By Debbie Hersman
Yesterday, the NTSB met to consider the May 8, 2010, accident involving the Staten Island Ferry Andrew J. Barberi. Our investigation determined that the accident was due to a mechanical failure. Our investigation also found that the vessel, which has a capacity of 6,000 passengers, was not equipped with, or required to have, an alarm that would alert the crew of a propulsion or steering failure.
Of the 266 people on board the Andrew J. Barberi, there were no fatalities and 50 people were injured. That is in stark contrast to the 11 passenger fatalities and 70 injuries from the Andrew J. Barberi’s October 15, 2003, accident that the NTSB also investigated. A lot changed between October 2003 and May 2010 — notably the New York City Department of Transportation’s commitment to making significant improvements in its Ferry Division. In 2005, the Ferry Division implemented a safety management system (SMS) consistent with our recommendations after the 2003 accident investigation.
An SMS is a risk-based, methodical approach to safety. Under an SMS, the maritime organization details the policies, practices, and procedures for the safe operation of its vessel and for how to handle emergencies. This includes a framework for regular drills and training as well as spelling out clear roles for crew members and personnel on shore. Most important, the foundation of good safety management is commitment from top management.
On May 8, 2010, the Ferry Division’s personnel efficiently and effectively executed their emergency response procedures as trained under the SMS. While there was a failure that day — of a mechanical part — there was so much that succeeded thanks to the SMS and the active leadership in the Ferry Division to make key safety improvements.
As a result of our investigation, we recommended requiring SMS on domestic passenger ships. Operating under the discipline and standardization of an SMS sets the stage for a strong safety culture and that’s a win-win for the 21 million people who ride the Staten Island Ferry each year.
Since SMS is so important to safety across all modes of transportation, last year the NTSB placed it on its Most Wanted List.
NTSB Safety Compass Blog 