Leveraging Human Factors for Safer Maritime Vessel Ops
at around a century of maritime incidents, estimating that 75% to 96% of marine accidents involved some human error. That's where the adoption of “human factors” comes into play.Airlines have relied on analysis of human factors for decades, understanding that even the most advanced systems and rigorous processes can fall short if the human element is neglected. The emphasis on analyzing behaviors, decision-making, and communication patterns has yielded remarkable safety improvements in aviation. We recognized that this aviation example could be adopted at American Roll-On Roll-Off
NASSCO "Failed to follow Federal Wage Regs" for 36 Mexican Engineers
Corp., one of the world’s largest defense contractors, that paid them in Mexican pesos below the federal minimum wage rate in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.The department’s Wage and Hour Division found National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. one of three shipyards in the Marine Systems group of General Dynamics that designs and builds auxiliary and support ships for the U.S. Navy used the L-1B visa program to bring the affected workers to San Diego from a General Dynamics subsidiary in Mexicali, Mexico, to install power plants, engines and machinery; complete structures and
Mr. Marine Names Laarhuis CEO
ensuring the safety and compliance of vessels worldwide. I believe in fostering a culture of collaboration and excellence, empowering our team to exceed client expectations and adapt to the evolving needs of the marine industry.”Mr. Marine performs TIC of marine elevators, ballast water treatment systems, and marine fixed and portable instruments
Meet the CTO: Dr. Gunnar Stiesch, MAN Energy Solutions
number, maybe around 2,000 vessels with two-stroke engines, and another 1,000 four-stroke engines that are potential candidates for retrofit.Research engine at Research Center Copenhagen.Image courtesy MAN ESWhen you change fuels there will be impacts on the engine as a whole as well as the ancillary systems. I know that the potential future fuel spectrum is broad, but can you discuss some tangible impacts you've seen to date?A good example may be the two-stroke ammonia engine we are developing. The combustion characteristics of ammonia are very different from any other hydrocarbon fuel: it burns
Hudspeth Joins Elliott Bay Design Group as Director of Sales
with existing clients, identifying and pursuing new business opportunities, and supporting strategic expansion and growth.Hudspeth brings to the role more than 20 years of commercial maritime industry experience, having most recently served as director of business development for global marine at BAE Systems. Before that, he was vice president of business development at Bellingham, Wash. shipbuilder All American Marine and was previously U.S. marketing coordinator for propulsion systems and driveline technology company ZF Marine. He currently serves regional chairman for trade group the Passenger Vessel
Chad Cary to Lead NOAA Corps and Office of Marine and Aviation Operations
of a dynamic world.”Cary has served in many operational and management assignments with NOAA, most recently as deputy director of the NOAA Corps and OMAO’s deputy director for operations. In that capacity, he oversaw the day-to-day operations of OMAO’s marine, aviation and uncrewed systems operations, as well as OMAO’s health and cyber services.He has held command positions aboard NOAA ships Reuben Lasker and John N. Cobb. He has also served as the director of the NOAA Corps Commissioned Personnel Center. and applied his at-sea and shoreside operational experience and expertise
Rayha to Succeed Graney as President of General Dynamics Electric Boat
General Dynamics announced on Thursday.Rayha, who serves as the yard's current senior vice president and chief operating officer, will succeed Kevin Graney, who will retire at the end of this year. Rayha's appointment becomes effective December 1.Rayha joined General Dynamics in 1989 at Land Systems. He became CFO of General Dynamics Mission Systems in 2015. He joined Electric Boat in 2020 and served as CFO from 2021 to 2023. He became chief operating officer in 2023.General Dynamics chairman and chief executive officer Phebe Novakovic said, “Mark is a 35-year veteran of General Dynamics
Gernot Ruppelt to Take Over as Ardmore Shipping CEO
maritime and energy-related industries at Bear Stearns and HSH Nordbank. He also held management positions in both the cruise industry and at a naval architecture firm, as well as serving as a deck officer onboard U.S.-flag crude oil tankers. He holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, an MS in Ocean Systems Management from MIT, and a BE in Naval Architecture from NY Maritime College. He has also completed INSEAD's International Directors Program. Kelleher serves as a director of methanol-to-hydrogen technology developer Element 1 Corporation, and as an advisory board member to OrbitMI, an AI-based
Merrigan Joins Teledyne RD Instruments
in civil engineering, physical oceanography, water resources and hydrology, with a BS and an MS from the University of Arizona and PhD from the University of California, Irvine. As a graduate research assistant, Merrigan’s work focused on understanding the physical drivers of hypoxia in coral reef systems. She used analytical models and field observations to analyze the physical processes that affect the oxygen dynamics and water quality in these fragile ecosystems. Grant Jennings, Product Line Director of RDI, said, “First off, I’d like to congratulate Sarah on her
