[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 68 (Thursday, April 9, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17468-17469]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-9381]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Coast Guard
[USCG 1998-3662]
Development of a National Maritime Safety Incident Reporting
System; Request for Written Material
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard, in cooperation with the Maritime
Administration, is holding a public meeting to invite ideas, comments,
questions, and interest by individuals and organizations willing to, in
an industry-led team, develop a national maritime safety incident
reporting system. The team would design and implement an industry-based
system that would receive, analyze, and disseminate information about
unsafe occurrences, hazardous situations, and lessons, learned from
corrective actions. The Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration
expect the new system to promote a safer and more efficient maritime
industry.
DATES: The meeting will be held on May 4, 1998, from 8:30 a.m. to 4
p.m. Written material must reach the Coast Guard on or before April 27,
1998.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100
Second Street SW., Washington, DC 20593-0001 in room number 2415. You
may send written material to the Docket Management Facility, (USCG
1998-3662), U.S. Department of Transportation, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh
Street SW., Washington, DC 20593-0001, or deliver them to room PL-401,
located on the Plaza Level of the Nassif Building at the same address
between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays. The telephone number is 202-366-9329.
The Docket Management Facility maintains the public docket for this
notice. Written material, and documents as indicated in this notice,
will become part of this docket and will be available for inspection or
copying at room PL-401, located on the Plaza Level of the Nassif
Building at the above address between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
[[Page 17469]]
You may electronically access the public docket for this notice on the
Internet at http://dms.dot.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the public docket,
contact Carol Kelly, Coast Guard Dockets Team Leader, or Paulette
Twine, Chief, Documentary Services Division, U.S. Department of
Transportation, telephone 202-366-9329. For information concerning this
notice, contact LCDR Scott J. Ferguson, Office of Investigations and
Analysis (G-MOA), U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second Street
SW., Washington, DC 20593-0001; telephone 202-267-0715/1430, fax 202-
267-1416, e-mail sferguson@comdt.uscg.mil.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:
National Maritime Safety Incident Reporting System
The Coast Guard, in cooperation with the Maritime Administration,
plans to assist in the creation of an industry-wide team that will
design, develop, and implement a practical, voluntary, and confidential
national maritime safety incident reporting system run by a non-
regulatory party and/or a network of parties (public and/or private).
The system would receive, analyze, and disseminate information about
near-casualties (unsafe occurrences), hazardous situations, and
lessons-learned from corrective actions. These near-casualties or
problem events are an untapped source of information that can serve as
leading indicators on safety in the maritime community providing
information that can be used to prevent accidents before they happen.
The information gleaned from this system will serve as a baseline to
foster continuous improvement in safety throughout all segments of the
maritime community. The system will help prevent marine casualties,
injuries and property damage including environmental damage, and create
a safer and more efficient marine transportation system and mariner
work environment. Success will depend on the extent of industry
involvement and leadership in this process; on the resulting mechanism
for gathering the data; and on developing the means for effectively
analyzing, using, and disseminating the information gleaned.
Procedure
The Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration will hold a joint
public meeting on May 4, 1998 in Washington, DC to invite ideas,
comments, questions, and interest by individual and organizations
willing to participate as members and lead an industry-wide team to
develop this system. The meeting will be in the form of an informal
workshop open to the public. With advance notice, and as time permits,
members of the public may make oral presentations during the meeting.
Persons wishing to make oral presentations should notify LCDR Scott J.
Ferguson no later than the day before the meeting. Persons wishing to
make their material available at the meeting should forward 25 copies
to LCDR Scott J. Ferguson at Commandant (G-MOA), U.S. Coast Guard, U.S.
Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second Street SW., Washington, DC 20593-
0001. These copies are in addition to the copy sent to the Docket
Management Facility. Written comments may also be submitted during the
meeting. Any material submitted after the meeting should be sent to the
Docket Management Facility. Persons unable to attend the public
meetings should submit written material as outlined above. It is
anticipated that more public meetings will be held at later dates in
various parts of the country. Dates and locations of these meetings
will be published via a separate notice in the Federal Register.
Questions
We especially need your help in answering the following questions,
although additional information is welcome. In responding to each
question, please explain your reasons for each answer so that the
consequences and impacts can be carefully weighed.
1. Would a national maritime safety incident reporting system such
as described in this notice be beneficial? Why or why not? If yes, what
are the potential benefits of such a system?
2. How should near-casualty and precursor events (hazardous
situations) be defined? In responding consider the relationship with
existing requirements to report marine casualties (46 CFR 4.05-10) and
hazardous conditions (33 CFR 160.203 and 160.215).
3. What legislation and or regulatory changes, if any, should be
considered to promote the use of the system?
4. How should the system be designed, developed, and implemented?
Should this be done by the Government, by a cross sectional industry
committee within an industry based organizational umbrella, or another
combination? Who in industry should take a leadership role in the
design, development, and implementation process with the Coast Guard
and the Maritime Administration's assistance? The identification of
industry members willing to lead this project is a key first step
towards its success.
5. Who should run the system? The Coast Guard envisions a non-
regulatory party or network of parties (public and/or private). Is
there a better option? Who in the maritime community is willing and
able to run this system? How should the system be funded? How much will
it cost?
6. What are the potential problems with a national maritime safety
incident reporting system? How would the system developers overcome
these problems? Will mariners be willing to use the system? What could
be done to promote mariner wholehearted support and use of the system?
7. What other issues must be resolved to turn this idea into a full
fledged working system? In responding to this question please include
your ideas on how they can be resolved. What is the next step(s)?
The Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration intend to do the
following with the information received: Evaluate the information;
identify industry leadership to run the project and participants;
discuss the results in another Federal Register document; use it as a
basis for other meetings; and develop a plan or blueprint to design,
develop, and implement a national maritime safety incident reporting
system.
Information on Services for Individual With Disabilities
For information on facilities or services for individuals with
disabilities or to request special assistance at the meeting, contact
LCDR Scott J. Ferguson as soon as possible, at least one week prior to
the date of the meeting.
Dated: April 3, 1998.
R.C. North,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety
and Environmental Protection.
[FR Doc. 98-9381 Filed 4-8-98; 8:45 am]
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