Navigating to Zero - September 2026

cmoore@americanwaterways.com 09/11/26
Remembering September 11
 
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, a day that forever changed our nation. Today we remember the nearly 3,000 lives lost, honor the courage of first responders, service members, and ordinary citizens who answered the call to help, and reflect on the resilience that carried our country through one of its darkest moments.

For the maritime community, September 11 also serves as a reminder of the extraordinary "Boatlift" evacuation from Lower Manhattan. As roads, bridges, tunnels, and transit systems became overwhelmed or inaccessible, mariners from across New York Harbor responded to an urgent call for assistance. Tugboats, ferries, workboats, and other vessels converged on Lower Manhattan, helping evacuate hundreds of thousands of people to safety in what became one of the largest maritime evacuations in history. AWO member companies and countless mariners were among those who stepped forward without hesitation, demonstrating the professionalism, courage, and commitment to service that define our industry.

As we pause to remember September 11, we honor all who were lost, all who responded, and the enduring legacy of those mariners who answered the call when their country needed them most. May we never forget.

 

Fall Overboard Investigation Highlights the Pulled-Under Hazard

A recent report from AWO member Shell Trading examining the fatal fall overboard from the towing vessel Lauren Rae presents a difficult but important lesson: personal flotation devices and man-overboard alerts are critical safeguards, but neither eliminates the risks created by river current, barge configuration, work location, and delayed detection.

On August 3, 2023, a deckhand fell from the head of the tow into the Upper Mississippi River near Chester, Illinois. The mariner was wearing a Type V work vest equipped with a remote man-overboard transmitter, but the current along the barges pulled him beneath the tow. Because the transmitter could not send an alert while submerged, the signal was not received until he resurfaced on the downriver side.

The incident review highlighted being pulled beneath a barge as an escalating hazard that arises after a fall has occurred. To account for this hazard in a risk assessment, operators should evaluate whether a Type V work vest continues to provide adequate protection when a mariner is working near the forward edge of the tow, outside the wheelhouse's line of sight, in moving current, or where immediate recovery may not be possible.

Questions for company risk assessments:

  • Can the wheelhouse maintain effective awareness of work taking place at the head of the tow?
  • Do current, tow configuration and the location of the task create a credible pulled-under hazard?
  • Is the selected PFD appropriate for the actual conditions and the expected time to recovery?
  • What are the limitations of the man-overboard alert, including transmission when submerged?
  • What prevention or restraint measures can keep the fall from occurring in the first place?
  • Has the crew discussed how recovery would work with the personnel and equipment available?

Planning and training to recover people in the water are critical, but they do not prevent a fall from occurring. A strong recovery plan can reduce the consequences of a fall, but the most effective way to mitigate risk is to control exposure to fall-overboard hazards and keep mariners from entering the water in the first place.

For details about this report, please contact Michael Breslin or Chet Urban of Shell Trading.

 

Recreational Boat and Barge Collision on the Monongahela River

Four recreational boaters were killed following a collision with a barge on the Monongahela River near Rices Landing, Pennsylvania. The event is another painful reminder that conflicts between commercial and recreational traffic can produce catastrophic consequences, even when boaters are operating on familiar waters.

Commercial vessel operators should continue using every available tool to anticipate recreational traffic, communicate early, maintain a proper lookout, report dangerous boaters to local police and Coast Guard, and share safety information through outreach campaigns conducted by Harbor Safety Committees and AWO's Recreational Boating Safety Working Group.

Outreach is most effective before an encounter occurs. AWO and other safety working groups are producing signs, working with state boating law administrators to add test questions on commercial traffic to boating exams, and producing materials for safe boating, available for download or purchase on the AWO Boating Safety Store, administered by Moxie Media. These resources focus on the basics of boating safety, tow configurations, stopping distance, blind areas, and the hazards around barges and towboats.

 

AWO High-Value Near Misses for September

AWO's High-Value Near Miss Program seeks to prevent incidents by sharing lessons learned. In addition, AWO's Tankering and Barge Operations Subcommittee has established the Terminal Near Miss Program, which investigates near misses at terminals. Both are entered using the same form. Incidents involving bridges may be recorded using AWO's Bridge Event Reporting Form.

