Shipboard Operations

H I Lavery

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781135386337
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Scienze fisiche
• Subtopic: Geografia

This book covers the knowledge of shipboard operations required by candidates for professional qualification as Chief Officer and Master Mariner. It deals with the basic routines and procedures, and the many regulations governing their use, for the safe and efficient operation of merchant ships. The book is also designated a fundamental text for the Maritime Transport paper of the Chartered Institute of Transport's membership examinations. The second edition takes into account recent developments in technology and regulation, and in particular covers major international legislation on Safety of Life at Sea and on Maritime Pollution as well as recent UK regulations on occupational health and safety and on operation of ro-ro ferries.

1

Safety: Operational

Role of the Safety Officer

Since 1 October 1982 the employer of the crew on a United Kingdom ship has been required under The Merchant Shipping (Safety Officials and Reporting of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences) Regulations, 1982 to appoint a Safety Officer (see Chapter 2).

The duties of a Safety Officer are to:

1 Endeavour to ensure that the provisions of the Code of Safe Working Practices are complied with.

2 Endeavour to ensure that the employer’s occupational health and safety policies are complied with.

3 Investigate

(a) every accident required to be notified by the Merchant Shipping Act

(b) every dangerous occurrence

(c) all potential hazards to occupational health and safety and to make recommendations to the master to prevent the recurrence of an accident or to remove the hazard.

4 Investigate all non-frivolous complaints by crew members concerning occupational health and safety.

5 Carry out occupational health and safety inspections of each accessible part of the ship at least once every three months.

6 Make representations and, where appropriate, recommendations to the master (and through him to the company) about any deficiency in the ship with regard to

(a) any legislative requirement relating to occupational health and safety

(b) any relevant M notice

(c) any provision of the Code of Safe Working Practices

7 Ensure so far as possible that safety instructions, rules, and guidance are complied with.

8 Maintain a record book describing all the circumstances and details of all accidents and dangerous occurrences, and of all other procedures required by his duties, and to make the records available for inspection by appropriate personnel.

9 Stop any work which he reasonably believes may cause a serious accident and inform the appropriate officer.

10 Carry out the requirements of the safety committee.

Many mariners consider that the above duties, which are additional to ‘normal’ duties, place an onerous burden on the officer concerned. However, safety has always been of paramount importance on board ship and some of the above requirements only put into legislation the common practice of efficient seamen.

The Safety Officer needs to be well conversant with the legislation described in Chapter 2 and in particular the Code of Safe Practice for Merchant Seamen, known to seamen as The Code‘. The Department of Transport has published Guidance Notes for Safety Officials; these notes should be carefully studied, particularly those sections which discuss the ramifications of the officer’s statutory duties.

The Safety Officer should always be on the lookout for potential hazards and must try to develop a high level of safety consciousness among the crew. This will probably be the most difficult aspect of his job as there can be a high level of safety apathy, and not consciousness, among the officers and seamen. He should aim to become the ship’s adviser on occupational safety, which means that the Safety Officer himself must set a high personal standard of safety awareness.

When carrying out the occupational health and safety inspections the Safety Officer must pay attention to the environmental factors as well as to the ‘statutory factors’. The galley is a good area to consider. It is very important that the extinguishers are well maintained but it is also important that the air extractor hoods are regularly cleaned to reduce the fire risk from accumulated grease, and that dirt does not accumulate in areas which would produce a health hazard. Thus, the Safety Officer does not only conduct an inspection for the ‘safety equipment checklist’ but must carry out an environmental inspection to ensure that occupational safety standards are being maintained. Appendix 9 of the guidance notes lists some factors which must be considered, a few of which are noted below.

1 Are means of access to the area under inspection in a safe condition, well lit, and unobstructed?

2 Are fixtures and fittings over which seamen might trip or which project, particularly overhead, thereby causing potential hazards, suitably painted or marked?

3 Are all guard-rails in place, secure, and in good condition?

4 Are lighting levels adequate?

5 Is ventilation adequate?

6 Is machinery adequately guarded where necessary?

7 Are permits to work used when necessary?

8 Is the level of supervision adequate, particularly for unexperienced crew?

The investigation of accidents and dangerous occurrences will be an important part of the Safety Officer’s duties. The actual reporting of an accident will be carried out by the master but it is the statutory duty of the Safety Officer to investigate the incident and to assist the master to complete the accident report form. The first form was issued in September 1982, Form ARF/1, and the explanatory notes which accompany the form should be closely followed.

The Safety Officer should have a chat with the ship’s personnel to explain the purpose and function of the form and to dispel any misconceptions to which the ‘galley radio’ may have given rise. The following points should be emphasized:

1 The purpose of the form is to ascertain the causes of accidents and ultimately to reduce the chances of a similar accident happening again.

2 All forms are treated in the strictest confidence by the Department of Transport.

3 None of the forms will be used by the Department of Transport in a prosecution or an investigation.

4 The form is computer processed and thus will be seen by very few people.

5 Personal names are deliberately omitted from the form and thus anonymity is ensured.

Officers should be aware that the post of Safety Officer is not a sinecure and that much effort should be put into the role in order to meet the obligations required by the regulations.

Role of the safety representative

In every ship to which the regulations apply the officers and ratings may elect safety representatives, but are under no obligation to do so. However, it would be remiss not to do so and:

in ships carrying fewer than 16 crew, one safety representative may be elected by the officers and ratings; in ships carrying more than 15 crew one safety representative may be elected by the officers and one safety representative may be elected by the ratings.

The safety representative has powers but no duties, and he may:

1 Participate in any of the inspections or investigations conducted by the Safety Officer, provided that the latter agrees to such participation.

2 Undertake similar inspections or investigations himself, providing that notification of such activities has been given to the master.

3 On behalf of the crew on matters affecting occupational health and safety

(a) consult with the master and the Safety Officer and make recommenda-tions to them, including recommendations to the master, ‘that any work which the safety representative believes may cause an accident should be suspended’;

(b) make representations through the master to the employer;

(c) request through the safety committee an investigation by the Safety Officer of any such matter.

4 Inspect any of the Safety Officer’s records.

The safety representatives need to develop a good relationship with the Safety Officer and should work with him to raise safety standards. The spirit, and the purpose, of the regulations would be badly damaged by representatives who might use their powers as a ‘negotiating weapon’ in...