Fines

Shipping company fined $1,750,000 for false report on oil record book

A vessel operating company has been fined by the US Department of Justice to pay the amount of $1,750,000 and serve a 4-year term of probation for maintaining false and incomplete records relating to the discharge of bilge waste from the tank vessel Topaz Express, a felony violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships.

Specifically, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (Singapore) PTE LTD’s chief engineer and second engineer pleaded guilty of being involved in federal court.

It is reported that...

https://safety4sea.com/shipping-company-fined-1750000-for-false-report-on-oil-record-book/

Captain fined after party boat collides with police dock and vessel

The captain and the owner of a passenger boat have been prosecuted by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency after it collided with both a police dock and police vessel, causing considerable damage.

The captain pleaded guilty to a charge of conduct endangering ships, structures or individuals under section 58 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. He was handed a fine of £1,120 and ordered to pay costs of £1,200 on 24 January 2020 when he appeared before Southwark crown court.

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https://safety4sea.com/captain-fined-after-party-boat-collides-with-police-dock-and-vessel/

Eagle Shipping to pay fine for US sanctions violations

According to the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Eagle Shipping International (Eagle Shipping) has agreed to pay $1,125,000 to settle its potential civil liability for 36 apparent violations of the Burmese Sanctions Regulations.

The violations involve Eagle Shipping’s dealings in the property interests of Myawaddy Trading Limited (Myawaddy), which at all relevant times was identified on OFAC’s List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons,2 and the provision of...

https://safety4sea.com/eagle-shipping-to-pay-fine-for-us-sanctions-violations/

Peterhead Sheriff Court fines skipper for harassment

According to the Peterhead Sheriff’s Court, a Scottish skipper has been found guilty for assaulting and racially-aggravating harassment upon five non-European crewmemebes, during a six-year period.

Specifically, the 59-year-old Scottish skipper admitted to racially harassing the above-mentioned personnel on various occasions among August 2013 and August 2019.

Earlier this month, Peterhead Sheriff Court decided to fine the fishery’s captain with £2.000 for the harassment charges and a further...

https://safety4sea.com/peterhead-sheriff-court-fines-skipper-for-harassment/

Greece: Increased pollution fines from 2020

With effect from 2020, Greece has reformed its environmental law, imposing higher pollution fines for potential marine incidents. In this regard, the Shipowners Club provided a table with the updated pollution fines, to enhance operators’ awareness and provide some practical tips should a pollution incident occur.

By virtue of Presidential Decree 113/2019, the administrative fines for breaches of the Greek statute on ship-source pollution have been increased to implement EU Directives 2005/35...

https://safety4sea.com/greece-increased-pollution-fines-from-2020/

Philadelphia Energy Solutions faces $132,600 fines

According to the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Philadelphia Energy Solutions is considered responsible for “major violations of safety and health hazards” related to process safety management, after the fire and the following explosion at its Girard Point refinery complex in Philadelphia, back in June 2019.

Namely, though OSHA’s investigation, were found deficiencies in the refinery’s process safety management (PSM) program, involving failure to...

https://safety4sea.com/philadelphia-energy-solutions-faces-132-600-fines/

Court decision confirms narrow turnover duty of owners

Recently, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has reiterated the narrow scope of the turnover duty on a claim brought by an injured longshoreman related to an incident that occurred in the Port of Savannah.

Namely, the Longshoreman and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) is a US statute which provides compensation for longshoremen and harbor workers injured on the job.

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Generally, it protects ‘the rightful expectation of the vessel that the stevedore...

https://safety4sea.com/court-decision-confirms-narrow-turnover-duty-of-owners/

Greece’s fines in case of marine pollution

Japan Club publishes the fines that Greece imposes in case of marine pollution. The fines are separated into two categories, the first one being until December 30 2019, and the second one from 31 December 2019.

Japan Club took the information from the local law firm A. NASSIKAS LAW FIRM. More specifically, the fines that Greece imposes to marine pollution incidents, are as follows:

Maximum amount of fines until December 30

  1. Pollution that does not seriously affect the environment: EUR 60,000;
  2. Pollu...

https://safety4sea.com/greeces-fines-in-case-of-marine-pollution/

AMSA fines master for reporting engine failure six hours later

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority reports of an incident concerning the master of “Asphalt Spirit” tanker who was detained after failing to report of the vessel’s engine failure on time, fined $3000 and a conviction was recorded.

Specifically, the incident took place on January 31, 2019, when the tanker was sailing from Korea to Australia, transferring 14,000 tonnes of asphalt.

During the voyage, the ship suffered a main engine breakdown at 4pm local time and began drifting 30km northeast...

https://safety4sea.com/amsa-fines-master-for-reporting-engine-failure-six-hours-later/

US orders Bouchard to compensate whistleblower over barge explosion

A whistleblower investigation by the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has found that Bouchard Transportation Company Inc., and its officers violated the whistleblower protection provisions of the Seaman’s Protection Act (SPA) when it retaliated against a seaman who cooperated with the US Coast Guard.

OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Program investigators concluded that actions of Bouchard Transportation Company constituted retaliation against the...

https://safety4sea.com/us-orders-bouchard-to-compensate-whistleblower-over-barge-explosion/

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