Member-Submitted Near Miss #1 - Unsafe Gangway Angle and Need for Equipment Basket

  • The MPLX Dock #2 in Mt. Airy, Louisiana, uses a ship gangway to access barges. The gangway itself is very steep and has an 8'-9' vertical "ladder." Equipment cannot be carried down this ladder. Other facilities use an equipment basket to lower or raise equipment to and from the barge. MPLX does not have a way to lower/raise equipment safely to the barge. The expectation is for the Tank Barge-PIC to walk their equipment to the end of the gangway, then lower the equipment to the barge. This takes several trips carrying equipment back and forth on a gangway, then lowering/raising it using a tagline.
  • AWO members have asserted that the tagline used to raise and lower equipment should not be a long-term solution and request an equipment basket be installed to allow equipment and gear to be raised/lowered using the facility's crane instead.

Next Steps

  • When a near miss or incident occurs, it is critical for mariners to stop work and report the event to their company, and when approved, AWO's Near Miss Program.
  • Near Miss reports are used by AWO to record trends and, when requested by members, may be used to reach out to terminals, facility, or equipment owners to develop mitigation plans or eliminate the noted hazard.

 

Coast Guard Reports of Investigation and Findings of Concern

The U.S. Coast Guard offers a monthly email to alert stakeholders about new Reports of Investigation and Findings of Concern, published on its Office of Investigations & Casualty Analysis website. To request alerts, email HQS-SMB-CG-INV@uscg.mil.

Report of Investigation 7881082: Fire on board the Canadian flagged bulk carrier Cuyahoga (IMO #5166392) resulting in the total constructive loss of the vessel while moored at the Kinder Morgan Pinney Dock in Ashtabula, Ohio on March 15, 2024.

  • What happened: A fire began in Cargo Hold No. 2 while the self-discharging bulk carrier was in winter layup and undergoing hot work. All personnel evacuated safely, but the fire spread through cargo holds, conveyor structures and tunnels.
  • Safety takeaway: The Coast Guard identified an electrical arc, combustible cargo residue and coating, unavailable nearby firefighting equipment, and ineffective initial firefighting as causal factors. Two recommendations were issued as part of this report, including a recommendation to evaluate regulatory standards and consider requirements for internal rubber conveyor belts onboard self-discharging bulk carriers.

Report of Investigation 7971638: Structural hull failure of bulk carrier Michipicoten (IMO #5102865) while transiting Western Lake Superior 25 nautical miles southeast of Grand Marais, Minnesota on June 8, 2024. (Related to Finding of Concern 005-26  published in the August 2026 NTZ.)

  • What happened: The Michipicoten was carrying approximately 16,000 tons of iron ore pellets on western Lake Superior when its hull failed, and water entered a ballast tank and inner void. Eleven crew members were evacuated, and the vessel reached Thunder Bay under tug assistance.
  • Safety takeaway: The Coast Guard cited chronic overstressing of the hull due to overloading cargo coupled with a failure to use cargo loading software, failure of oversight and a lack of clear policy and procedures for loading operations, and a failure to trim cargo as reasons for the hull failure. The Coast Guard further recommended a comprehensive review of its own examination and oversight processes for Canadian cargo vessels operating in the Great Lakes District.

Report of Investigation 7828267: Allision and loss of life onboard the inspected small passenger vessel Wilderness I (LA8393GG) on Bayou Segnette in Westwego, Louisiana on July 28, 2023.

  • What happened: A mechanic operating the airboat alone during post-repair engine trials allided with tree branches along Bayou Segnette, then struck a second tree. The mechanic suffered fatal blunt-force injuries.
  • Safety takeaway: The report identified operation close to shore, inadequate lookout, unsafe speed, lack of policy or procedure, the unique handling characteristics of airboats and delayed medical care. The Coast Guard noted that two-person operations would likely have made the operation safer, even though they were not required by regulation.

Report of Investigation 7760439: Fall overboard and subsequent loss of life from the inspected towing vessel Lauren Rae (O.N. 1244523) on the Upper Mississippi River near Chester, Illinois on August 3, 2023.

