Safety, on board boats is an age old issue that will probably always be with us because safe practices and behaviour are individual traits that can be regulated but never fully controlled. It is true that the advent of the International Safety Management Code or ISM has improved the culture around safety on board but as official investigations show, even the best systems break down occasionally and for a variety of reasons.

Volumes have been written on safety management systems and it is beyond the scope of this article to repeat the analysis and advice that is freely available. More to the point it is likely that if the safety culture on the worst vessels is so poor that even the deficiencies and detentions made by port state control and government regulators has not been able to improve it, then nothing short of the loss of the vessel (and probably the lives of the crew serving on it) will be the outcome. As the ISM Code and the safety management systems needed to comply with it have been mandatory for many years, usually the only time a new system is needed is when a new company is formed. Existing fleets will already have a system in place. If a safety system is in place but not functioning as well as it might across a fleet of vessels, there is a good case for the owner / manager responsible for the vessel to carry out a complete overhaul of the system. Many safe management systems began quite literally as off the shelf products and while some may have served as a template for a good system others were always doomed to fail.

Most failures are because the system is unnecessarily complicated with individuals interpreting parts of it in very different ways. There is some evidence emerging that simpler systems are more effective. Ocean Time Marine has based its interactive SMS template on this evidence.

Working practices are at the heart of every effective safety system and improvements are rarely necessary if the way work is carried out has been thoroughly thought through. How crew work and interact and how effective the safety management system is not set in stone and poor working practices can be improved by employing best practices. Regular reviews should be made and training needs identified. Leaving aside the matter of navigation errors, there are four areas that regularly feature as the causes of accidents on board that have led to an official investigation. These are mooring and unmooring, working at height, hot work and entry into enclosed spaces.

Every port call involves at least two operations involving the vessels ropes and winches. Accidents usually involve crew getting crushed in machinery or caught in ropes. Safety begins with ensuring the ropes; wires and machinery are well maintained and rigged properly. The mooring area should be kept free of equipment not needed for the immediate operation as this often causes trips and falls as crew attempt to work in and around obstacles. Crew involved should be properly trained and supervised with the supervisor not being required to perform any task that prevents him from observing the actions of others. Mooring can be heavy work and should not be entrusted to crew unable to meet the physical demands of the task. Crew engaged in operations should be wearing appropriate PPE especially, hard hats, safety boots or shoes and gloves. The snap back zone – the area likely to be most affected if a mooring rope under tension parts – should be well marked and crew trained to stay out of it. The crew should also be aware of the dangers of being trapped in a bight. Trapped crew can be pulled over the side, into the winch or against bitts.

Working at height could involve tasks such as painting or cleaning the hull of the ship, cleaning holds, work on cranes, derricks and masts and other similar jobs. When working at height crew should be issued with hard hats and most importantly a safety harness.

If the work involves paints or chemicals then a facemask to prevent inhalation of substances and safety glass or goggles to protect the eyes. Hot work such as welding or cutting will need appropriate gloves and a welding mask to protect the face and eyes especially from the condition known as arc eye or welder’s flash. Hot work should never be carried out without a prior risk assessment and a permit to work system should be operating. Several incidents have been recorded where, although a risk assessment was carried out taking into account factors in the immediate vicinity, no thought was given to adjacent spaces on the other side of the structure being worked on. Particular attention should be paid to pipes and cabling that may be affected by any hot work.

Possibly one of the most dangerous aspects of work at sea is when a crew member must enter an enclosed space to carry out work. Whether a ballast tank, a void space, or even a cargo hold, enclosed places can generate or contain toxic gases leaked in from elsewhere. In a cargo hold, the use of bobcats and forklifts can lead to poisonous fume build up as can some of the fumigants used to kill pests in cargoes such as grain. If a person enters such place without taking precaution, he or she may suffer unconsciousness and sometimes even death. In order to prevent such unfortunate circumstances there is a proper procedure that needs to be followed for safety and wellness of the person entering the enclosed space. Every vessel should have a procedure that is followed closely before a crew member enters an enclosed space. A risk assessment should be done and as with hot work, any work being done in neighbouring spaces must be taken into account. The following are points to consider when preparing for such work. A permit to work will be required and should be checked and approved by a competent officer. The space should be well ventilated before entering. A check for oxygen and other gas content using a properly calibrated and tested portable gas detector. Under no circumstances should an entry be attempted if oxygen levels are below 20% by volume. Lighting should be adequate for the work and the crew member should carry a torch. A time period for the work should be agreed and if it looks to be exceeded a further risk assessment and permit may be needed. Sign boards should be provided at required places warning other persons not to start any equipment, machinery or any operation in the confined space that could endanger those working there. Recovery and resuscitation equipment should be on hand before the space is entered A second crewman should remain on standby while the person working is in the enclosed space. In the event of an accident or incident the standby crew should raise the alarm and not attempt rescue alone. The person entering the space should be equipped with appropriate PPE including an oxygen analyzer and gas detector. Consideration should be given to a life line being carried.

Appropriate work wear should be issued to all crew members on joining. The kit should be in good serviceable condition and of an appropriate size. Work wear that is too small or too large can present safety problems of its own. As a minimum each crewman should have overalls, a safety helmet, safety goggles, boots and gloves. For crew working in areas of high noise levels, ear protectors are essential. Thought should be given to climate and weather conditions likely to be encountered so that the equipment is appropriate. Spare equipment should be available on board to replace damaged or lost equipment. Equipment such as welding masks and safety harnesses should be present in sufficient numbers allowing all crew to have access to them when needed.