Preparedness

In the Gulf Region, the President of the Gulf-Intracoastal Canal Association (GICA), Paul Dittman, chairs the Joint Hurricane Task Force (JHT) alongside co-chairs including an Eighth Coast Guard District representative and representatives from each of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Coast Districts, as well as key industry personnel with direct responsibility for hurricane preparedness and response operations. The JHT meets annually to review and update the response protocol, which outlines the roles and responsibilities of the USCG, USACE, NOAA, States, and the inland marine industry and defines the process that must be followed to secure impacted waterways before storms and restore them quickly afterward. It complements - but does not replace - existing USCG and USACE hurricane plans, and relevant sections may be incorporated into federal, state, and local response plans.

A JHT meeting is scheduled for May 29 at the Port of New Orleans. To learn more or to attend, contact Paul Dittman.

Following a presentation of the group's first six months of work, review of program submissions, and discussion on the challenges and importance of ensuring moveable bridges operate safely and efficiently, the AWO Moveable Bridge Working Group has published a template for a safe bridge transit policy. This new resource is available exclusively for AWO members. You can download it in the AWO Resources Library.

This resource includes points that should be covered in all bridge transit procedures as well as information on what to do when a member experiences a near miss at a moveable bridge in support of the AWO Movable Bridge Quality Partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, which was chartered to support recording of moveable bridges issues and events, including:

• Delayed or incomplete openings
• Poor communication with bridge tenders
• Early closures
• Slow response to approaching vessels
• Inoperative lights
• Any other navigation safety concerns

To report events by email, please use the AWO Bridge Event Repording Form or copy bridges@americanwaterways.com on emails to the Coast Guard when using district forms to report delays, such as this D9 form. For more information, contact Liam Morcroft.

OSHA to Hold Public Hearing on Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Standard Proposal

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will hold an informal public hearing on its proposed Heat Injury and Illness Standard on June 16.

The proposed rule would apply to workers subject to OSHA's authority, which includes shipyard workers, shoreside maintenance personnel, and many other industrial workers; however, the rule would not apply to mariners working aboard inspected vessels due to OSHA's Memorandum of Understanding with the Coast Guard, which defines the limits of OSHA's authority over the occupational safety and health of seamen.

In December 2024, AWO submitted comments urging OSHA to reexamine requirements at two proposed trigger points, including those for recordkeeping, work sites, training, monitoring, acclimatization, breaks, and emergency response procedures. Read AWO's comments here. If you would like to provide comments at the upcoming hearing, you must register by May 2.

For more information, please contact Lillie Wightman.

Thank you to everyone who supports the SSRP with timely submissions! If you have questions, issues, or suggestions for program improvement, please email safety@americanwaterways.com.

Your work at Signal Mutual exposes you to many different organizations. In your experience, what impact does a strong culture of safety have on an organization's success? Can you share any examples - good, bad, or otherwise?

A strong culture of safety significantly contributes to an organization's overall success by fostering trust, improving efficiency, and reducing incidents that can lead to costly downtime or reputational damage. A sustainable culture is built with strong leadership visibility and engagement with employees, both of which are essential to building trust and encouraging employee involvement and commitment. When safety is a true company value, employees feel valued themselves and are more likely to be engaged and committed to their work. This often leads to higher morale, increased productivity, and lower turnover rates. From my experience, teams that emphasize and truly demonstrate their personal commitment to safety tend to communicate more effectively and collaborate better, knowing that their well-being is a shared responsibility.

I once worked for a company where a culture of regular leadership engagement and daily safety briefings, use of stop work authority, open reporting of near-misses, and proactive risk assessments were not only the norm, but rewarded and visibly celebrated. As a result, we operated for over three years without a recordable or lost-time incident, which boosted employee pride and enhanced the company's reputation with clients and stakeholders.

On the other hand, I've seen environments where safety was treated as a checkbox item. In one case, problems with safety culture, lack of training and unclear protocols led to a serious injury that could have been prevented. The incident caused a drop in team morale, production delays, and increased scrutiny from prospective clients and regulators, making winning future work a real challenge. More importantly, it forever adversely changed the lives of the affected employee and his family.

