TVIB News

SUBCHAPTER M: USCG Accepting Applications for Endorsements of Tankerman Person In Charge (PIC) Restricted to Fuel Transfers on Towing Vessels

08/04/2017 – Reproduced from notice written by Captain Kirsten R. Martin

The Coast Guard is now accepting applications for Tankerman PIC Restricted to Fuel Transfers on Towing Vessels. A new checklist and sample sea service letter are available on the NMC website to assist mariners with these applications.

CG-MMC Policy Letter 01-17, Guidelines for Issuing Endorsements for Tankerman PIC Restricted to Fuel Transfers on Towing Vessels, was published on March 10, 2017, and provides additional information for employers and mariners. Endorsements will be issued in accordance with the provisions for a restricted tankerman endorsement (46 CFR 13.111(a)), in order to meet the requirement of 33 CFR 155.710(e)(1).

Questions or feedback on the policy should be directed to MMCPolicy@uscg.mil. The status of individual applications can be determined by contacting the NMC Customer Service Center using Live Chat, by calling 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662), or via e-mail to IASKNMC@uscg.mil.

Click here to access the full NMC notification document.

 

Upcoming Training Opportunities

Annual Surveyor of Towing Vessels (ASTV) – 4-Day Course

This course is intended for those persons seeking to perform Internal or External Annual Surveys of Towing Vessels under Subchapter M.

  • August 22-25 in Houston, TX
  • September 12-15 in Charleston, WV
  • October 17-20 in St. Louis, MO

Course Information and Registration


ISO Lead Auditor 5-Day Course taught by Quality Management International, Inc. (QMII)

  • September 11-15 in Mandeville, LA

This course is intended for those persons seeking certification as a Lead Auditor for Subchapter M and the AWO RCP.

TVIB has partnered with QMII in this course designed to help you learn the requirements of ISO 9001 and how to relate the requirements to your business management system. This course gives the tools necessary to conduct and lead process and system audits to determine conformity to ISO 9001.  It also provides an understanding of how process-based management systems are responsible for ensuring customer requirements are determined and consistently fulfilled over time. The instructor incorporates three basic principles: audits should benefit both parties; audits focus on process and system effectiveness (beyond mere conformity) with respected to agreed audit criteria; and auditors should use the process approach to audit both documented and undocumented processes to determine system effectiveness.

TVIB has negotiated a discounted rate of $1,256 per person to attend this course (the regular fee for this course is $1,795 per person) This course is not being offered directly through TVIB so the TVIB Member Discount does not apply. Registration will process through QMII directly.
Registration

Should the above direct register link not work please use the following link and be sure to enter the code TVIB9001_SEP17 for a TVIB discount on their regular course fees.
Alternate Registration Link

Registrants can also call the QMII office for any assistance with registration at 888-357-9001.  If you do contact QMII directly, be sure to mention TVIB when registering for the course in Mandeville, LA.

TVIB has contracted with the Comfort Suites in Covington, LA to secure a group rate ($89 per night plus tax) for those who may need to make hotel arrangements.  The hotel is located approximately 8 miles from the training facility at the following address: Comfort Suites, 30 Louis Prima Drive, Covington, LA 70433, 985-809-1234. Please call the hotel directly at the number listed above and ask for the front desk (NOT central booking) to book your room.  You need to ask for the QMII ISO Course discounted rate. You must book your room no later than August 28, 2017 to take advantage of the group rate.


Marine Internal Lead Auditor (MILA) – 2-Day Course

This course is intended for those persons that wish to perform internal audits under Subchapter M.

  • September 12-13 in Paducah KY
  • October 17-18 in Houston, TX

46 CFR 138.310(d)(2) requires that persons performing internal audits complete an ANSI/ISO/ASQ Q9001-2000 or ISO 9001:2008(E) (incorporated by reference, see § 136.112 of this subchapter) internal auditor/assessor course or Coast Guard-recognized equivalent.

ACTSafe Training (joint venture of SafeMARINER and the ACTion group) had this course audited by a recognized third-party registrar and submitted it to the U.S. Coast. The U.S. Coast Guard has deemed this course as a “Coast Guard-recognized equivalent” in order to satisfy the requirements of 46 CFR 138.310(d)(2).

Course Information and Registration

 

 

 

SAFETY ALERT: CO2 Hazards

07/17/2017 – Reposted from USCG Safety Alert

Editor’s note: The Office of Investigations and Analysis online Marine Safety Alert library is currently undergoing migration to a new server and is temporarily unavailable. Until the library is back on line, Maritime Commons will post the full text of all Marine Safety Alerts so that our readers continue to receive important safety information.

