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The Higman Marine Safety Management System
Seven Volumes you should be familiar with.
Throughout 2010, updated volumes of the Higman Marine Safety Management System have been delivered throughout the Fleet. The system consists of seven volumes that provide consistent guidance on how we do our business and how we operate as a company. These volumes are the basis for much of the our customer's vetting process that rates us as a company. Our customers study our management system and audit our operation based on what we say we do within these volumes.
Let's take a brief look at the seven volumes and how they can be used in our operation.  Volume 1 - Policy and Procedure Manual.This manual provides guidance for all afloat personnel to safely navigate and operate the vessel, manage incidents and emergency preparedness, environmental concerns, and to manage personnel in the work place. All crewmembers should have read this and be familiar with all sections of the manual. There are five sections in the manual that range from vessel navigation to personnel issues. Each crewmember at one time should sign off in the FORWARD section of the book that they have read it....... HAVE ALL YOUR CREWMEMBERS READ VOLUME 1?Volume 2 - Personal Safety Manual.This manual is issued to all Afloat Personnel and is updated from time to time. The manual sets forth the responsibility for safety and provides the basic safety rules for our operations. This manual is good resource material especially for use during Safety Meetings. Volume 3 - Cargo Transfer Procedures.
This manual provides guidance to all Afloat and shore based tankermen for the transfer of cargos on Higman Barges. It is referenced to USCG regulations that are required to be met during cargo operations. All Tankerman are issued a copy. Volume 4 - On Board Maintenance Manual.Maintenance procedures, specific to each towboat are included in this manual. Presently a new issue is at the printers and will be distributed shortly.  Volume 5 - Training Manual.Training Requirements throughout the year are documented in this manual. From Computer Based Training (CBT) to USCG licensing procedures, each step is chronicled. Personnel Development from the Deckhand position to the Captain position are described with requirements, step by step. All crewmembers should read and be familiar with all sections of this manual. A sign off section is included in the manual's FORWARD.
Volume 6 - Tank Vessel Response Plan.
This manual is a USCG approved plan to provide a policy and guidance for reporting, containing and recovery of all cargo or other petroleum products spilled on the waterways.
Each boat is issued this volume and must be updated as instructed.
Volume 7 - Alternate Security Plan(ASP)
Our company's security plan is documented in this USCG approved manual. As per our security procedure, the manual must be maintained and controlled by the Captain/Relief Captain. All crew members should be familiar with the security plan and be ready to execute duties if the time ever comes.
Each boat is issued this volume and must be updated as instructed.
Using the seven volumes will not only enhance the safety and efficiency of your vessel's operation, but will keep us all on the same page.
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Engine Room Notes
Hose Clamps
Capt Terry Busby on the M/V SABINE PASS offered this engine room maintenance suggestion:
"As you know, during winter time in cold weather, metal fittings will contract when the engines are shut down. This allows hose clamps to become loose and drips to show up. It is easy to find dripping and leaking connections during those times; that is when I tighten them up."  Improperly tightened hose clamps can also be the root cause leaks. The above photo shows a typical worm gear style hose clamp where the screw is tightened to provide clamping force to the hose. The middle hose in the photo depicts the proper application of the hose clamp to the hose with appropriate tightening torque.
If the clamp is over tightened or over torqued, the condition to the far right with severe deformation occurs. Excessive tightening can lead to the extrusion of rubber through the worn gear slots as shown below which can damage the hose and cause a leak.
 | | Overtight |
 | | Just right |
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Uninspected Towing Vessel Examinations
Twenty four vessels have now completed their UTV Examinations with no recommendations.....passing with flying colors! Nine are awaiting completion with minor recommendations.
The following comments are from Lt. Tim Tilghman, USCG, to Jay Frye after inspecting the M/V SANDY POINT on November 18. Tankerman Milton "Bubba" Watson performance is highlighted below:
"Mr. Frye,
I want to send you a brief email highlighting the outstanding performance of one of your deckhands on board the Sandy Point during our examination on 12 November 2010. Milton "Bubba" Watson is by far one of the most diligent, intelligent, driven, and skilled deckhands my team has seen on over 100 examinations this past year.
Mr. Watson expertly lead my team through the particulars of the vessel and was an invaluable asset to the team during the inspection of the vessel's engine room. Of note, Mr. Watson participated, hand-in-hand, with the testing of the emergency fuel shut off valves during our examination. As you know, these valves are a major part of the engineering safety systems on board the vessel and the presence of an inoperable valve or the crew's lack of familiarity with the device can result in a failed examination.
 | | Tankerman Bubba Watson and Capt James Campbell |
Mr. Watson quickly researched the system with a Coast Guard engineer, review the physical diagram of the system, and then proceed to test the system to accurately ensure not only did the system work, but that the system was reset in a timely manner to guarantee the temporary lack of fuel would not cause damage to vital systems.
