Join AWO members this summer in Chicago for the Summer Safety Meeting where we will focus on the challenges and opportunities the industry faces as we adapt to an evolving safety landscape, and provide updates on AWO safety initiatives and programs.

All members are invited to join us for our opening reception at 5 pm on August 13 at the Loews Hotel. (The Tankering and Barge Operations Subcommittee and Safety Committees will hold members-only meetings earlier that afternoon.)

Programming will continue on the morning of August 14 with incident review and lessons learned presented by AWO members and afternoon educational sessions including presentations on human performance, an introduction to the new Center for Maritime Innovation, a new mariner wellness study conducted by the Seamen's Church Institute and Yale University, and our American Waterways HERO Award ceremony, where we honor our fellow members and colleagues for their heroic acts to prevent injury and save lives. A closing reception and social dinner that evening will close out our Summer Safety Meeting.

Reserve your room and register today! Please contact Caitlin Clark with any questions.

Since January 2025, multiple incidents involving towing vessels and barges have occurred on the Mississippi River system, including bridge strikes and a collision between the Ginny Stone and Panamanian-flagged ship M/V ISLA DE BIOKO on April 27 near LMR mile marker 110 in the New Orleans area. While no injuries or wildlife impacts were reported in these incidents, the collision caused the Ginny Stone and one dry cargo barge to flood, closing the waterway for several hours. These incidents underscore the risks accompanying high water, especially in high-traffic areas and near challenging infrastructure points along the river.

To prepare for high water, low water, and other seasonal changes, AWO recommends stakeholders become familiar with local Waterways Action Plans (WAPs), which include "Watch-Action-Recovery" protocols based on gauge triggers, designed to ensure coordinated responses among the Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and industry. Some areas may require assist tugs or establish horsepower minimums or minimum speed restrictions as river levels climb. The WAP provides these specific instructions to ensure safe navigation techniques and communication protocols at every river level.

WAPs may be found by contacting your local Coast Guard Sector or Area command. A map with contact information and other unit details is available here.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has begun a series of informal virtual public hearings on a proposed rule intended to prevent heat-related illnesses, running from June 15 to July 2. The hearings feature testimony from various organizations, including the National Safety Council (NSC) and American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), and are being led by the chief administrative law judge at the Department of Labor. OSHA's 2024 proposed rule would require employers to implement heat-related illness and injury prevention plans, with specific measures triggered at heat index thresholds of 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The rule also requires individual site plans for each location where workers are exposed to heat, methods for monitoring heat stress, schedules for providing water and rest breaks, and acclimatization requirements.

AWO provided comments related to the proposed standard in January and we are attending the hearings to keep members informed. For more information, please contact Lillie Wightman.

The Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) May 2025 newsletter spotlights recent OCIMF meetings in London where the impact of SIRE 2.0 was discussed. OCIMF reported members' positive response to the Human Factors Element in SIRE 2.0 and emphasized the utility of the OCIMF Human Factors Approach - A Framework to Materially Reduce Marine Risk, published in 2020. The newsletter also described OCIMF Barge Adviser, Ton Mol, joining the PIANC Working Group 262 initial meeting in Brussels, where members discussed developments and guidance for remote-controlled inland vessel navigation. Other topics include the release of OCIMF's 2025 Annual Report, which details committee outputs, member engagement, the energy transition, and IMO News, and highlights the International Day for Women in Maritime, observed on May 18 each year.

Read the full newsletter here. Please contact Michael Breslin with questions about AWO's partnership with OCIMF's partnership.

This article first appeared in the June 5 AWO Letter.

In late May, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) released an update to NVIC 01-89, Change 1, Underwater Survey Guidance. The revision responds to industry concerns about redundancies and streamlines the regulatory framework for underwater surveys in lieu of drydock (UWILD) to reduce costs and increase the competitive advantage of the American Registry. 

Most significantly, classed vessels inspected under Subchapter M (and other subchapters) can now use an Authorized Classification Society's underwater survey program, like ABS's UWILD, as an equivalent to Subchapter M's UWILD requirements. This means classed, inspected towing vessels can follow ABS's rules and procedures without additional approval or endorsement by the USCG. Classed vessels 15 years or older are eligible for participation with prior USCG notification. The Coast Guard has also developed guidance for unclassed vessels requesting enrollment in the USCG UWILD program and provides specific information for towing vessels using the TSMS option, which discusses the role of the TPO and the process for internal and external survey programs, and which does not require USCG attendance at UWILDs.

In addition, the revised policy removes duplicative drydock dates from the Certificate of Inspection for classed vessels and harmonizes dates for unclassed vessels with a Loadline Certificate.

These changes will drive real cost savings for both vessel operators and the Coast Guard, supporting shared AWO and Trump Administration priorities to reduce regulatory burdens. Please reach out to Liam Morcroft with any questions.