  • What happened: The Coast Guard determined the initiating event to be the deckhand falling off the barges and into the water. The river current then swept the deckhand beneath the fleet of barges where subsequent death occurred from drowning. The causal factors that contributed to the casualty include: (1) risk of falls overboard, (2) performing work at the edge of barges, (3) no safety lines, (4) man-overboard alarm transmitter unable to transmit underwater, (5) no line of sight from wheelhouse, (6) inability for person overboard to stay above water, and (7) unfavorable river currents.
  • Safety takeaway: The Coast Guard did not recommend changes to existing laws, regulations, industry standards, or Coast Guard policies in its report. However, several lessons are available for operators in similar conditions. Job safety analysis before each operation and when conditions change helps mariners identify ways to prevent falls to water. One control that may mitigate harm after a fall is the use of PFDs with higher buoyancy when working with high-flow river conditions. AWO's Falls Overboard Prevention Report provides a comprehensive resource with controls that may supplement members' existing risk mitigation policies and procedures.

Report of Investigation 8231938: Capsizing of the commercial fishing vessel Una Mas (OR854ACS) in Pacific Ocean near Gold Beach, Oregon, resulting in the loss of two lives on August 31, 2025.

  • What happened: While returning in 9-to-12-foot swells, the vessel was traveling 18 to 22 knots on autopilot when a securing strap failed and an 803-pound fish tote shifted to port, causing the vessel to capsize. One crewmember survived; two were lost.
  • Safety takeaway: Operators should remain within vessel weight limits, secure heavy equipment, monitor changing weather, adjust speed and autopilot use, control entanglement hazards, and provide appropriate barriers and survival equipment.

Findings of Concern - No new findings of concern

 

NTSB Investigations

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) publishes investigation reports for marine, aviation, highway, railroad, pipeline, and hazardous materials incidents. Vessel incident reports released since the last edition of Navigating to Zero are summarized below.

NTSB MIR-26-28 - Flooding and Sinking of Passenger Vessel Jig Strike

On August 31, 2024, about 1035 local time, the charter fishing vessel Jig Strike was transiting between fishing locations near Cortes Bank in the Pacific Ocean, about 100 miles west of San Diego, California, when the vessel began rapidly taking on water. The crew was unable to stem the flooding, and the five crew members and 12 passengers on board abandoned ship into a life raft. They were rescued by a nearby good Samaritan vessel, and the Jig Strike later sank. There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported. The vessel had a total loss estimated at $475,000.

The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the flooding and sinking of the charter fishing vessel Jig Strike was likely an initial delamination of fiberglass hull sheathing that resulted in a large section of the plywood and fiberglass hull separating while the vessel was underway.

 

Coast Guard and Marine Minerals Administration Safety Alerts 

The U.S. Coast Guard and the Marine Minerals Administration* publish Safety Alerts on their websites on a regular basis. Alerts issued since last publication of the Navigating to Zero safety newsletter are listed below:

*As of July 10, 2026, the Department of Interior has reunified the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement into the Marine Minerals Administration, which will oversee the responsible development of the nation's offshore energy and marine mineral resources with an integrated focus on safety, environmental protection and efficient oversight. For more information, visit Transition to the Marine Minerals Administration | U.S. Department of the Interior.

Stakeholders are urged to review these alerts in detail to enhance safety measures and prevent incidents. Please contact Michael Breslin for more information.

 

September State of the River: Dry Conditions Bring Low-Water Concerns Back into Focus

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley Division reports that August rainfall was generally below normal across the Mississippi River Basin. Moderate drought or worse expanded from 42% in June to approximately 55% in August across the basin. Early rainfall briefly raised portions of the Middle and Lower Mississippi, but river stages fell quickly, with low-water conditions approaching at St. Louis and Cairo and coordination underway in the Memphis District.

Missouri River navigation support is operating at minimum service levels because of depleted storage and will end two weeks early on November 15. Nineteen dredges were working across the division, including 16 on the Mississippi River, while the Upper Mississippi remained open. In the New Orleans District, flows were forecast to fall, but not so low as to trigger the need for construction of the saltwater wedge in the next 28 days, which is constructed when necessary to prevent saltwater intrusion from the Gulf.

