Late last month, a drilling rig stationed off the Gulf of Mexico experienced a significant blowout. A cloud of gas surrounding the rig ignited and subsequently burned out of control in the wake of the blowout. After the rig experienced the blowout, all 44 workers stationed on the rig were…
Some kinds of accidents are completely preventable. If vessel owners, supervisors and maritime workers follow safety protocols, wear appropriate safety gear and respond to the unexpected in the ways that they have been trained to, tragedies can be averted. However, other accidents are only somewhat preventable. When it comes to…
In late May, we discussed some of the ways in which maritime operations can benefit from safety culture changes. The concept of cultural change involves far more than simply instituting revised safety policies devoid of context. Cultural change assumes that not only will policies, prevention measures, training and operations be…
The bridge is a common maritime term for the room from which a large vessel is generally commanded. Though decisions about its operation are made all over the vessel, the bridge is generally considered to be central command and from this place the consequences of important navigational, logistical and safety…
A lawsuit filed in U.S District Court in Hawaii challenges the applicability of the Jones Act in the state. The lawsuit was filed by attorney and former Hawaii state lawmaker John Carroll and alleges that provisions of the Jones Act are in violation of the commerce clause by restricting shipping…
By: Richard J. Davies, Kraft Davies Olsson PLLC, Seattle, Washington When Does The 2002 Protocol Go Into Effect? Under Article 20, the 2002 Protocol will go into effect 12 months after 10 member states have ratified it. On April 23, 2013, Belgium became the 10th member state to ratify the…
When a ship operator or other maritime employer makes any change to improve the safety of workers, positive progress has been made. However, reducing a given vessel’s rate of maritime injuries is likely only going to occur in any significant way if the entire vessel’s culture is grounded in the execution…
According to the Associated Press, a man died in a recreational boating accident on Sprague Lake outside of Spokane, Washington on Tuesday, May 21, 2013. A female passenger in the power boat was taken to a Spokane-area hospital, but her condition was not immediately known. The sheriff’s office reported that…
Earlier this month, prosecutors in Italy rejected a plea bargain offer from Frencesco Schettino, the captain of the Carnival cruise vessel Costa Concordia at the time it hit a reef and capsized. Schettino is accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship while many of the 4,229 passengers and…
In order to qualify for coverage under the Jones Act and other general maritime law remedies, a seaman must be in the service of the vessel at the time of the injury or illness. Whether a seaman is in the service of the vessel, is a recurring issue in maritime…