Madden Maritime Blogs

Is it a near miss? Or was it an unsafe act?

Posted to Madden Maritime (by Richard Madden) on January 11, 2015

Is it a near miss? Or was it an unsafe act? Maybe just an unsafe condition. What’s the difference and how do you explain it to your crew when introducing them to your safety management system? Check out nearmiss.dk for more cartoons like the one below.

Cargo Moment : Twin 20' Lift Gone Bad

Posted to Madden Maritime (by Richard Madden) on December 10, 2014

The introduction of the standardized cargo freight container changed the shipping industry forever. From literally weeks to discharge and load a ship, cargo operations are now measured in hours. Moving tens of tons of cargo at a time is not without its hazards and drawbacks, however.

Risk Moment : Shipyards and the Perfect Storm of Risk

Posted to Madden Maritime (by Richard Madden) on December 3, 2014

Shipyards are a time for getting the maintenance done – and frequently, it is maintenance that can’t be done under normal operating conditions or that which requires specialized skills/equipment. This month, The Swedish Club looks at a shipyard evolution in their Monthly Safety Scenario.

MED-PIC Moment : Unconscious, But No Trauma?

Posted to Madden Maritime (by Richard Madden) on October 26, 2014

As the medical person-in-charge (MED-PIC) onboard ships, there are any number of scenarios with which one could be faced. Cuts, scrapes, bumps, bruises, broken bones and other assorted trauma injuries can reasonably be expected. Mariners do live and work in an industrial environment, after all.

Near Misses: Saving Ourselves One Miss at a Time......

Posted to Madden Maritime (by Richard Madden) on October 18, 2014

"Near-miss : A sequence of events and/or conditions that could have resulted in loss. This loss was prevented only by a fortuitous break in the chain of events and/or conditions. Near-miss reporting and investigating is something that mariners have been doing for many years now.

Seamanship : Alive and Well or Dead and Gone?

Posted to Madden Maritime (by Richard Madden) on August 31, 2014

What contributes more to safety? Seamanship and common sense or the regulations and management systems that we currently use? Captain Charis Kanellopoulos argues that seamanship onboard modern merchant vessels is almost extinct, leading to an increase in incidents across the industry.

The End of an Era? Will These Ships Be Back?

Posted to Madden Maritime (by Richard Madden) on April 25, 2013

The port of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania was the temporary home to two U.S. flagged cargo vessels this past weekend. Far from family, the merchant mariners onboard the container ship Maersk Alabama and the bulk carrier Liberty Glory were in this East African port offloading cargo…