To learn more, read the report, review your local area Waterways Action Plan, or contact Justin Lampert.

Major Regional Waterways Action Plans:

 

OCIMF Updates: Programs, Products, and Leadership Changes Covered in Recent Newsletter

OCIMF's August Members' News included an introduction to the organization's new director, Don Davis. Don highlighted his priorities, including: employing risk-based and data-driven decision making; improving delivery of OCIMF programs and products; increasing partnerships; modernizing data systems; strengthening training for OCIMF inspectors; and building human factors into every OCIMF program. 

AWO has greatly strengthened our partnership with OCIMF in recent years and now holds a seat on three working groups: OCIMF's Human Factors Working Group, Falls to Water Working Group, and North American Barge Guide Development Working Group. These groups give AWO members a seat at the table and provide opportunities for input into program development that impacts liquid barge operations in the U.S.

To join AWO's advisory groups related to these and other OCIMF projects, please contact Michael Breslin and visit OCIMF for current publications and meeting information.

 

Safety Meetings Before Cargo Operations: Good Preparation Is Half the Work

Platform Zero Incidents recently shared a simple reminder that applies across every segment of our industry: holding a safety meeting before loading or unloading can prevent incidents.

The value of a safety meeting is not the act of completing another form, it is the opportunity the meeting presents to make sure everyone understands the plan, their responsibilities, the potential hazards, and the specific conditions that could require a call to stop work.

A useful pre-job conversation should confirm communication methods, discuss simultaneous operations, review equipment condition, identify safe access and line-of-fire exposures, consider changing weather or water conditions, emergency actions, and stop-work responsibility. When the plan changes, the conversation should change with it.

To learn more about this reminder or to view more safety resources, visit Platform Zero Incidents Resource Library.

 

Shipping Safety Gains Continue, but More Volatile Risk Picture Demands Resilience

Allianz Commercial's Safety and Shipping Review 2026 shows continued improvement in global maritime safety despite an increasingly complex operating environment.

Shipping incidents declined 16% in 2025, from 3,353 to 2,818, with 43 total losses. The five-year annual average fell 37% to 70 losses. Machinery damage or failure remained the leading incident category, identified as a causal factor for 1,505 events. It was followed by 260 incidents caused by collisions and 218 fires or explosions.

The report identifies geopolitical conflict; disrupted trade routes; aging vessels; emerging technologies such as lithium-ion battery fires, which accounted for a quarter of shipping fires in 2025; and satellite-navigation interference as growing risks.

Although focused largely on deep-draft shipping, the report offers relevant lessons for tugboat, towboat and barge operators, as less predictable operating conditions increase the importance of resilience and efficiency for all segments of the maritime industry. Delaying maintenance, training, or technology hardening; undercutting personnel wellness programs; or reducing reporting requirements will compound pre-existing issues and reduce readiness when it is needed most.

AWO's Li-Ion Battery Safety Checklist and Cyber Security Training Outline provide practical resources for identifying and managing emerging risks for vessel operators.

 

American Waterways HERO Award -- Nominate Your Crew for Heroic Acts

The American Waterways Honor & Excellence in Rescue Operations (HERO) Award recognizes member company employees who demonstrate bravery, quick thinking, and selfless action in moments of crisis.

Know a crew that stepped up when it mattered most? Submit your nomination using AWO's quick and easy form. https://www.americanwaterways.com/hero-award.

HERO Award Honorees Receive:

  • A Certificate of Recognition for the vessel
  • A HERO Award Coin for each mariner
  • A 1-year license & liability insurance policy from 360 Coverage Pros & Berkley Offshore.

Eligible Heroic Acts Include:

  • Rescuing mariners in distress
  • Responding to medical emergencies
  • Recovering overboard individuals
  • Acts of courage to protect life and safety

Honor their courage. Share their story. Nominate today.

-    There are no new HERO nominations this month.   -

 

Mariner Health Programs Should Cover the Full Cycle

HealthWorks Medical's Mariner Health at Work program encourages operators to consider what happens before, during, and after a medical incident. Its Select-Prepare-Protect-Respond-Recover-Prevent framework connects each stage of mariner health and medical response rather than treating them as separate programs or services.

