Step 1 of 3•9 minutes read
Familiarisation and Hazards
Working on any type of ship is a hazardous occupation to which one is exposed as soon as one steps onboard. It is necessary to understand the hazards onboard as well as the equipment and procedures provided to avoid the risks. There are several types of equipment onboard a ship involving safety hazards. All crew must be aware of the likely dangers concerning this equipment.
During this course, you will learn about emergency procedures and how to protect yourself and your team when working on board a ship. What is an emergency, what do different alarm signals sound like and when is personal protective equipment (PPE) required?
Communication, ship familiarisation and knowledge of different types of risk are essential when trying to avoid hazards onboard.
You will learn how to work to prevent pollution of the marine environment, both by knowing more about the construction of the yacht and how to dispose of garbage/sewage in the right way. You will also learn more about emergency plans and international conventions. This course highlights the importance of teamwork for a safe and healthy work environment. You can in different ways contribute to effective relationships and create a positive atmosphere onboard, which you can read more about in the coming lessons.
First, we will take a closer look at the different hazards onboard and how they might be dangerous.
Different Types of Hazards Onboard
Onboard, certain hazards are impossible to eliminate or even to reduce. It is therefore important to have knowledge about these hazards and be aware of the existing risk. The following are some of these hazards outlined, keep in mind that there could be many more depending on your yacht.
Likely hazards are an insufficient length of the gangway or that the angle of inclination is outside of specified limits. The gangways may not be adequately rigged, nor adequately secured; they can be of a poor standard and not well maintained. Dynamic changes due to the environment (tidal water, traffic, etc) can affect the gangway, as well as its position and/or weak lighting.
Likely hazards in the engine room are slips, trips and falls, damage to the eardrum if hearing protection is not used, slamming or moving doors in rough weather and poorly secured obstacles that can fall during rough weather. If personnel are not familiar with the engine room equipment and are carrying out the wrong repair/maintenance, it can affect the safe operation of the yacht. Other hazards can be a faulty operation of watertight doors, fire due to fuel leakage, inhalation of CO2 if any exhaust pipe is leaking and burns from any hot surface.
Just like on the main deck, likely hazards are slips, trips and falls, as well as ongoing mooring, anchoring or towing operations. Water on deck during rough weather can be a hazard, as well as, the yacht movement that could affect any loose equipment.
Likely hazards around cranes could be; crewmembers that are not familiar with the equipment, exceeding boom limiting angles and exceeding Safe Working Load (SWL). Limit switches may not be working and lifting operations may be unsupervised. There can be poor standards such as; an overhead load, they can be wrongly connected and the load may not be properly slung.
Safety nets may not be rigged appropriately or not adequately secured. They can be too small and of a poor standard or not well maintained.
Main Deck
Likely hazards at the main deck are slips, trips and falls. There might be ongoing dangerous operations such as cranes lifting stores, tenders or dangerous substances present whilst cleaning/treating the teak deck. Water on deck during rough weather can be a hazard, as well as the vessel's movement which could affect loose equipment. Dangerous permanent fittings can be unmarked and insufficient deck lighting during darkness.
Windlass, Anchors and Winches
Likely hazards are a crew that isn’t familiar with the equipment and no communication with the bridge. During anchoring, particles and dirt can come flying, additionally, an anchor lowered with uncontrolled speed is a hazard. Due to a high load or force on a chain, a rope or wire can break, and too much effort placed on the brakes could burn the brake lining. Other likely hazards are dangerous permanent fittings that aren’t marked, standing in a bight, poor standards maintained and getting hit by a breaking rope, wire or chain.
Accommodation
Likely hazards around the accommodations are the presence of flammable, toxic or corrosive substances in air condition if such is released and AC is not set to re-circulation. Other hazards can be slamming or moving doors in rough weather, poorly secured items that fall during harsh weather, and the risk of slips, trips, and falls. There is a risk of being disorientated in case of emergency escape if the crew member isn’t familiar with the vessel.