Ultimately, a strong safety culture isn't just about avoiding accidents, it's a cornerstone of operational excellence.

What are some of the safety-related challenges your customers and partners face today, and what actions can safety managers take now to address these challenges?

These days, we face a range of safety-related challenges driven by evolving regulations, workforce dynamics, and advancements in the tech and AI sector. One major challenge is managing a multi-generational workforce with varying levels of safety knowledge and expectations. Younger employees tend to be more tech-savvy but lack hands-on experience, while seasoned workers may resist new safety technologies or protocol. As leaders, we must learn how to leverage each generation's strengths and invest in ongoing, tailored training that accommodates different learning styles and experience levels. What is often forgotten is that as safety professionals, we are in in the people business - motivating them and enlisting their support and expertise to accomplish organizational goals and objectives is what we do. This is always the most challenging part of any leadership role.

Another key challenge is data management-many organizations have a hard time turning safety data into actionable insights.  We collect stacks of incident reports, inspection logs, and audit results, but lack the tools or processes to use those important leading indicators effectively. The use of safety management software and analytics platforms can make your data more accessible and can even help lay out a plan to reduce frequency of incidents. Simply collecting data that is not used to help identify and mitigate risks is a lost opportunity to fundamentally improve your business.

Lastly, high-stress environments, burnout, and a lack of open communication channels can undermine physical safety efforts if not addressed. Foster a culture of well-being by incorporating wellness programs and assistance programs, and by ensuring that leaders are sufficiently trained for their roles. Leadership training is not something that is traditionally offered for new leaders but as its importance is realized, an increasing number of companies are adopting this tool to help with communication, employee wellness, and morale.

You have been highly successful in your career! Can you share how you came to work in marine risk and any advice you have for someone considering the maritime transportation industry as a career?

My first role was immediately after graduating college at a shipyard building naval vessels, where I gained valuable hands-on experience in maritime operations and learned how to manage complex safety challenges in a high-risk environment. From there, I transitioned into safety consulting, working with a wide range of industries - including maritime operations, chemical plants, and manufacturing facilities. Each industry brought its own unique risks and regulations, and that diversity really helped me grow as a safety professional. Ultimately, I found myself drawn back to the maritime industry, where I now work as a Senior Safety Manager for Signal Mutual.

For anyone considering a career in maritime safety, I'd say it's a field full of opportunities if you're someone who enjoys solving complex problems, adapting to changing environments, and working with diverse teams. Start by building a solid foundation in maritime safety principles and industry regulations and try to get as much hands-on experience as possible. The maritime industry is fast-paced and ever-evolving, so being flexible and open to continuous learning is crucial. Also, don't underestimate the value of communication, networking, and relationship-building through groups like AWO - effective safety depends on collaboration at every level. Like many things in life, teamwork is essential for progress and success - build relationships in all directions throughout your business and with peers in the industry.

USCG Announces Monthly Investigation and Findings of Concern Email

The U.S. Coast Guard has announced that it will be sharing a new monthly notice of reports of investigation and findings of concern, published on its Office of Investigations & Casualty Analysis site. To sign up for email notifications, please use one of the following links to request your contact be added to the distribution list:

• USCG Report of Investigation
• USCG Findings of Concern
• Both Lists

March 2025 Investigations and Findings of Concern

In March, the Coast Guard published the following reports of investigation on its Marine Casualty Reports site and Findings of Concern on its Findings of Concern site:

• U.S. Coast Guard Report of Investigation: Loss of Life While Diving from the Small Passenger Vessel NIUHI (O.N. 1093374) at the Brass Wreck Dive Site, 20 Nautical Miles Southeast of Pensacola, Florida on October 6, 2023
• U.S. Coast Guard Report of Investigation: Loss of Life Onboard the Offshore Supply Vessel RED STAG (O.N. 1251769) in Port Fourchon, Louisiana on October 14, 2023
• U.S. Coast Guard Findings of Concern 004-25: Parasail Vessel Equipment Installation
• U.S. Coast Guard Findings of Concern 005-25: Overheating Diesel Exhaust Fluid Dosing Modules on Tier 4 Engines

