Reporter's deidentified concern
The reporter has raised a safety concern relating to non-reporting of serious incidents that have occurred during tug operations.
The reporter states, tug vessel Masters have not reported multiple serious incidents that have occurred over recent years in accordance with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) requirements. Examples of the types of incidents that have occurred include, but are not limited to, the following:
- vessels colliding with wharfs
- engines cutting out
- safety equipment not working.
The reporter is also concerned the company has not been conducting mandatory drug and alcohol testing following serious incidents which is standard procedure across the coast. The reporter is further concerned that a serious injury may occur should the non-reporting of serious incidents continue.
Named party's response
Thank you for bringing REPCON RM2026-00021, dated 10 July 2026, to our attention. [Operator] takes all safety-related feedback seriously and welcomes this confidential report as an invaluable opportunity to review our Safety Management System (SMS) and identify areas for improvement.
We share the reporter's concern that any failure to report serious incidents could compromise safety and potentially lead to serious injuries. In line with our commitment to maintaining the highest safety standards and fully complying with Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) requirements, we have initiated an immediate internal review to address the specific issues raised.
Below is our response and the action plan [Operator] is implementing to address these concerns:
1. Investigation into non-reporting of serious incidents
The report noted instances of alleged unreported incidents, including vessels colliding with wharfs, engines cutting out, and malfunctioning safety equipment.
- Action: We have conducted a thorough review of vessel logbooks, engine maintenance records, defect registers, and historic incident reports across the [Location] operation. Our review did not identify any evidence of unreported incidents. However, to ensure total transparency, we will use our upcoming crew engagements to invite any staff member with knowledge of unrecorded events to come forward without fear of reprisal.
2. Review of post-incident drug and alcohol testing
The report expressed concern that mandatory post-incident drug and alcohol testing was not being conducted following serious incidents.
- Action: [Operator] maintains a strict, documented drug and alcohol policy, which includes mandatory testing following any significant operational incident. During the review period, no operational incidents occurred that met the threshold for mandatory post-incident testing. For broader context, regular random drug and alcohol testing was last conducted at the [Location] operation in February 2026, resulting in nil non-negative reports.
3. Reinforcing a robust safety and reporting culture
To ensure that all crew are fully aligned with AMSA and [Operator] reporting standards, our [Location] Contract Manager, Technical Superintendent, and Managing Director will hold a documented townhall meeting with local crew during the week commencing [date].
During this meeting, the following key points will be reinforced:
- Reassuring all crew members that safety reporting is supported, valued, and free from retribution, thereby ensuring that near-misses and minor defects are captured before they escalate.
- Reiterating our Masters' legal and professional obligations under the [Operator] SMS and AMSA regulations to report all marine incidents immediately.
[Operator] is fully committed to cooperating with the ATSB and AMSA to ensure our operations remain safe, compliant, and transparent. We appreciate the ATSB forwarding this de-identified report to us and welcome this response being shared with the Regulator.
Regulator's response
AMSA has followed up on the concerns raised which could not be substantiated. AMSA will continue to monitor [Operator] in line with our risk based regulatory approach.
REPCON details
| Date reported | 07/07/2026 |
|---|---|
| Published date | 12/10/2026 |
| Affected operation/industry | Tug Operations |
| Concern subject type | Marine: Regulatory |
| Transport mode | Marine |