TVIB News TVIB

TVIB at the IMX Show in St. Louis

TVIB will have a panel discussion on “Subchapter M – Focus on Internal Surveying Programs” on Tuesday, May 23rd. We have a panel of industry experts who will speak about the requirements for surveying under Subchapter M. Operators who choose the TSMS, or Towing Safety Management System, option for regulatory compliance have the option of building it with an internal survey program that includes Third-Party Organization (TPO) oversight, or using an external program with a TPO conducting the surveys.

We will have an exhibit booth set up to provide an opportunity to learn more about our organization and talk with our members.  Our members, auditors, and surveyors are some of the most experienced brown water professionals around. We have a broad geographic dispersion of auditors and surveyors to serve your TPO needs.  We will also host the 2-day Marine Internal Lead Auditor (MILA) course in conjunction with the show.

TVIB will conduct it’s Spring Board of Directors and Annual Membership Meeting on Monday, May 22nd from 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Click here for more information.


TVIB – THE TPO YOU KNOW AND TRUST

  • Click here for more information about IMX show that runs from May 22-24, 2017 in St. Louis, MO.
  • Riverworks Discovery is holding a “Who Works the Rivers” career fair on Wednesday May, 24th from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. Click here to access their Facebook events page for more information.
  • Click here for information on our Marine Internal Lead Auditor (MILA) course that will run Mon/Tue – May 22nd & 24th.

USCG – Credentialing Officers of Towing Vessels

02/24/2017

The Coast Guard has issued guidances for credentialing officers of towing vessels. They are pointing mariners back to Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) 03-16 which provides the guidelines. The NVIC contains FAQs and information related to the transition of the Towing Officer Assessment Record (TOAR) from NVIC 04-10 to the information in NVIC 03-16.

Click here to review the USCG guidance published on 02/24/2017.

Click here to download NVIC 03-16 Guidelines for Credentialing Officers of Towing Vessels.

SAFETY ALERT-Suspect and Counterfeit Items

 

Excerpt from Safety Alert Number 03-17 published 04/06/2017

The USCG issued a Safety Alert regarding potential suspect and counterfeit items. Such items lack the quality and capabilities of authentic ones and can lead to marine casualties and unsafe conditions. Stakeholders should implement policies to ensure that items purchased are authentic.

Suspect / Counterfeit Items (S/CIs) are products represented as meeting specified manufacturing and quality requirements when, in fact, they do not. S/CIs have been a known problem to industry and the government since the early 1980s. This concern initially focused on fasteners and over time has been expanded to include many items, both electrical and mechanical. The Coast Guard is routinely made aware of various types of counterfeit equipment and products in the marine industry. Oftentimes, such items are lifesaving products and fire-fighting equipment, which represent an extreme hazard. S/CIs can cause:

  • marine casualties causing extensive damage to equipment, vessels and the environment;
  • unsafe conditions that put people at risk of injury or death; and
  • delays that impact vessel schedules and create additional operating costs.

Click here to review and download the full document.