Furthermore, Mr. Watson asked for a brief moment to teach another deckhand how the system worked. He imparted the knowledge and then assisted the new deckhand with executing the test with the same precision and quickness that made Mr. Watson's test successful.
In sum, Mr. Watson's expertise and dedication to his job made our examination a great experience, and truly left the Coast Guard feeling that any vessel Mr. Watson is on is under the direction of a highly competent professional mariner.
Thanks again for the pleasure of working with your outstanding crews and keep up the good work."
GREAT JOB to Capt James Campbell and his crew for their inspection performance. |
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401K Enrollment
It's time to enroll in the 401k. Employees that have reached their six month anniversary by January 1, 2011 are eligible for enrollment.
If you are already enrolled and wish to change your percent contribution this must be done during open enrollment.
The 401k forms can be found on higmanboats.com in the "Miscellaneous section" under "Office Forms" or by clicking here. The original completed forms must be in the Channelview office by December 20, 2010.
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CBT Question & Answer
With the year finishing up, we have had several questions concerning the Computer Based Training (CBT). We would like to answer these questions for the entire fleet.
Q: Can I get a report of the training my crew needs to complete?
A: Yes. The missing training report will be emailed to each boat by the end of the day tomorrow. We had some technical difficulties that have been sorted out. We are also currently working on a report that can be accessed at any time for the entire crew.
Q: What CBT are new hires required to complete?
A: New Hires are required to complete all training from the quarter they are hired through the end of the year. For example: If a Tankerman hires in August he is required to complete third and fourth quarter courses. However all crew members may complete any of the courses available on the site.
Q: Can we get the Friday Questions on CBT?
A: We have updated the format to the CBT site. The courses will no longer be displayed on the CBT homepage; only categories. To access the courses all you have to do is select the category and a new page will appear with the courses that fall under that category. Over the next couple of weeks, previous Friday Questions sets will be added.
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Holiday Lights
 When celebrating the Holidays on a vessel we all try to make it feel as homey as possible. In the spirit, many vessels like to put Christmas lights around the railings. However we can't let the spirit overlook the Rules of the Road.
Rule 20 (Lights Application), states: Rules concerning lights shall be complied with from sunset to sunrise and during such times no other lights shall be exhibited, except such lights as cannot be mistaken for the lights specified in these Rules or do not impair their visibility or distinctive character, or interfere with the keeping of a proper look-out.
If you are putting up Christmas light remember, they must comply with these rules.
Rules of the Road
INLAND ONLY....Yellow lights are NOT used to identify __________.
a. U.S. submarines
b. vessels pushing ahead
c. law enforcement vessels
d. dredge pipelines on trestles
INLAND ONLY....A barge more than 50 meters long is required to show how many white anchor lights when anchored in a Secretary approved "special anchorage area"?
a. 2
b. 1
c. 3
d. None
INLAND ONLY....What lights are required for a barge being pushed ahead, not being part of a composite unit?
a. Sidelights and a stern light
b. Sidelights and a special flashing light
c. Sidelights, a towing light, and a stern light
d. Sidelights, a special flashing light, and a stern light
INLAND ONLY....A vessel of less than 20 meters in length at anchor at night in a "special anchorage area designated by the Secretary" __________.
a. must show one white light
b. need not show any lights
c. must show two white lights
d. need show a light only on the approach of another vessel
INLAND ONLY....A towing vessel pushing ahead on the Western Rivers above the Huey P. Long bridge must show __________.
a. sidelights only
b. sidelights and towing lights
c. sidelights, towing lights, and two masthead lights
d. sidelights, towing lights, and three masthead lights
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Online Training Questions
We have not produced a Friday Questions during the past two weeks so there is no review in this issue.
This week though, I want to highlight our topic from November 12th - Emergency Fuel Shutoff System. During our Uninspected Towing Vessel Examinations presently being conducted by the USCG, there have been some crewmembers that were not totally familiar with the system.
A good topic of discussion at your next Vessel Safety Meeting is the operation of this system.
This training topic can be reviewed again at Emergency Fuel Shutoff System. Please make sure all crewmembers understand and can operate the system.
