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Safety Management System
The Safety Management System (SMS) aims to ensure in terms of matters on safety at work, the protection of health, and the prevention of professional illness. In determining the specific obligations and responsibilities of the Ship Owner, the seafarers, and the other persons interested in the evaluation of the risk onboard vessels, the SMS defines the criteria relative to the organization of the system. These include the prevention, hygiene, and safety in the work onboard and the employment of personal protective equipment. Furthermore, it is important to remember that it defines the working hours and rest period of the seagoing personnel.
Guidelines of the SMS define priority in the means of collective protection with regards to the measures of personal protection to reduce the risks from their origin. For example, limiting the use of the chemical, physical and biological agents onboard the vessel results in a preventive activity. Additionally, limiting the number of crew members that are, or could be exposed to the risk, will further reduce the hazard. In addition, the manual provides instructions to the workers specific to the working activity conducted on board.
The manual complies with the procedures and instructions utilized by the owner to fulfil the norms and requirements in force on the worker's safety and health in the working environment in connection with the services performed onboard the vessels. It must be kept on the Bridge and in the Chief Engineer's Office for consultation with deck and engine officers. The SMS must be approachable to all the seafarers working on board.
Tasks and Responsibilities
It is every seafarer's responsibility to observe the measures provided by the SMS Manual in terms of hygiene and safety and ensure that no operations or actions that can compromise the safety of himself/herself or the other crew members are carried out. Furthermore, the seafarer shall communicate to the person in charge of the prevention and protection service any deficiencies, give relative information to the representative on the safety in the working environment, and carry out the procedures foreseen for the cases of emergency.
It is every seafarer's responsibility to observe the measures provided by the SMS Manual in terms of hygiene and safety and ensure that no operations or actions that can compromise the safety of himself/herself or the other crew members are carried out. Photo: Jörgen Språng
Master's Responsibility
The Master's responsibility is to apply company policy relative to the prevention of accidents, hygiene, and safety work on board, making sure that:
The seafarers have a good knowledge of the Manual regarding the handling of safety in the working environment and emergency management.
The work onboard is organised in a way to reduce fatigue factors in compliance with national and international regulations regarding the limits of working hours.
Provide the crew members with the necessary safety and protective operational equipment.
Carry out the procedures provided in cases of emergency and ensure the following of all operational procedures as required by the SMS Manual.
Information, training, consultation, and participation of the crew members on board about matters relative to accident prevention, hygiene, and the safety of working, and ensuring they are widely discussed.
Owner's Responsibility
The Owner, in connection to the technical and operational characteristics of the vessel, evaluates the safety and health risks of the seafarers and produces a plan of safety in the working environment including the following elements:
Detailed vessel drawing reporting the layouts of the working places.
Technical report on the evaluation of the risk for the safeguarding of the maritime worker's health connected to the tasks conducted on board.
Designate the person in charge of the services of prevention and protection of maritime workers and the responsible person for the safety in the working environment.
Provide the maritime workers with the necessary safety and protective operational instruction, ensuring they conform to the norms in force and maintain the conditions of efficiency.
Inform on the procedures to follow in cases of emergency; form and train the maritime personnel on hygiene and safety.
Preparing relative operational manuals for easy consultation.