Hornbeck introduces new Jones Act-qualified MPSV
Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. (NYSE:HOS) recently introduced a new multi-purpose support vessel (MPSV) to its fleet.
The new 370-ft HOS Centerline is Jones Act qualified and has an 8,000+ deadweight-ton capacity, which represents the largest and most diverse DP-2 classed offshore supply vessel in operation. The HOS Centerline is the only vessel in the world to have received United States Coast Guard certifications that allow it to conduct operation as a supply vessel, an industrial/construction vessel and as a petroleum and chemical tanker.
HOS Centerline’s sister-vessel, HOS Strongline will join the fleet in early 2010. Both vessels will be based at the HOS shore base facility in Port Fourchon, Louisiana.
The new vessels have the capacity to transport more than 30,000 barrels of liquid drilling mud and fuel. One of the largest MPSVs afloat with 8,400 kw of propulsion and DP-2 capability, the vessels are designed to be able to continue cargo transfer operations during sea and weather conditions that prevent smaller vessels from working. The ships’ cargo deck is 240 ft by 58 ft and is complemented by an additional 30-ft by 58-ft of covered deck space. HOS Centerline has accommodations for up to 78 persons, in addition the vessel’s regular crew.
Improving Maritime Safety for Jones Act Seaman
As an advocate for reducing maritime accidents and injuries, the Jones Act lawyers at Arnold & Itkin LLP strive to improve the lives of Jones Act seamen by driving employers to provide safer conditions for their maritime workers.
Maritime safety procedures, if followed properly, can minimize the risk of accidents. Loads must be properly secured to prevent the risk of loads falling off of cranes and injuring workers. Maritime workers must also be trained about the risks they face while performing these activities. The importance of worker training and employee coordination cannot be underestimated. It is imperative that workers are trained to warn each other about the status of operations and any possible risk to those in the vicinity. Cranes must be fitted with alarm systems to warn workers that loads are being carried..jpg)
He suffered intense terror, unsure if rescue would arrive in time or if the rig would collapse on him. He suffered injuries to his wrist and back, but the emotional scars ran deeper. He has suffered from severe post traumatic disorder since the accident. In 2007, Campbell was awarded $952,966 including 200,000 in damages for PTSD.
When the tugboat, Mel Oliver, pushed an oil barge into the path of an oncoming ship last July, apprentice mate John Bavaret was at the helm. Bavaret did not have the licensing needed to operate the tugboat, he was "filling in" for Terry Carver, the captain of the ship. Carver, according his own testimony, jumped ship a few days before the tugboat accident to pursue his girlfriend in Illinois. He asked Bavaret to take his place at the helm of the tugboat. Bavaret's inexperience and lack of qualifications for the job resulted in an accident that ended with more than 280,000 gallons of fuel spilled into the Mississippi River. According to Jim Sellers' testimony, hiring inadequately licensed crew members was a regular practice at DRD Towing. The company, which closed down in August, had previously substituted an unlicensed deckhand for an apprentice mate. According to Sellers, he tried, on many occasions, to caution his employers at DRD Towing that the practice of staffing the vessel crew with insufficiently licensed personnel could end up causing problems for the company..jpg)
a Class 150 lift boat used for work on offshore drilling rigs and platforms. In March of 2007, when he began experiencing stomach pains, Charbonnet requested that his employers provide medical care; his request was denied. At the time, the vessel was just off the Jefferson County shore. Lack of immediate medical attention intensified Charbonnet's symptoms and, as a result, the seaman suffered extreme “physical pain” and “mental anguish”. Charbonnet was later diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. The lawsuit claims that the illness resulted in physical impairment, discomfort, distress, and mental anguish. It also alleges that the employers were negligent in: their failure to provide immediate medical attention, their failure to supervise crew and train employees, and their failure to provide safety equipment and a safe workplace.
According to the NTSB, Cosco Busan pilot, John Cota, bore most of the responsibility for the accident due to his failure to read radar data properly. Also, at the time of the accident, Cota was, reportedly, taking as many as 11 different medications for various conditions, ranging from alcoholism to depression. The Board vocalized the reaction of many .jpg)
to report for work at a plant 