USCG issued Safety Alert 02-25 following a significant marine casualty involving a towing vessel and barge.
The United States Coast Guard issued Safety Alert 02-25 following a significant marine casualty involving a towing vessel and barge. The incident occurred on the Columbia River, where the towing vessel, pushing a barge loaded with aggregate, collided with a bulk liquid transfer terminal pier. This collision caused extensive property damage exceeding $1.5 million, including damage to the barge, handling equipment, and the terminal facility. Additionally, the incident posed a potential environmental risk, as it occurred near a pipeline that could have released 25,000 gallons of synthetic diesel into the waterway.
Incident Causes and Contributing Factors
A marine casualty investigation revealed that the operator fell asleep at the helm, leading to the collision. A critical contributing factor was the failure of the Pilothouse Alerter System, a safety feature required under 46 CFR §143.450 for towing vessels longer than 65 feet with single-person pilothouse watches and overnight accommodations.
The Pilothouse Alerter System is designed to monitor operator activity and detect incapacitation. It triggers an alarm at adjustable intervals, which must not exceed 10 minutes. Alarms can be reset using various mechanisms, such as pushbuttons, floor pedals, or motion detection.
In this case, the system’s alarm interval was set to 10 minutes, relying
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