and operators MAY NOT be warned of the Focus Inspection Campaign.
Results of Trial Focus Inspection Campaign
The purpose of the Campaign was to verify whether the Pilot Transfer Arrangements on board the ships inspected were fulfilling the SOLAS requirements. A total of 1,262 Port State Control inspections were carried out, during which 100 ships were found with one or more deficiencies with the Pilot Transfer Arrangements. Deficiencies found indicated that:
- when requested by Port State Control Officers to demonstrate, pilot ladders were not properly rigged to allow pilots to embark and disembark safely. On several occasions it was found that the weight of the ladder was not taken by its strongest point but, for example, by the steps:
- pilot ladders were damaged and/or not properly maintained;
- identification of ladders and record keeping of surveys and repairs were missing.
200 boats suffer damage from 130mph tornado at a Tennessee marina
Late last year, an EF2 tornado with winds of 130mph tore through 30 miles of Tennessee leaving in its wake major damage to docks and boats at the Anchor High Marina on the Cumberland River and Old Hickory Lake in the town of Hendersonville.
“We’ve been here 17 years and I’ve never seen anything like this,” owner Mitch Miller told WZTV-TV. “We lost boats on A row. A lot of them are bashed up on B row. Some on C but all in all for what came through here, I feel like we’re actually almost lucky,” he said.
Safety protocols for managing methane emission risks in coal cargoes
According to Gitana R?yset, Claims Executive, Arendal, global coal consumption climbed to an all-time high in 2022 and is on track for a record-breaking 2023 and 2024.
This article refers to the safety measures needed to reduce the risk of fire and explosion when dealing with coal cargo. Gard highlights that coal is a fossil fuel with varying properties, depending on its source and handling before it is loaded aboard ship. Some coals can self-heat, and some emit methane – characteristics that can create fire and explosion risks to the crew, vessel and cargo. Gard has had several cases involving problematic coal cargoes, particularly those originating in Indonesia.
Although people involved in this trade are mindful of the risks of self-heating and the potential to emit methane, the particular focus in this article is how to deal with a cargo that is both self-heating and emitting methane and how to monitor for both conditions.
Read the much longer article in the full news bulletin.
The passing of Capt Purnendu Shorey is announced
It is with sadness that IIMS has received news of the untimely death of Capt Purnendu Shorey MIIMS. A charismatic man, he was an active member of the IIMS India Branch Committee. IIMS would like to send condolences to his widow, children, family, and friends. RIP Purnendu.
That's all for this month. The above news stories are just a taster - there's so much more to read in the full news bulletin. Click to download the bulletin in pdf format.