28 JUNE 2019 • FOGHORN SAFETYMATTERS BLOUNTBOATS.COM 401.245.8300 WARREN, RHODE ISLAND BUILT TO SERVE BUILT TO LAST BUILT BY BLOUNT 10th Vessel for Fire Island Ferries By Eric Christensen, Director of Regulatory Affairs and Risk Management I n February 2019, the U.S. Coast Guard Office of Vessel Compliance issued a blog post in Maritime Commons reminding Coast Guard Marine Inspectors and the industry of the training requirements for certain passenger vessels that carry hazardous materials (HAZMAT). The response from the local Coast Guard units was swift, this would be the inspection item du jour of the upcoming inspec- tion season. Some units were more aggressive than others and PVA staff was quick to reach out to Coast Guard Headquarters to gain a bit more insight and to ask that a more restrained approach be used to bring vessel operators into compliance. The fact is, some operators and some Coast Guard units were more versed in HAZMAT training requirements than others. Another Set of Regulations Ferry vessels that transport HAZMAT are governed by the Hazardous Materials Regulations found in 49 CFR Parts 171-180. The requirements were published by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). The subject of HAZMAT carriage has come up at Industry Days over the past couple years and, as stated above, there were various levels of compliance with some inconsistency. Coast Guard Headquarters consulted with PHMSA to ensure alignment regarding training for mariners working on ferry vessels that transport HAZMAT. Hazardous Materials Carriage and Training OVER 60 YEARS OF CUSTOMER CONFIDENCE GLADDING-HEARN SHIPBUILDING Duclos Corporation gladding-hearn.com GladdingHearn-MBTAFerry-BW.pdf 1 10/24/18 2:04 PM