Coast Guard Set to Crack Down on Towing Industry Safety

The Coast Guard is proposing extensive new regulations for the towing industry requiring towing vessels to obtain a certificate of inspection within the next few years. According to the Coast Guard discussion of the proposed rule, on an annual basis, towing vessel accidents are associated with 23 fatalities, 146 reportable injuries, 26 oil spills and $63.5 million dollars in property damage. 4% of major incidents were due to electrical failures, equipment failures in propulsion and steering accounted for another 30%, and human factors contributed to 54% of the major incidents. One of these major accidents happened in New Orleans in July of 2008 resulting in a $275 million dollar a day economic impact, and was used in Coast Guard testimony to Congress to argue in favor of the new regulations.

Since the majority of accidents are related to human factors, the Coast Guard is proposing a towing safety management system with specific procedures for crewmembers and shore side personnel to follow that will most likely ensure safe operations. The safety management system will be required to be audited by third party auditors to ensure that all vessels and employees within the company follow written protocols.

According to the Coast Guard, in May of 2002 a towboat hit the I-40 bridge when the operator became medically incapacitated resulting in 14 deaths and $60 million dollars in bridge damage. There were also eight other incidents over a ten-year period where towing vessel operators died while operating a vessel. As a result, the Coast Guard is proposing to require a “pilothouse alerter system” which sounds an alarm if there is no rudder movement over a period of time.

PHOTO CAPTION: The towboat Angelina pushes two loaded barges in New Orleans.

The Coast Guard proposed rule references a study which shows that typical towing industry watch systems of six-hours-on and six-hours-off can have a degrading trend with alertness and performance =levels comparable to someone with a blood alcohol concentration of up to 0.1%. As a result the Coast Guard is considering regulating working hours and adopting crew endurance management programs.

This is going to be a major change for the towing industry. The greatest challenge for companies will be getting captains and crews to conform to a system of written policies and procedures.

Kevin Gilheany is a maritime industry consultant who works with clients to achieve operational excellence through leadership and compliance. Kevin is a retired U.S. Coast Guard marine inspector, certified marine surveyor, auditor, and crew endurance management expert. He has served as a training provider to the U.S. Coast Guard, an Adjunct Instructor of Maritime Security at Tulane University, and as a contributing columnist for marine industry publications. Kevin keeps his readers informed through his blog, the Maritime Compliance Report.
 

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