The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released ten safety recommendations for mariners, based on investigations of 34 maritime incidents last year. These incidents included capsizings, collisions, and machinery damage. The NTSB emphasizes that while each event is distinct, common factors emerged that can help prevent future accidents.
Key recommendations include implementing proper training and procedures to ensure compliance with regulations, determining adequate staffing levels for various operations, and maintaining alertness to combat fatigue and complacency. Additionally, mariners should ensure the integrity of diesel engine fuel oil return systems to prevent fires, follow industry practices to mitigate fire risks during maintenance, and maintain the watertight integrity of the vessel’s hull.
Other suggestions focus on installing and testing bilge alarms for early flood detection, preventing hull corrosion through regular maintenance, and accounting for hydrodynamic forces that can affect maneuverability in narrow channels. The NTSB stresses the importance of learning from past incidents, stating, “Most of the accidents we investigated were preventable.” They urge vessel owners, operators, and designers to consider the circumstances of similar accidents in their operational reviews.