Coast Guard and BSEE Issue Safety Alerts

The U.S. Coast Guard and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement have published three safety alerts in recent months. Visit the links to learn more about each one:

• BSEE Safety Alert 499 - Failed Umbilical Termination Results in Dropped Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV)
• BSEE Safety Alert 498 - Explosion and Fire on Liftboat Injure Workers - BSEE Calls for Enhanced Safety Measures and Emergency Preparedness
• USCG Safety Alert 09-25 - Donning of Viking PS2006 Immersion Suits

Stakeholders are urged to review these alerts in detail to enhance safety measures and prevent incidents. Please contact Michael Breslin for more information.

National Transportation Safety Board Issues Marine Casualty Investigation Reports

NTSB MIR-25-09

• On January 4, 2024, a towing vessel pushing a crane barge transited the Cooper River near North Charleston, South Carolina. While maneuvering between the dredge Brunswick and the docked containership Celsius Nicosia, the barge's crane mast struck a ship-to-shore crane extending over the water. The NTSB attributed the incident to the mate's failure to recognize the overhead hazard posed by the crane. The collision caused over $4.5 million in damage.

NTSB MIR-25-10 Safeguarding Bridges from Vessel Strikes

• As initially reported in the March 28 edition of the AWO Letter, the NTSB has released an interim investigation concerning the allision of the containership, Dali, with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in March 2024. The report includes a vulnerability assessment that revealed the FSK Bridge's risk of collapse from a vessel collision was nearly 30 times above acceptable limits.

The report also includes recommendations urging bridge owners, the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take immediate action to improve conditions and reduce risk for 68 other bridges across the United States that share a similar risk profile as the FSK Bridge. The agency recommends vulnerability assessments and the development of risk reduction plans to prevent future catastrophic failures.

For more details on either of these NTSB reports or to see the list of 68 at-risk bridges, read the full NTSB report or contact Liam Morcroft.

AWO will hold its next HERO Award ceremony on August 14 in Chicago during the AWO Summer Safety Meeting.Each event is recognized with a certificate of recognition for the vessel, a HERO Award Coin for each mariner, and a complimentary one-year marine license and liability insurance policy offered by 360 Coverage Pros & Berkley Offshore.

Congratulations to this month's recipients of the American Waterways HERO Award!

• Marquette Transportation Company - Vessel/Facility Myra Eckstein on 3/11/2025

For more information about the HERO Award Program, contact Michael Breslin.

The New Orleans Harbor Safety Committee's Industry Day is happening this year on May 22 at Higgins Hotel New Orleans. These annual conferences bring together government and industry leaders in the region served by the Greater New Orleans Harbor Safety Committee. To register for the meeting, contact Christine.Titus@LouisianaMaritime.org.

A full list of Harbor Safety Committees is available in NVIC 01-25. If your Harbor Safety Committee has an event coming up that you would like to advertise, please reach out to safety@americanwaterways.com.

Recreational Boating Safety Working Group News

AWO's Recreational Boating Safety Working Group gave a presentation on waterways safety at The International Boating and Waterways Safety Summit (IBWSS) this week in Glendale, AZ. The presentation focused on basic considerations for boaters on multiuse waterways, including the dangers of barge fleets, wakes, line of sight limitations, procedures for making and executing passings, communications, lights, and other safety principles that every boater should know before operating a vessel on a navigable waterway.

The IBWSS presentation is based on a PowerPoint presentation and Script that can be customized by AWO members who would like to deliver a boating safety presentation at their next Harbor Safety Committee meeting or other boating safety event.

To learn more about the Recreational Boating Safety Working group or the resources being produced, contact Liam Morcroft.

