Maritime News June 2026
Across safety insights, incident reporting, crew welfare, and international compliance developments, June reinforces the importance of clear processes, operational visibility, and maintaining up to date records.
IMO treaty on hazardous and noxious
cargo to enter into force in 2027
Summary:
The IMO has confirmed that the HNS Convention will enter into force in 2027,
strengthening the international liability and compensation framework for hazardous and
noxious substances carried by sea.
The International Maritime Organisation announced that the 2010 HNS Convention will enter
into force on 29 November 2027. The treaty establishes an international compensation
regime for incidents involving hazardous and noxious substances transported by sea.
The Convention covers damage relating to more than 2,000 hazardous substances,
including chemicals, oils, acids, fertilisers, alcohols, LNG, and LPG. It also introduces
requirements for shipowners to maintain insurance or financial security, with an estimated
65,000 ships expected to require HNS certificates.
What you should do now:
• Review whether your operation handles, transports, or works around hazardous
substances
• Check dangerous goods and hazardous cargo procedures are current
• Ensure the crew understand relevant emergency response and reporting
requirements
• Keep documentation, risk assessments, and insurance records organised
• Monitor domestic regulator updates as the Convention moves toward entry into force
Risk if ignored:
Poor documentation, unclear procedures, or weak hazardous substance controls can
increase safety, environmental, financial, and compliance risk during an incident.
How Sea-Flux supports this:
Sea-Flux helps operators maintain structured records, procedures, safety checks, and
compliance documentation, supporting clearer risk management and better preparedness for
inspections, audits, and emergency response.
Source: IMO
AMSA releases marine incident report
for January to March 2026
Summary:
AMSA’s latest incident report shows that mechanical failures, crew injuries,
collisions, groundings, and equipment issues remain active risks for domestic commercial
vessels.
AMSA received 335 marine incident reports involving domestic commercial vessels between
January and March 2026. This included 44 serious incidents and one very serious incident
involving a vessel taking on water before the crew safely abandoned to a life raft.
The report highlights recurring safety risks, including falls, crush injuries, overboard
incidents, collisions, groundings, contact with infrastructure, propulsion failures, and
electrical issues. AMSA notes that strong safety management systems, risk assessment,
crew preparedness, emergency procedures, and planned maintenance remain critical to
reducing serious outcomes.
What you should do now:
• Review recent incidents, defects, and near misses across your own operation
• Check that planned maintenance is up to date, especially for propulsion and
electrical systems
• Practise emergency procedures, including fire response and crew recovery
• Review risk assessments for boarding, transfers, and other high risk tasks
• Ensure incident reports and corrective actions are documented and followed up
Risk if ignored:
Recurring issues such as missed maintenance, unclear procedures, or weak incident follow
up can increase the chance of equipment failure, injury, or operational disruption.
How Sea-Flux supports this:
Sea-Flux helps operators track maintenance, defects, incidents, corrective actions, and
safety procedures in a centralised system, supporting stronger visibility and follow through
across vessel operations.
Source: AMSA
Maritime NZ highlights carbon monoxide risk from generators and heaters
Summary:
Carbon monoxide can enter vessel cabins in unexpected ways, especially when
heaters and generators are used in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces.
Maritime NZ has published a June 2026 safety insight following a fatal carbon monoxide
incident involving a boat cabin, diesel heater, and portable petrol generator. The
investigation found that when the diesel heater and generator were used at the same time,
carbon monoxide levels inside the cabin rose to fatal levels within 3.5 hours.
While the insight is written for recreational vessels, the lesson is still relevant for any
operator using cabins, heaters, generators, or other equipment that may produce carbon
monoxide. It reinforces the importance of ventilation, equipment setup, alarm systems, and
crew awareness.
What you should do now:
• Check that heaters, generators, and ventilation systems are installed and used safely
• Review whether carbon monoxide alarms are fitted where needed
• Ensure the crew understand the risks of running generators near enclosed spaces
• Include carbon monoxide awareness in safety briefings where relevant
• Record checks, maintenance, and any corrective actions clearly
Risk if ignored:
Carbon monoxide is difficult to detect without an alarm and can build up quickly in enclosed
spaces. Poor ventilation, incorrect equipment setup, or missing alarms can create serious
risk to anyone onboard.
How Sea-Flux supports this:
Sea-Flux helps operators keep safety procedures, equipment checks, maintenance records,
and corrective actions organised in one place, making it easier to manage onboard risks and
keep safety information accessible.
Source: Maritime NZ
MAIB publishes Amadeus report and fall overboard safety flyer
Summary:
A fatal fall overboard from a crab potting vessel highlights the need for stronger fall prevention,
man overboard readiness, fatigue management, and practical controls during deck operations.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has published its report and safety flyer following the
fatal fall overboard from the UK-registered crab potting vessel Amadeus (TH7) in the German
Bight, North Sea, on 13 December 2023.
The deckhand fell overboard while manually recovering crab pots in rough seas. The report
found that the pot hauling method required crew to lean over the side of the vessel in an
unstable position, creating a significant risk of falling overboard. It also identified wider safety
issues, including the lack of effective fall prevention measures, no personal flotation device
being worn, limited readiness for a man overboard emergency, fatigue from working patterns,
and weaknesses in how risks were identified and controlled.
The safety flyer encourages fishing operators to review how they manage fall overboard risks
during routine deck work, especially where crew are working near the vessel’s side, handling
gear, or operating in rough conditions.
What you should do now:
● Review fall overboard risks during fishing, deck, and gear handling operations
● Check that suitable fall prevention controls are in place where crew work near the vessel’s side
● Ensure personal flotation devices are worn where required and are suitable for the task
● Practise man overboard drills and confirm recovery equipment is ready for immediate use
● Review fatigue risks, working patterns, and rest arrangements
● Keep safety briefings, drills, risk assessments, and corrective actions clearly
documented
Risk if ignored:
Routine tasks can become high-risk when fall prevention, fatigue management, and emergency
recovery arrangements are not properly controlled. A person overboard incident can escalate
quickly, especially in cold water or rough conditions.
How Sea-Flux supports this:
Sea-Flux helps operators keep risk assessments, safety procedures, drill records, crew training,
incident reports, and corrective actions organised in one place. This supports clearer oversight
of safety-critical processes and helps crews stay prepared for real operational risks.
Source: GOV.UK
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