Navigating to Zero - April 2026

The group began identifying common threats, barriers, and accountability gaps while working toward practical, consensus-based guidance for voluntary industry use. The Coalition plans to deliver a guidance document by Q1 2027 that will be agreed upon by vessel operators, tankering companies, terminals, and cargo owners (energy majors).

AWO will participate in this Coalition with members in the Falls Overboard Prevention Working Group and the Tankering and Barge Operations Subcommittee. Members who are interested in participating can request to join one of these working groups through the member portal or email workinggroups@americanwaterways.com.

Colorado State University Predicts 13 Named Storms in its 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook

Forecasters at Colorado State University expect the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season to be somewhat less active than normal. Weak La Nina conditions are likely to give way to El Nino in the coming months, and a moderate to strong El Nino could be in place during the peak of the season. Waters in the western tropical Atlantic are warmer than average, while the eastern and central tropical Atlantic are slightly cooler than normal. El Nino is expected to be the main influence this year, increasing vertical wind shear over the tropical Atlantic and making storm development less favorable. Even so, residents should prepare every year, because one landfalling hurricane can make any season dangerous.

For storm tracking tools, emergency preparation resources, and forecast updates, visit the National Hurricane Center's website. Please contact Michael Breslin with any questions.

NOAA Predicts Another Hot Summer

NOAA's Climate Prediction Center - Seasonal Outlook predicts summer 2026 will be warmer than normal across much of the United States. For coastal states, NOAA says the Gulf Coast and East Coast are likely to stay warmer than normal through much of the summer. Along the Mississippi River, the picture is more mixed. The Middle Mississippi Valley could see weaker heat signals later in summer, while areas farther south are more likely to stay hot.

Members are encouraged to plan ahead for hot days and prioritize heat safety measures, like:

• Providing plenty of drinking water and enforcing hydration rules;
• Scheduling regular breaks in shady and cool areas;
• Rescheduling labor-intensive operations (such as tow-building) to avoid peak-heat hours;
• Ensuring mariners are trained to monitor each other for signs of heat stress.

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 for offered by 360 Coverage Pros & Berkley Offshore. Congratulations to our most recent award winners!

Safety Leader Focus: Jim Smith -- Terral River Service's Director of Safety and Compliance

Jim Smith serves as Director of Safety and Compliance at Terral River Service. Before joining Terral in the Spring of 2025, he built more than two decades of experience in maritime safety, compliance, and operational leadership through service in the U.S. Coast Guard and leadership roles at Magnolia Marine Transport and E3 Environmental, and through service to AWO as Interregional Safety Committee Chairman, Southern Region Affiliate Board Member, and member of numerous safety working groups. Over the course of his career, Jim has earned broad respect for his contributions to strengthening safety culture, advancing compliance, and supporting operational excellence in the marine industry.

Culture can vary from company to company, and even from vessel to vessel, but all successful maritime organizations share one key thing: a strong culture of safety. From your experience, what are the biggest challenges to building and sustaining a culture of safety that is consistently reflected both on the vessels and ashore?

Many companies struggle with safety culture because building it requires change. It asks experienced captains, managers, and crews to recognize opportunities for improvement and confront bad habits that may feel normal simply because they have not yet led to a negative outcome.

This challenge is especially difficult in the maritime industry, where tradition plays a major role in how knowledge, skills, and expectations are passed from one generation to the next. In any top-down organization, culture change takes time. In maritime, it can take even longer because each vessel develops its own norms and operating habits. That makes it harder for senior leadership to drive a unified company culture and build trust in new expectations across every crew and operating environment.

I compare changing culture to losing weight. Early progress can come quickly, and those early wins are encouraging, but the real work begins after that. Sustaining change takes discipline, persistence, and long-term commitment. The hardest part often comes two or three years in, when the early progress is forgotten but the change is not yet complete. Managers must continue reinforcing cultural expectations through those difficult years until the new culture becomes the standard across the organization.

One way to measure progress during that change is through the use of key performance indicators (KPIs). KPIs may be company-wide, organized by type of work, or unique to each vessel, but in every case they should help measure progress, prevent incidents, and identify work processes that need closer review based on work as actually done, not just work as imagined. While a safety program may declare a goal of zero incidents, the KPIs that support that program must reflect manageable, measurable improvement over time. Move too quickly, and you risk losing the confidence of experienced mariners shaped by tradition. Move too slowly, and outdated practices remain in place. The key is a steady pace of practical, tested improvements that can be validated in the field before being applied more broadly across the fleet.

Over the course of your career, what approaches have you found most effective for encouraging safe behaviors, supporting continuous improvement, and creating an environment where people feel comfortable speaking up about risk?

In my experience, the best results come from a balance of clear expectations and open reporting. Some safety rules are absolute. If a violation has the potential to lead to a fatality, serious injury, or major incident, there has to be a firm line. But outside of those high-consequence issues, companies need systems that encourage people to report near misses, hazards, and concerns early so management can address them before they become larger problems.

That only works if leadership responds. If a crew member submits a near miss, hazard report, suggestion, or complaint, they need to see that someone reviewed it and took it seriously. We use an anonymous suggestion box for that reason. It gives employees a way to raise concerns, make suggestions, or point out issues without worrying about how it will be received. Some reports lead directly to change. Others may not be practical, but they still require a response. If people feel their input disappears into a black hole, they will stop reporting.

Management also has a responsibility to work through those inputs and identify the reports with real operational value. Not every report will point to a meaningful risk, but the most important near misses are the ones that can help prevent either high-consequence events, high-frequency events, or both. Those are the lessons that need to be elevated and shared across the fleet so the entire company can learn from a single event.

Trust is what holds the system together. If someone reports a hazard and then faces pushback from a captain, vessel manager, or supervisor, the system will fail quickly. People will stop reporting, and the company will lose visibility into the risks that exist in day-to-day operations. Protecting anonymity where appropriate, following up consistently, and acting on credible reports are what make the process work. When crews see that reporting leads to real fixes, better equipment, or safer work practices, they begin to see value in the system. That is when reporting becomes part of the operation, not just part of the policy.

For those just getting started in the maritime industry, what advice would you give to new mariners looking to build a strong and safe career?

My advice to a new mariner is simple: give it a fair chance. It often takes more than one hitch, and sometimes more than one vessel, to know whether this career is the right fit. I have seen people who did not look like an obvious match for vessel life become outstanding mariners, and I have seen others who seemed ready from day one struggle once they got onboard.

I would also encourage new mariners to be open with management about their experience. If a boat is not the right fit, that is worth saying. Honest feedback from a new employee can be valuable, and it can help place that person in an environment where they are more likely to succeed. This industry offers real opportunity for people who are willing to work hard, keep learning, and stick with it long enough to give it a fair shot.

OSHA Proposes Removing Installation Deadline for Certain Ladder Safety Systems

OSHA has proposed to remove a provision that sets a deadline (November 18, 2036) for the installation of personal fall arrest systems or ladder safety systems on all fixed ladders that extend more than 24 feet above a lower level. If the rule change passes, existing ladders would be allowed to remain unchanged until they require repair or replacement. Any new or replacement fixed ladders will require the installation of a personal fall arrest system or a ladder safety system other than a cage.

• This rule does not apply to ladders on vessels.
• This rule does not apply to ladders in shipyards, bulk dry terminals, or Ro-Ro operations.
• This rule does apply to most liquid terminals and workers governed by OSHA's "General" industry regulation for walking and working surfaces.

 To learn more or comment, please visit Walking-Working Surfaces or contact Mike Breslin.

Navigation Safety Data Upgrade for SSRP is LIVE

As of April 1, AWO's new Pilot Program for Navigation Safety Data is live, giving members a unique new way to compare safety performance with the addition of rates for allisions, collisions, and groundings. This improvement is the latest addition to a complete overhaul of the Safety Statistics Reporting Program, which has increased the value of the SSRP for members through a number of changes implemented in the past two years, including:

• Reduced download speeds from several minutes to seconds;
• Added severity indices to segregate critical and less severe injuries;
• Clarified terminology to align SSRP definitions with USCG regulations; and
• Created instant report showing which companies have contributed data.

Members are encouraged to enter their Q1 2026 SSRP data before April 30 using the AWO Safety Statistics Reporting Program Portal. Thank you to everyone who supports the SSRP with timely submissions. For questions or suggestions, please contact safety@americanwaterways.com.

National Transportation Safety Board Marine Casualty Investigation Reports

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) publishes investigation reports for marine, aviation, highway, railroad, pipeline, and hazardous materials incidents. Vessel incident reports released since the last edition of Navigating to Zero are summarized below.

• NTSB MIR-26-05 - Contact of Tanker Platanos with Martinez Refining Company Wharf Pier

On October 14, 2024, at about 4:12 a.m. local time, the crude oil tanker Platanos was undocking from the Martinez Refining Company Wharf near Martinez, California, when its port quarter struck a concrete dolphin and pier fender support panel. No injuries or pollution were reported. Damage to the vessel and pier was estimated at $500,229.

