On August 1, 2015, at 2147 local time, the tank barge Double Skin 501 being pushed by the uninspected towing vessel Peter F Gellatly allided with International Matex Tank Terminals (IMTT) Bayonne Pier A in Bayonne, New Jersey, as the captain attempted to dock the tow at a nearby pier. Damage to the barge, pier, and an adjacent ship, the Isola Bianca, totaled an estimated $2.7 million. The allision also damaged pipelines on the pier, resulting in the discharge of 630 gallons of no. 6 fuel oil into the waterway. There were no injuries.

​The probable cause of the allision of the Peter F Gellatly tow with IMTT Bayonne Pier A was the captain and the engineer’s poor communication, their inadequate assessment of the hazardous condition posed by the starboard engine control malfunction, and the captain’s decision to continue operations without ensuring that the malfunction had been adequately corrected. Contributing to the accident was the crew’s unfamiliarity with the provisions of the company’s safety management system that addressed actions in response to hazardous conditions.

​​Management Plays the Key Role in the Safety Management System

The NTSB has investigated numerous accidents across all modes of transportation where a safety management system (SMS) or similar program could have prevented injuries, loss of life, or material damage. As a result, the NTSB has recommended that marine, aviation, railroad, and highway organizations establish safety management programs.

The key to a functional SMS is a systematic way to identify hazards and control risks while maintaining assurance that these risk controls are effective. The major components to an SMS include the following:

• Safety policy - management’s commitment to continually improve safety; the policy defines the methods, processes, and organizational structure needed to meet safety goals.
• Safety risk management – the determination of the need for, and adequacy of, new or revised risk controls based on the assessment of acceptable risk.
• Safety assurance – management’s system of internal evaluation intended to assure the execution of safety-related measures and to make certain that employees understand their roles.
• Safety promotion - the organization’s promotion of safety as a core value using practices that support a sound safety culture.