Terminal Near Miss Report for Tankering and Barge Operations Subcommittee

AWO's Tankering and Barge Operations Subcommittee has implemented its plan to collect and review near misses at terminals. The program asks tankering companies to send in near misses that occur at terminals using AWO's simple and secure High-Value Near Miss Form.

All near misses are reviewed by AWO staff to remove names and identifying information before being presented to the Tankering and Barge Operations Steering Committee to determine a plan of action for each issue.

A summary of recent submissions is included below. Some of these items have already been made safe; some have not. To learn more about the status of these near misses, the Terminal Near Miss Collection Program, or the Tankering and Barge Operations Subcommittee, please contact Lillie Wightman.

MEMBER-SUBMITTED NEAR MISS 25.02.27-01T: Exxon Mobil

Exxon Mobil Chemical Beaumont Dock is set up with six 8-foot drum type reels with 8-inch rubber asphalt hoses that do not flex. The size and setup of the hoses makes it difficult to work with them. Because of this, it is easy to damage a gasket or sustain an ergonomic injury when connecting and disconnecting cargo and vapor recovery hoses.

MEMBER-SUBMITTED NEAR MISS 25.02.27-02T: Marathon Texas City

The gangway at Marathon Texas City Dock 38 has a hazard in the walkway that forces the barge person in charge (PIC) and other visitors to the barge to step on old, rusty piping to gain access to the gangway. This is especially dangerous when there is inclement weather.

MEMBER-SUBMITTED NEAR MISS 25.02.27-03T: Black Water Harvey

The dock at Black Water Harvey on the Lower Mississippi River Mile at LMR 98 was found to be unsafe upon inspection by the attending Barge PIC performing a transfer operation recently. The Barge PIC used stop work authority to ask that a new gangway be installed. The terminal agreed and replaced the first gangway; however, the replacement was unsafe as well. The barge PIC again called for a replacement, and the third gangway was installed and used without further incident.  Issues identified for the first two gangways include:

• The first gangway was too short, which created a very steep incline.
• The first gangway had a broken support beam on one side.
• The second gangway was broken in the area where it would be tied off, preventing the gangway from being properly secured to both the dock and the barge.

A third gangway was brought out that was determined to be safe for access/egress.

MEMBER-SUBMITTED NEAR MISS 25.02.15-01T: Exxon Baytown Dock 2

The gangway has been missing handrails for some time now. The buddy system must be used to access the barge.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. AWO is working alongside the National Safety Council and thousands of organizations across the country to highlight it, focusing on ways we can all limit distracted driving to create safer roads. Check out these materials to help us all stay safe:

• Watch and share this short video of Survivor and Advocate Stories
• Take this quiz to test your knowledge about distracted driving
• Share these posters with your colleagues and family to promote safe driving habits - click to download.

The Oil Companies International Marine Forum has published its March 2025 Member News. The newsletter discusses progress made in development of the SIRE 2.0 program, publications recently released by OCIMF, IMO news, and more. Read or download the newsletter on OCIMF's website.

AWO is promoting Boating Safety Week again this year through our participation in Wear Your Life Jacket at Work Day on May 16 to kick off Safe Boating week, which begins May 17 and runs through May 23.

Don't use social media? Email photos to safety@americanwaterways.com. Use the subject line "Life Jacket at Work Pictures" to be sure your pictures are included in AWO's posts!

AWO Members enjoy a 50% discount for this meeting and may qualify for discounted NSC membership:

• Registration for AWO Members who are also NSC Members is $32.50: NSC Members
• Registration for AWO Members who are not NSC members is $50.00: Non-NSC Members

For more information, please contact Michael Breslin or Jessica Pack at the National Safety Council.

Taking a page from the award-winning rapper's highly vocal safety attitude, Harbor Towing & Fleeting, Inc. recently shared Ice Cube's sentiments in a Safety Bulletin sent to its crews recently. Check out their message and share it with your crews to promote professionalism and accountability within your organization.

Safety Bulletin: Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself