2023 USCG-AWO Safety Partnership Annual Report

For almost 30 years, the Coast Guard-AWO Safety Partnership’s National Quality Steering Committee has been tracking overall trends in towing industry safety and environmental protection. In the most recent report, compiled by the Coast Guard Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis, the 2022 crewmember fatality rate per 100,000 full-time employees (FTE) is the second lowest ever recorded by the Partnership. Four towing vessel crewmembers died in incidents related to towing vessel operations in 2022, according to the Partnership’s report. Two of the fatalities were attributable to a fall into water, one was the result of being struck by a line, and one was due to being struck by a suspended load during crane operations. The report also shows that 3,109 gallons of oil were spilled from tank barges in 2022, which is – for the second year running – the lowest spill volume recorded by the Partnership since 2010 and the second lowest ever. The tank barge spill rate for 2022 is only 0.05 gallons of oil, or less than one cup, per million gallons transported. The report also includes the number and severity of towing vessel casualties and towing vessel crewmember injuries.