Please contact the Maintenance Department if you have any questions. |
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Stern Shots
| Taylor Milam hard at work on the M/V PIMLICO. |
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Nov 2010 Seamens Curch Institute APM Class
(from left) James Shankle, John Gonzales, Travis Dover, Jacob Penney, Rick Ellerbe, Ranny Fitch, Chris Lusk, Mike DeCesare(SCI), Shane Marks, Tony Bertrand, Steve Polk(SCI). |
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Nautical Trivia
Steamboat NEW ORLEANS
The NEW ORLEANS was the first steamboat on the western waters of the United States. Its 1811-1812 voyage from Pittsburgh, PA to New Orleans, LA on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers ushered in the era of commercial steamboat navigation on the western rivers
The NEW ORLEANS was a joint venture of Robert Fulton (1765-1815), Robert Livingston (1746-1813), and Nicholas Roosevelt (1767-1854). Fulton had successfully commercialized the steamboat on the Hudson River with his first steamboat, the CLERMONT in 1807.
Fulton and Livingston realized the great potential for steamboat traffic on the western waters; accordingly, within twelve days of the completion of the CLERMONT's first voyage, they began to plan for the introduction of a steamboat on the western rivers. Their plan began with the building of the NEW ORLEANS. The Steamboat NEW ORLEANS was completed on the banks of the Monongahela River near Pittsburg.
The most accurate estimates put the NEW ORLEANS at 148 feet 6 inches long, 32 feet 6 inches wide, and 12 feet deep, with a tonnage of 371. This made it considerably larger than the barges, then the largest craft on the rivers, which rarely exceeded 100 feet in
length. The total cost of the construction was about $38,000, a considerable sum. The boat was first launched unfinished, in March 1811, but took many months to complete.
The NEW ORLEANS was taken on a successful trial trip around Pittsburgh on October 15, 1811, and finally set sail for New Orleans on October 20. Roosevelt was the captain, and his pregnant wife and young daughter accompanied as passengers. The crew consisted of the engineer Nicholas Baker, the pilot Andrew Jack, six hands, two female servants for Mrs. Roosevelt, a waiter, a cook, and a Newfoundland dog named Tiger.
On October 27, 1811, the boat passed Cincinnati; the residents were disappointed it didn't stop and thought they'd never see the
NEW ORLEANS again.
After barely escaping a canoe attack by the Chickasaw Indians, the NEW ORLEANS reached Natchez, MS on December 30, 1811. They reached New Orleans on January 10, 1812, and shortly thereafter began regularly plying between New Orleans and Natchez.
The NEW ORLEANS sank near Baton Rouge, LA on July 14, 1814. This set the pattern for the average lifespan of a steamboat, about three years. |
Dates to Remember
San Jacinto Maritime
Tankerman (PIC) DEC 13 - DEC 22
2011 Wheelman's Seminar
First Session MAR 8 - MAR 9
Second Session MAR 24 - MAR 25
Third Session APR 5 - APR 6
2011 Tankerman Meetings
First Session JAN 25
Secont Session FEB 10
Third Session MAR 17
Fourth Session APR 21
Fifth Session MAY 23
Sixth Session JUN 8
Seventh Session JUL 11
Eigth Session AUG 15
Ninth Session SEP 20
Tenth Session OCT 11
Eleventh Session NOV 3
To schedule training please email Kelly or call at 281-864-6011.
CBT Certificates earned by Higman employees from JAN 1, 2010 to date........5718!
DO ALL CREWMEMBERS HAVE ACCESS TO THE HIGMAN TRAINING NEWSLETTER?
- PEASE MAKE SURE A HARD COPY IS PRINTED AND MADE AVAILABLE FOR THE CREW.
- Add your email address with the "Join our Mailing List" button (above, page 1, left side) to get your own copy!
Answer to this weeks NAV Questions....C, A, B, B, B
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It is hard to look to the future, but in areas of our health, it is worth the effort. Take this case in point.
Capt Gilbert Lamas, Relief Capt on the M/V ROCKFISH made the following observations concerning his hearing after 45 years of working around high noise areas with not always using hearing protection.
"I would like to share with you an attitude that a lot of us have out here that there is nothing that can hurt us.
After working in a high noise area for the better part of 45 years, I have paid the price. I now have Tinnitus, a ringing in the ears. It starts as a very low ringing and as time goes on, it gets louder. It never goes away and there is no cure. I have good hearing but I also have Tinnitus.
The only way to alleviate the ringing in the ears is by using hearing aids. They are very expensive ($5300 for a pair). Insurance does not cover this, so it is an expense. They are uncomfortable and hard to get used to. They do help stop the ringing as long as I have them on.
If I would have stopped being a macho man when I first started in this industry and wore hearing protection when needed, I would not have this problem today. In short wear the hearing protectors or wear hearing aids........Gilbert Lamas"
Let's make sure we do all we can to protect our hearing today, so we don't have to deal with hearing loss or tinnitus in the future.
Have a great and very safe week!
Sincerely,
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GORDIE KEENAN
KELLY CLEAVER
HIGMAN MARINE SERVICES, Inc. | |
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