After several collisions and near misses caused by cargo blocking the view from the bridge, the USCG has issued a safety alert on bridge visibility and visual lookouts.
The U.S. Coast Guard has issued Marine Safety Alert 06-26 following several recent collisions and near misses in which cargo stowed on deck obstructed the view from the navigation bridge. Where the blind sectors were not dealt with, either by repositioning the cargo or by posting trained lookouts, the result was serious accidents, loss of life and damage to property.
The alert asks owners, operators and crews to treat an obstructed view from the bridge as a major safety risk and to resolve it before departure. The full list of recommended actions is set out in the USCG alert.