Safety

At Smith Marine, we believe every successful project begins and ends with safety at the forefront. We believe that all accidents are preventable, therefore we take preventative actions such as identifying hazards before an accident can occur.

We believe that we have a responsibility to our employees, their families and our customers to continually improve our safety system. We believe we have an obligation to make every effort to cause NO HARM to People, Property and Planet (environment).

Our Mission is to provide our customers excellent marine towing services and value while causing NO HARM to People, Property & Planet.

Smith Marine accomplishes the NO HARM mission by:

  • Regular internal and third-party audits, inspections, and surveys of our towing vessels and shorebase office
  • Hiring and vetting the very best competent vessel Captains and crew that are paid well and willing to safely perform the very best and safest job possible
  • Competent Safety Engineer with a Master of Engineering degree that oversees the NO HARM mission and is the Designated Person Ashore
  • 52-Week Matrix: Weekly crew safety training and drills led by the vessel Captain based on actual risk scenarios specific to our marine towing vessels
  • Daily, monthly, and quarterly critical safety equipment inspections, test, and maintenance checks by the vessel crew
  • Every crew member has the authority and responsibility to Stop Work when unsafe conditions or hazards are identified. Stop Work Used Immediately Will Prevent an Accident Today!
  • Every crew member has an obligation to report all Near Misses. A Near Miss Reported Today Will Prevent an Accident Tomorrow!
  • Hazard Hunts are utilized by crew on board Smith Marine vessels to recognize hazards that may have been missed through other risk identification methods
  • Risk Assessments are conducted by vessel Captains for every Voyage Plan
  • The Marine Accident Prevention Plan (MAPP) is completed before a dredging or other major project begins. MAPP is our perspective on the marine towing related risk involving a specific project.
  • Activity Hazard Analysis (AHA): Smith Marine follows the USACE’s safety manual EM-383 and their Risk Assessment Matrix for conducting the AHAs on high-risk job activities
  • Developing Preventative Actions and discovering and sharing Lessons Learned
  • Quality Management System that advances customer satisfaction and job performance excellence
  • Seeking continual improvement in the Towing Safety & Environmental Management System (TSEMS)
  • Annual inspections and surveys by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). We always welcome others to help us constantly improve our safety system!
  • We put a major emphasis on having our vessels well-maintained resulting in fewer breakdowns and safety related issues.
  • A rarity in the marine towing industry, our largest vessels are fully classed (Hull and Machinery) by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) resulting in best-in-class quality equipment and safety
  • Smith Marine is a member of the American Waterways Operators (AWO) and certified under the Responsible Carrier Program (RCP) rules by the Towing Vessel Inspection Bureau (TVIB)
  • We are members of DISA that helps us enhance our drug and alcohol program and ISNetworld that increases review of our safety policies and procedures.
  • Customized Sea2River software program that ensures timely renewal of audits, inspections, equipment, maintenance, certificates and licenses.
  • Vessels are designed for increased crew safety such as custom designed and fabricated fixed ladders rated for over 500 lbs. for crew to safely access scows/barges, fixed fire-fighting, H-Bit for winch safety and ABS approved upper pilot house (Crow’s Nest) that increases the Captain’s visibility when docking and undocking empty scows/barges.