Australian Maritime Safety Authority - Amsa

As part of our commitment to Search and Rescue in the region, AMSA works with the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) to train their aviation support crews in basic search & rescue techniques, including the aerial delivery of life saving supplies. These photographs show the training underway, using one of the DC-3 aircraft that have been contracted by AAD. The aircraft and its crew will deploy to the Antarctic over the next few weeks, where they will remain for the season.

Friday fact: Our Challenger 604 search and rescue jets are equipped with two high-bypass ratio turbofan engines which produce more than 8700 pounds of thrust each during takeoff.

As part of our routine maintenance cycle, Macquarie Lighthouse in Sydney had a new coat of paint applied this week. As you can see from these photos the lighthouse has some intricate areas that need to be painted with great care. Macquarie Lighthouse turns 200 this year and this work will ensure it's is looking its best for the celebrations to be held at the end of November.

From 1 January 2020, all vessels will be required to use fuel oil with a maximum sulphur content of 0.5 per cent m/m. This new limit aims to reduce the impacts of sulphur oxide emissions from shipping on the environment and human health. We have recently updated our website with more information on the work being undertaken to transition to the 2020 requirement, click the below link to learn more.

No matter if you’re travelling by land, sea or air, a GPS-equipped distress beacon can mean a world of difference in an emergency situation. Read a recent example on how a beacon helped a 52-year-old man after he crashed his motorbike in a remote area of far north Queensland: https://www.pressreader.com/…/news…/2 0180903/281517931996388 For more information on beacons visit: http://www.amsa.gov.au/beacons

More than 1000 international seafarers were surveyed during a three-year study into safety culture in the maritime industry. One of the study's key findings was that seafarers who experienced fatigue and sleep problems were more likely to report reduced psychological well being. The findings also suggested that high levels of trust in co-workers and supervisors, crew stability and safety leadership improved seafarers' well being. The study is a joint initiative between AMSA, University of Queensland and University of Western Australia. Download a copy of the report here: www.amsa.gov.au/…/research-report-safet y-culture-maritime-i…

Our Challenger search and rescue jets have a crew of five - a captain, first officer, aircraft mission coordinator, visual observer and a drop master. Martin is one of our drop masters. His job is to help prepare the aircraft for departure, track distress beacons, locate survivors or items of interest in the water or on the ground, and despatch life-sustaining stores and communications equipment to people in distress.

North Barnard lighthouse watches over the Queensland coast from the tiny Barnard Island Group just south of Mourilyan Harbour. The maintenance team visited to give it a new coat of paint last month and snapped this photo.

About 40% of seafarers who participated in a three-year study into safety culture in the maritime industry reported experiencing symptoms of mental illness such as depression and anxiety. The research also showed that in the presence of safety leadership and a stable crew, seafarers were less likely to experience these symptoms. The study is a joint initiative of AMSA, University of Queensland and University of Western Australia. Download a copy of the report here: www.amsa.gov.au/…/research-report-safet y-culture-maritime-i…

Each of our four dedicated Challenger search and rescue jets is fitted with an air-operable door at the rear of the aircraft. During a search and rescue, crew will despatch stores and equipment to people in distress via these doors. In this photo, an air observer is preparing to despatch a training self-locating datum marker buoy into the water. These buoys are designed to measure surface ocean currents and play an important role in drift modelling during search and rescues.

Online ordering is now available for AMSA publications. You no longer need to fill in a paper form. You can now place your order online and pay securely with a credit card. There will be no change in publication prices and no postage cost for orders delivered within Australia.
Head here to learn more.... https://www.amsa.gov.au/…/online-orderi ng-now-available-pub…
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Organisations which prioritise the safety and welfare of their seafarers over business costs and performance have more developed safety cultures, lower levels of fatigue and sleep problems among their crews. This is one of seven key findings from a recent study into safety culture in the maritime industry. The study is a joint initiative of AMSA, University of Queensland and University of Western Australia and involved surveying more than 1000 international seafarers visiting Australian ports between 2014 and 2017. Download a copy of the report here: www.amsa.gov.au/…/research-report-safet y-culture-maritime-i…

Delivering life-sustaining stores and communication equipment from our Challenger search and rescue jets requires perfect teamwork between the drop master and the visual observer.

Yesterday AMSA assisted Victorian Police in the rescue of two sailors from a disabled yacht in the Bass Strait. AMSA's Challenger jet from Melbourne located the sailors just before 3pm and captured this footage of the moment a ship from a nearby oil rig came to the rescue. Two helicopters and the container ship CMA CGM Bellini also assisted in the successful rescue. Great work everyone!

Nobby's Head Lighthouse was first lit on the 1st of January 1858. The lighthouse is a 10 metre circular stone tower made from hand carved limestone. The lighthouse features a 250 mm lens, and its lantern room is made from hand hammered copper sheet. As one of the important heritage buildings AMSA still operates as an aid to navigation, great care has been taken to maintain the lighthouse in as original condition as possible. One change that has been made is the lantern has been replaced by an efficient LED light source which has resulted in a 90% drop in electricity use. Nobby's is open to the public on Sunday's so why not pop up and see the oldest operating lighthouse on the NSW coast.