The NTSB found the probable cause was the pilot reversing the tug positions on his reference card and then giving each tug orders meant for the other during the undocking maneuver.

•  NTSB MIR-26-06 - Grounding of Bulk Cargo Carrier Algoma Verity

On January 8, 2025, at 6:13 p.m. local time, the dry bulk carrier Algoma Verity grounded outside the channel while transiting upbound on the Delaware River near Philadelphia. After repositioning, the vessel continued outside the channel and grounded again at 6:28 p.m., where it came to a stop. The vessel was refloated three days later. No injuries or pollution were reported. Damage was estimated at $6.6 million.

The NTSB found the probable cause was the pilot taking the vessel outside the channel into shallow water, likely influenced by expectation bias.

• NTSB MIR 26-07 - Grounding of Fishing Vessel Eileen Rita

On April 11, 2025, at 7:31 a.m. local time, the fishing vessel Eileen Rita grounded on Green Island in Massachusetts Bay, about 8 miles east of Boston. All three crewmembers were rescued, and no injuries were reported. A diesel sheen appeared after the grounding, and the vessel later sank with about 4,000 gallons of fuel on board. The vessel was declared a constructive total loss valued at $720,000.

The NTSB found the probable cause was the captain falling asleep at the helm due to fatigue caused by poor sleep and accumulated sleep debt over the previous 48 hours.

• NTSB MIR 26-08 - Engine Room Fire aboard Cargo Vessel Lem Verbena

On January 4, 2025, at about 11:23 p.m. local time, a fire broke out in the engine room of the bulk cargo vessel Lem Verbena while it was docked at the Alabama State Docks on the Mobile River in Mobile, Alabama. The 19 crewmembers on board activated the vessel's fixed carbon dioxide fire suppression system, and shoreside firefighters later confirmed the fire was out. No injuries or pollution were reported. Damage to the vessel was estimated at $5.5 million.

The NTSB found the probable cause was the failure of an O-ring seal in the composite boiler burner unit oil fittings block, which allowed pressurized diesel fuel to spray onto a nearby hot surface and ignite.

• NTSB MIR 26-09 - Engine Room Flooding aboard Sailing School Vessel Oliver Hazard Perry

On May 10, 2025, at about 10:00 p.m., the sailing school vessel Oliver Hazard Perry began taking on water while moored at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island. The flooding was discovered the next morning around 7:30 a.m. after an alarm sounded. About 21,000 gallons of seawater entered the engine room and forward auxiliary machine space. No injuries or pollution were reported. Damage was estimated at $1 million.

The NTSB found the probable cause was the failure of a seawater cooling pipe for a diesel-driven generator due to corrosion. Contributing factors included the lack of a bilge alarm annunciator in the crew accommodations and ineffective watertight boundaries that allowed flooding to spread.

• NTSB MIR 26-10 - Breakaway of Barges MPC 907 and MPC 644 and Subsequent Contact with Mooring Cells

On April 16, 2024, at about 4:45 a.m. local time, barges MPC 907 and MPC 644 broke free from their moorings at the Marathon Petroleum terminal on the Ohio River near Evansville, Indiana. The barges drifted about 1,500 feet downstream and struck mooring cells at the TransMontaigne terminal. The barges were later recovered with minor damage. No injuries or pollution were reported. Damage to the TransMontaigne dock was estimated at more than $2.5 million.

The NTSB found the probable cause was failure of the barges' mooring arrangement during high-water conditions, likely with debris in the river contributing to the breakaway.

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

Coast Guard Reports of Investigation and Findings of Concern

The U.S. Coast Guard offers a monthly email to alert stakeholders about new Reports of Investigation and Findings of Concern, published on its Office of Investigations & Casualty Analysis website. To request alerts, email HQS-SMB-CG-INV@uscg.mil.

Due to a lapse in federal funding, no new Reports of Investigation or Findings of Concern are available.

Stakeholders are urged to register for email alerts and check the Coast Guard's Office of Investigations & Casualty Analysis website often for new information, alerts, and details that may enhance safety measures and prevent incidents. Please contact Michael Breslin for more information.

Coast Guard and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement Safety Alerts

The U.S. Coast Guard and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement publish Safety Alerts on their websites on a regular basis. Alerts issued since last publication of the NTZ are listed below:

No new BSEE Safety Alerts have been issued since the last NTZ

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