Today's Safety Sunday Tip: STAY ALERT AND DON'T GET HURT" Fatigue is more than simply feeling tired or drowsy. It is mental or physical exhaustion that stops a person from being able to function normally. Fatigue is caused by prolonged periods of physical and/or mental exertion without enough time to rest and recover. Today's blog will aim to educa...
(Houston, Texas) Clyde Loll, Vice President of Compliance and QHSE at Gulf Marine Contractors, has been appointed to the Board of Directors for the International Board for Certified Safety Managers (IBFCSM). Established in 1976, the IBFCSM oversees certification process opportunities in healthcare safety, hazard control management, emergency and di...
Today's Safety Sunday tip is: RESPECT UNBREAKABLE SAFETY RULES There are certain things in this world that you simply shouldn't do no matter who or where you are, regardless of the circumstances. I refer to these things as my " unbreakable safety rules " and we should ALL respect them. I'm quite certain that if we collectively lived by these unbrea...
Today's Safety Sunday tip is: ASSESS RISKS Risk assessment is a proactive HSE process tool. The more we understand its purpose and the more times we use it, the better we become at learning how to recognize, evaluate, and control hazards and minimize the likelihood of our employees getting hurt, damaging equipment, or possibly harming the environme...
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Expanding Access to Sustainable Energy Act of 2019, which enforces Jones Act requirements for all offshore renewable energy production. However, the bill's current language has the potential to create a loophole that would leave the U.S. Jones Act fleet on the sidelines. The Jones Act and its applica...
(Houston, Texas) Gulf Marine Contractors is proud to welcome Charlie Labastida as their new Logistics Manager for North America. Mr. Labastida will oversee and manage all freight-forwarding and international transport for GMC. "We are so excited to have Charlie on board our team," says Clark Buffam, Chief Operations Officer at GMC. "He is known for...
Today's Safety Sunday tip is: WEAR GLOVES At one time or another, everyone has had a minor injury to a finger, hand, or wrist that caused pain or swelling. Most of the time, our body movements do not cause problems, but it's not surprising that symptoms develop from everyday wear and tear, overuse, or an injury. According to the CDC, injuries to th...
Today's Safety Sunday tip is: THINK before Lifting! Every day, each of us has to pick up an object physically. It could be as small as a delivery package left on your home's porch, or it could be as large as an awkwardly-shaped piece of equipment in a port yard. Regardless, both of these instances could cause an injury if proper liftin...
Today's Safety Sunday tip is: Guard against SLIPS, TRIPS, and FALLS Not only do slips, trips, and falls cause nearly 700 fatalities per year, but they also cause many dangerous workplace accidents. Slips are a loss of balance caused by too little friction between your feet and the surface where you walk or work. Loss of traction is the leading caus...
Today's Safety tip is: STOP and THINK Stop and Think about the job and activities you are about to perform. Did you know that the one task that causes the greatest of lost time incidents is "Line of fire/caught between/struck against"? Line of fire means being in direct striking distance of a foreign object that is released. Each day ask...
(Houston, Texas) Gulf Marine Contractors (GMC) is excited to announce the appointment of Patrick Kuys as Chief Commercial Officer in charge of Business Development, Strategy, and Commercial and Public Affairs. "We are very excited Patrick has accepted this challenge to help us ramp up and serve the global marine and offshore market," says Clark Buf...
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) announced revisions to the Ballast Water Management Reporting Form, including the removal of the alternative ballast water management clause and the addition of data collection of recent dry dock dates for vessels. On July 20th, 2020, the USCG obtained approval from the White House's Office of Management ...
What is a Vessel Agent? A vessel agent (or ship's agent) is a local expert who acts as a representative of ship owners, managers, or charterers and carries out all the necessary duties and obligations required by the vessel's owner or crew. What Are a Vessel Agent's Primary Responsibilities? As you can imagine, ship owners, managers, and cha...
(Houston, Texas) GMC is proud to welcome Dane Peden as the new Operations Manager for the United States Gulf division.In this position, Mr. Peden will oversee U.S. Gulf marine vessel operations, including port calls and offshore logistics. "Dane is such a valuable addition to our team," says Clark Buffam, Chief Operations Officer of GMC. "His passi...
Mexico is the Fourth Largest Oil Producer in the Western Hemisphere. Although production has fallen in recent years, oil revenues still generate over 10% of Mexico's export earnings. With its close proximity to the United States, Mexico tends to be a more cost-effective option for oil companies whose alternative drilling locations could...
Chances are, you've heard to the term "force majeure" by now. As the shipping industry braces for the impact of COVID-19, companies are scrambling to understand how their businesses will be affected by the delay in the global supply chain. What is Force Majeure? In short, force majeure allows one party to be relieved of contractual obligations ...
(Cape Town, South Africa) GMC's South Africa office has partnered with local authorities to help provide relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. The community outreach includes collecting soup ingredients and donating them to local ward councilors. In South Africa, ward councilors are responsible for the welfare of the people of their townships. Throu...
It Can Happen to You The idea that your business' reputation and profitability could be forever tarnished by an export violation may seem like a far-off hypothetical, but in reality, export violations can carry heavy penalties and severe consequences. A company that has been found in violation, along with its leaders, comes under scrutiny as...
(Houston, Texas) Gulf Marine Contractors is proud to welcome Patrick Kuys as the new Managing Director for their Sub-Sahara Africa operations. Based out of Cape Town, South Africa, Mr. Kuys will lead GMC's growth in Africa. GMC is currently opening new locations in South Africa, Namibia, and Mozambique. In the near future, GMC plans to extend its n...
Whether it's due to poor packaging, water damage or other outside forces, cargo damage is a reality that most companies will have to deal with along the line. While cargo issues are an inevitable part of the shipping industry, there is a clear way for companies to claim compensation for damaged goods. What is a Cargo Damage Claim? Also kno...