This Marine Safety Information Bulletin supersedes Volume XXIII Issue 012 “Notification of Marine Casualty and Hazardous Condition.”
The appropriate recipient of marine casualty and hazardous condition notification is the Sector New Orleans Command Center. The Command Center can be reached at (504) 365-2545. Notifications of marine casualties described by 46 CFR Part 4.05-1 and hazardous conditions described by 33 CFR Part 160.216 should be made to the Command Center to facilitate appropriate agency action.
Notice of Marine Casualty: Immediate notice of a marine casualty is required by 46 CFR Part 4.05-1, and states:
“Immediately after the addressing of resultant safety concerns, the owner, agent, master, operator, or person in charge, shall notify the nearest Sector Office, Marine Inspection Office or Coast Guard Group Office whenever a vessel is involved in a marine casualty.”
Notice of Hazardous Condition: Immediate notice of a hazardous condition is required by 33 CFR Part 160.216, and states:
“Whenever there is a hazardous condition either on board a vessel or caused by a vessel or its operation, the owner, agent, master, operator, or person in charge must immediately notify the nearest Coast Guard Sector Office or Group Office, and in addition submit any report required by 46 CFR Part 4.05-10.”
Groundings: All groundings, even those that will eventually be classified as “bump and go” groundings, shall be reported to the appropriate Coast Guard Command Center as a hazardous condition per 33 CFR Part 160.216.
Responsible Parties: Owners, agents, masters, operators, or persons in charge are responsible for making the above required notifications and should not rely on other parties to make reports on their behalf. Responsible parties shall ensure all marine casualties and hazardous conditions are reported to the Sector New Orleans Command Center.
Determination of Reportable Incidents: A duty Investigating Officer will investigate all notices of marine casualties and hazardous conditions. It is not the role of other parties to determine if a notice meets the threshold of a reportable marine casualty; this is a determination made by the Investigating Officer.
