Canadian transport safety officials express concern about country's marine emergency preparedness
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) recently issued two safety concerns following the 2021 loss of containers and fire on board the container vessel ZIM Kingston, off Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The first safety concern relates to the risk of a phenomenon called parametric rolling, which led to the loss of containers, and the second concern addresses gaps in Canada’s preparedness to respond to marine emergencies.
On October 21, 2021, while waiting for an anchorage to become available, ZIM Kingston was drifting outside the Juan de Fuca Strait, with 21 crewmembers on board, when it experienced a series of severe side-to-side rolls, resulting in the loss of 109 containers overboard and damage to others.
Approximately 36 hours later, while the vessel was anchored off Victoria, BC, a fire broke out in a damaged container that held dangerous goods. The fire then spread to nearby containers and lasted for five days before it was declared extinguished.
Model testing conducted during TSB's investigation determined that ZIM Kingston experienced parametric rolling – which occurs when sea conditions converge with vessel-specific factors in a precise way, resulting in dangerous side-to-side rolling motions. The forces created by the vessel’s extreme motions were the precipitating factor for the container loss.
The investigation found that the risk of parametric rolling could have been identified using guidance material that is generally available to industry; however, this material was not on board ZIM Kingston.
This investigation and several other investigations into container loss occurrences that involved parametric rolling have revealed inconsistencies and inadequacies with respect to bridge crew training and the adoption of procedures and tools to support them in managing the risk of parametric rolling. TSB said the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is taking steps to update industry guidance; however, this will take time.
In the meantime, the TSB is concerned that the absence of up-to-date comprehensive industry guidance for the management of parametric rolling may cause company policies, procedures, tools, and training to be inconsistent, ineffective, or absent altogether.
The TSB said the occurrence also brought to the forefront the challenges that Canada faces when dealing with marine emergencies that go beyond the response capacity of the vessel’s crew. Unlike the United States, Canada does not require pre-arranged plans for emergency response or marine salvage.
In addition, the Canadian Coast Guard does not directly participate in marine fire response, nor does it have fire suppression capabilities to directly respond to a vessel fire. In this occurrence, it was fortunate that the vessel’s manager had made pre-arrangements for emergency response and that only by happenstance were there two suitably equipped vessels nearby.
"The emergency response that followed was initiated mainly due to incidental, but fortunate, circumstances," said TSB Chair Kathy Fox. "It is important not to mistake this luck for emergency preparedness, as the next time, we might not be as lucky. There needs to be more urgent and effective action to address marine emergencies in Canadian waters."
Following amendments to the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, the Governor in Council now has the ability to make regulations regarding emergency arrangements for vessels. Transport Canada is developing regulations to require emergency response arrangements, which are not projected to be in place until 2028.
Therefore, the TSB is concerned that there are gaps in Canada’s preparedness for marine emergencies that exceed the response capacity of a vessel’s crew, posing a risk to vessels, the environment, and the health and safety of the general public.