The framework offers a useful way to review telehealth services, vessel medical supplies, pre-boarding screening, shoreside escalation, return-to-work practices, and prevention efforts. A strong program is not measured by the number of tools it includes, but by how well those tools work together within the vessel's actual operating environment.

Learn more from HealthWorks Medical.

 

Safety Pro Focus

Trey Carnegie is Director of Procurement for Florida Marine Transporters, where he supports the purchasing and supply needs of one of the nation's largest independent marine transportation companies. During nearly two decades with Florida Marine, Trey has developed extensive knowledge of inland towing operations and the practical demands of keeping vessels and crews safely supplied. He is a graduate of Louisiana State University and a Steering Committee member of AWO's Tankering and Barge Operations Subcommittee.

As Florida Marine enters the last quarter of 2026, what safety priority deserves the greatest attention, and what progress would you like to see by year's end?

As we enter the final quarter of 2026, our greatest safety priority is preventing complacency during routine operations. In our business, some of the highest-risk tasks are also the ones our crews perform every day. Familiarity can cause people to move faster, overlook a step, or underestimate a changing condition.

For our tankering operations, I continue to emphasize proper transfer procedures, stop-work responsibility, clear communication between the vessel and facility, and early identification of changing conditions to prevent incidents.

By year's end, I would like to see continued improvement in our near-miss reporting, stronger pre-job discussions, and crews becoming even more comfortable speaking up when something doesn't look right.

Safety progress isn't only measured by fewer incidents; it is also measured by how engaged our people are in preventing the next one.

What is one recent safety lesson that has changed how FMT communicates with crews, develops leaders, or approaches daily operations?

We cannot assume a procedure is understood simply because we communicate it.

We communicate most effectively when supervisors and crew members have a conversation instead of simply exchanging instructions. We expect our leaders to ask questions: What are the hazards today? What has changed since the last time we performed this job? What could go wrong, and what are we going to do about it?

Not only does this communication style improve retention for our developing leaders, it also reinforces the importance of being approachable and willing to listen. Some of the best safety information in our company comes from the people performing the work. When our deckhands, persons in charge of tankering operations, pilots, or captains feel comfortable raising concerns, it benefits everyone by providing us with an opportunity to correct an issue before it becomes an incident.

Good safety leadership is not about having all the answers. It's about creating an environment where people communicate early and take ownership of the operation.

What would you tell someone who is considering a maritime career, and how can our industry do a better job of showing people the opportunity, purpose, and long-term potential it offers?

I tell everyone considering a maritime career that this industry offers opportunities that most people simply do not know exist.

A person can come into this industry, learn a trade, earn a good living, and build a real career. If they are willing to work, learn, and accept responsibility, they can advance from the deck into positions such as a licensed person in charge (PIC) of tankering operations, a pilot or captain in the wheelhouse, operations manager, director of safety, and numerous other leadership roles.

There's also a lot of purpose behind what we do. Our crews move the products and commodities that keep the country operating. It is important work, and every person on and off the vessel plays a role in doing it safely and efficiently.

As an industry, we must do a better job telling that story. Young people need to see the career path, not just the first job. We need to reach students in trade schools, veterans, and people looking for a second career to show them what can be accomplished in five, ten, or twenty years in this business.

If we can show people both the opportunity, the purpose, and the responsibility that comes with a maritime career, I think we will attract the kind of people our industry needs for the future.

 

As Seen in the AWO Letter: NTSB Office of Marine Safety Releases New Interactive Dashboard

The National Transportation Safety Board's Office of Marine Safety has introduced a new Safety Data Dashboard that presents NTSB marine incident investigations on an interactive Investigation Map and a Case Summary table interface. Both interfaces can be filtered by event date, vessel name, case status, vessel group, and casualty category, and each case view includes basic casualty information and links to the corresponding NTSB investigation page and docket. 

 

Upcoming Maritime Industry Safety Events

Industry events provide an opportunity to exchange practical lessons, build professional networks and bring new ideas back to vessel and shoreside teams.