ABS to Create a Hellenic Ship Safety Center
;There is a lot of focus on technology readiness timelines, but what we need to focus on is people readiness timelines,” said Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman and CEO.“Just think about the degree of change faced by a seafarer today: dynamic versus static fuels, advanced electrification systems, innovative power trains, active energy efficiency devices, soon you can add carbon capture systems, the toxicity challenge of ammonia and further down the track maybe nuclear propulsion. Clearly, the coming generation of seafarers will need to acquire a range of new skills and competencies, and
Silicon Sensing Establishes US Office
double-digit compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for inertial sensors through to 2030, alongside fast-evolving inertial requirements for a new generation of applications, the company said.“We expect our next generation of products, currently in development, to take micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) inertial performance to new levels, redefining what this technology is capable of. This vital new presence in North America will ensure we are prepared with effective, responsive in-region support,” Somerville said.The new office will be situated in Lake Mary, Fla. and will support
Embracing Human and Organizational Performance: A Paradigm Shift to Address Safety and Workforce Challenges
for safety inspections of the main deck areas, and had inspections been effective in identifying hazards to health, safety and the environment?”This change exemplifies how HOP is focused on the system rather than the individual. Organizations committed to HOP continually assess their systems, learn from incidents, and adapt – it isn’t a one-time fix; it’s an ongoing journey. It’s this dynamic process that keeps safety relevant and effective.So, while traditional systems may inadvertently promote a culture of blame and fear, HOP strives to address the root cause
Tip #59 – AI to Maritime Trainers: "Watch Your Back …"
to make us more effective and more efficient?Well - it is a good question and there are some fairly credible arguments on both sides of the debate. While the topic is enormous and we can only touch on a sliver of it here, let's dive right in to the heart of the argument.Related News: Marine Learning Systems and Ripple Merge“AI will replace trainers"Central to the “AI will replace trainers" argument is that AI can process and analyze vast amounts of data much faster than we humans do, and in many ways, it is already doing so with more insight than we can. This could help to produce
Australian Submarine Maintenance Facing Possible Disruption Due to Workers Strikes
nuclear-powered AUKUS fleet.Roughly 300 workers at ASC's Osborne shipyard in South Australia walked off the job for an hour on Monday, and a separate meeting of union members voted to continue some form of strikes indefinitely, a union official told Reuters.Osborne is where ASC and British firm BAE Systems will jointly build Australia's fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, the core component of the 2021 AUKUS pact between Britain, the U.S. and Australia.Until that work begins later this decade, the shipyard is where lengthy maintenance is performed on the existing diesel-electric powered Collins-class
Matthew Peck Joins Teledyne Interconnect Solutions
Teledyne Marine, announced Matthew Peck has joined the organization as its new Outside Sales Manager. Based primarily in Houston, Peck will be leading the Interconnect sales team in serving customers in a wide range of industrial and marine markets.Peck spent the initial years of his career at JDR Cable Systems, working in the subsea oil and gas and offshore wind industries. He has been in s engineering and project management, covering global projects for subsea umbilicals and power cables. Then moving to private equity, led his company to aggressive growth in onshore cable and specialty vehicles domains
US Navy Expands Shipyard Talent Pipeline in Southern California
sustainment suppliers across the region to create maritime-focused manufacturing pipelines that revitalize the defense workforce by addressing critical skill gaps."The strength of the talent pipeline is as vital as any capability of a submarine," said Program Executive Officer Undersea Warfare Systems Rear Adm. Todd Weeks and executive sponsor, Southern California Talent Pipeline Project. "The skilled tradespeople we need, whether welders, machinists, electricians, and more are the structural foundation that will allow us to build and maintain the world's most advanced submarines
Simulators Track our Changing Relationship with Technology
uses the latest ship-handling simulators to reproduce the movement of a vessel pushing against an offshore wind turbine in severe weather and sea conditions, aiming to improve the advanced navigational safety skills required for CTV ship handling.Simulators are becoming as interconnected as onboard systems. Kongsberg Digital has integrated NORBIT’s oil spill detection system with its K-Pos DP system for simulation-based training of offshore professionals at Equinor. The tailored configuration will enable environmental conservation drills, oil spill detection and recovery simulations and all-encompass