Bridge
Likely hazards on the bridge are slips, trips, and falls in the nighttime due to insufficient lighting. If personnel who aren't familiar with the bridge equipment end up pushing any buttons, it can affect the safe operation of the yacht. Other hazards on the bridge are slamming or moving doors in rough weather, as well as poorly secured obstacles falling during stormy weather.
Moving Machinery
Clothing, fingers, etc. can get caught in moving machinery such as grinding wheels, winch drums, gears, flywheels, etc.
Dangerous Situations and Possible Injuries
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The hazard Slips, Trips and Falls are always present, wherever you are on board a vessel. The slips, trips and falls often happen due to slippery surfaces (oil, grease, garbage, water, ice, etc) or obstructions (wires, ropes, equipment etc).
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Head injuries are caused by low doorway entrances, overhead loads, falling equipment or material, etc.
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Many shipboard operations include the risk of Falling from Heights. It could fall through open manholes, unfenced tween-decks, loose or missing gratings, etc.
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Burns - There are several systems or operations onboard involving the risk of getting burned. It could be from steam pipes, hot machinery, welding sparks, etc.
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An Eye Injury can be caused by chipping, welding, use of chemicals, etc.
External Conditions
You cannot stop external conditions but you can reduce the effects onboard by mitigating the risks by being aware of your surroundings. When in contact with any of the following conditions, keep in mind to be extra cautious about making sure that no one gets hurt or injured.
Extreme weather affects the safety onboard.
Extreme Weather
Extreme weather will make loose items move around and create a hazard for the personnel. Secured items will move around if they are not lashed properly.
Lack of Oxygen
The atmosphere of an enclosed or confined space is potentially dangerous. The space may be deficient in oxygen.
Hydrocarbon and Toxic Gases
The risk of being exposed to hydrocarbon and toxic gases differs between vessel types. Generally, the highest risk of exposure is on chemical tankers, but there are also several other specialist ships handling substances containing hydrocarbon and toxic gases.
Fire or Explosion
Can arise due to failure or faulty operation of equipment, due to self-ignition caused by carelessness with open fire or smoking in the bunk.
Collision, Grounding, Flooding or Sinking can be caused by:
- Failure of machinery or rudder.
- Inadequate watchkeeping.
- Navigational errors.
- Bad weather.
- The vessel dragging its anchor.
Pirates and Stowaways
Depending on the vessel’s trade area, the risk of being exposed to pirates and stowaways is changeable. Typical areas for this hazard are East and West Africa as well as the waters around Malaysia and Indonesia.
Onboard Equipment to Counter Hazards
There are different types of appliances on board, such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Life-saving appliances (LSA), Fire-fighting appliances (FFA), medical equipment and oil spill equipment. We will now look at what kind of material is included in each one.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Helmet,
- Goggles,
- Gloves,
- Safety shoes,
- Dust masks and respirators,
- Protective clothing, &
- Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
Life-Saving Appliances (LSA)
- Lifejackets,
- Lifebuoys,
- Liferafts,
- Lifeboats,
- Line-throwing apparatus,
- EPIRBs and SARTs, &
- Thermal protective aids (TPAs) and immersion suits.
Fire-Fighting Appliances (FFA)
- Fire hoses, nozzles, hydrants and fire main,
- Portable fire extinguishers,
- Fire axe,
- Fire-detecting system, &
- Fixed extinguishing system.
Medical Equipment
- Resuscitator,
- Stretcher,
- Medicines, &
- Medical apparatus.
Oil Spill Equipment
- Absorbent pads,
- Absorbent rolls,
- Chemical dispersant, &
- Sawdust, brooms, dustpans, shovels and barrels.
To sum up this step of the course, there are many possible hazards on board, but how do you ensure your crew's and your safety?.... A great rule of thumb is to keep distance, make sure that you do not take any unnecessary risks and remind each other to be careful — nobody benefits from an injury.