During two recent vessel inspections Coast Guard marine inspectors participated in and witnessed occasions where the testing and maintenance of a CO2 system resulted in serious safety threats that could have easily led to loss of lives. The incidents included an accidental release in the space where a sensor was being tested that nearly resulted in a fatality and another situation where CO2 came close to being released without warning into an occupied engine room space after errors were made during routine system maintenance. CO2 fire extinguishing systems present an inherent risk to the personnel involved with their inspection, testing, and maintenance. Over the years the Coast Guard has become aware of multiple events where these systems have inadvertently released or leaked and caused the deaths of shipboard personnel, technicians and inspection personnel. CO2 system inspection, testing, and maintenance require thoughtful planning and risk mitigation efforts to prevent such events from happening.

In the first instance, the vessel’s chief mate and a Coast Guard inspector were testing the fire detection system. The mate and inspector went to the vessel’s hydraulic equipment room and the mate stood on a spare parts box in order to apply a heat gun to the heat actuator. The CO2 subsequently discharged directly above their heads and filled the room. The mate was overcome by the CO2 release and had to be revived by CPR after being pulled out of the space unconscious.

The problem was that the mate directed the heat to a “heat actuator” and not a “heat temperature transmitter.” The photo of a heat temperature transmitterdifference between these components is substantial. The detector is connected by wires to the monitoring system on the bridge while the release actuator directly connects to its local CO2 system through tubing. The heat actuator when heated creates a slight pressure in the tubing immediately activating the pneumatic control head of the CO2 bottle, releasing CO2 into the space without delay or warning.

Crewmembers were unfamiliar with the vessel’s system and had not referred to the associated manuals. Thus, their testing of the system was conducted without an understanding of the impacts of their actions, placing them and the Coast Guard inspectors at risk.photo of CO2 system heat actuator

In a second unrelated event, an inspection for certification involving four inspectors was taking place while technicians were working on the CO2 system. A Coast Guard inspector in the machinery space was told that CO2 technicians were going to release the CO2, which was not part of the planned inspection. He was informed that the system became accidently primed for release when the pilot system was activated by a technician in training. As the technician was reconnecting the cable actuated release levers attached to the tops of the bottles, the activation cables remained connected to the levers. When the bottles were moved later in the servicing process, the cable tension increased to the point where the levers were lifted resulting in the release of charged bottles against a closed valve which prevented immediate release into the space.

The technicians ultimately decided they needed to release the entire engine room CO2 system to remedy the situation. They communicated their intentions to the vessel’s engineers, who performed an accountability of all personnel in the space. However, their count was incorrect as they missed a Coast Guard inspector who was still in the engine room. Only after the inspector’s partner realized his associate was missing was another more thorough sweep of the engine room made and the missing inspector found. Even after clearing the engine room the situation remained hazardous as various personnel stood by in the engine control room while the gas was released. After realizing the magnitude of the CO2 being released, the personnel in the control room evacuated to the vessel’s main deck and no further entry was made into the engine room until the fire department ruled it safe for human occupancy.

As a result of inadequate accountability measures and hazard communications, the safety of crew members and a Coast Guard inspector was placed at risk.

The Coast Guard notes that both of these instances reflect a lack of knowledge and risk awareness by the persons involved. The Coast Guard strongly recommends that:

  • Only persons adequately trained and properly evaluated be permitted to participate in CO2 testing and maintenance procedures onboard vessels;
  • Every person involved must know and consider the resulting outcomes for each step of the testing procedure prior to it taking place; and
  • Risks associated with CO2 and other systems should never be underestimated. Risk prevention activities should always lean towards providing the greatest safety margins for those involved including 100% accountability of all personnel aboard the vessel prior to conducting an operational test of a system.

Coast Guard Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) 09-00: Change 1, Carbon Dioxide Fire Extinguishing System Safety contains additional CO2 safety and inspection information.

This safety alert is provided for informational purposes only and does not relieve any domestic or international safety, operational, or material requirements. Developed by the Investigations Division of Marine Safety Unit Portland, Coast Guard District 13 Prevention Division and the Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis. Questions may be sent to HQS-PF-fldr-CG-INV@uscg.mil.

The Coast Guard has previously released CO2 related safety alerts. Safety Alert 15-14 recommends conducting a comprehensive pre-test meeting and simulated step-by-step “walk-through” between involved parties prior to actual testing of complex or potentially confusing systems. Operational controls for those involved should be implemented to maximize safety and reduce risk. Additionally, the Coast Guard strongly reminds all maritime operators of the importance in performing regular vessel specific emergency drills and to ensure that all crewmembers have the proper knowledge, skills, and abilities to respond to any potential emergency.

Click here to read the full Safety Alert posted by the USCG.