General Flashcards
Where do our health and safety obligations come from?
Merchant shipping and Fishing (Health and Safety at Work) Regulations 1997
Health and Safety at Work Act 1997
Company Health and Safety Policy
Safety Management System
How can you follow health and safety best practices
Code of safe working practices for Merchant Seaman (COSWP)
How would you review your health and safety
Safety officer, investigations, safety commitee, safety representatives
How would you implement health and safety
Risk assessment, toolbox talks, permit to work, procedures
Encourage
How to create awareness in health and safety
Induction, training and record keeping
What are the responsibilities of the shipowner, master, officers and seafarers towards health and safety on board UK ships
- The shipowner and employer must ensure the health and safety of all seafarers and others working on board (both employed and self-employed).
- A health and safety policy should be in place.
- Risk assessment should underpin all safety measures put in place.
- Employers should provide health surveillance to workers where a risk to their health is identified as a result of their work activities.
- All seafarers must be trained so that they can work safely on board, including familiarization with on-board equipment and procedures, including emergency procedures.
- The shipowner should consult with those working on the vessel on the health and safety measures on board.
- Each seafarer has a duty to look after their own health and safety and that of others working with them and comply with the measures put in place for their safety.
- Health and safety measures should be provided free of charge to workers.
What are the principles of ensuring health and safety onboard ship?
The avoidance of risks – replacing dangerous practices with less dangerous ones
Evaluation of unavoidable risks – take action to reduce them
Adopt work patterns and procedures to reduce any adverse effect on workers health and safety
Adapt procedures to take account of new technology
Adopt a coherent approach to management of the vessel
Give collective protective measures priority over individual protective measures
Provide appropriate and relevant information and instruction for workers
What four stages does a risk assessment process involve?
Identification of hazards
An assessment of the liklihood of harm occuring
An assessment of the consequences
Identifying safety measures to reduce the risk as far as is reasonably practical
Does a risk assessment have to be written down?
There is no explicit requirement for a risk assessment to be written down.
However, seafarers and workers should be consulted when preparing risk assessments and must be informed of the results.
The risk assessment must be reviewed regularly and after any significant change in practices or circumstances.
A written record will assist in this process.
If you had a Young Person onboard your vessel or a new or expectant mother.
What would you have to have in place to comply with Health and Safety Regulations?
Under MLC
A risk assessment must be in place to consider young persons and new or expectant mothers onboard
What is the purpose of the permit to work system?
It is a organised and predefined safety structure for high risk activities which maybe non routine
Where would you need a permit to work?
Entry into dangerous (enclosed) space
Any work requiring the use of a gas testing/ monitoring equipment
Hot work
Working at height/ over the side
General electrical (under 1000volts)
Electrical high voltage (over 1000 volts)
Working on deck during adverse weather
Lifts, lift trunks and machinary
Permits to work can be developed for other categories of work as well
What should be contained on the permit to work?
The permit should be relevant and as accurate as possible.
The permit should specify the period of its validity (which should not exceed 24 hours)
Only the work specified on the permit should be undertaken.
Before signing the permit, the authorised officer should ensure that all measures specified as necessary have in fact been taken, or procedures are in place.
The authorised officer retains responsibility for the work until they have either closed the permit or formally transferred it to another authorised officer.
The competent person responsible for carrying out the specified work should countersign the permit to indicate their understanding of the safety precautions to be observed.
On completion of the work, the competent person should notify the authorised officer and get the permit closed.
The competent person carrying out the specified work should not be the same person as the authorised officer.
How many Merchant Shipping health and safety regulations that relate to seafarers can you name?
Artificial Optical Radiation Asbestos Work at height Chemical agents Biological agents Carcinogens and mutagens Control of vibration at work Control of noise at work Lifting operations and lifting equipment
Shipowners responsibility to health and safety?
Shipowners should ensure that masters have adequate support to carry out their responsibility
for health and safety management effectively while on board.
Avoidance of risk, combating risk at source and replace dangerous practices, substances or equipment
Evaluate unavoidable risk and taking action to reduce them
Adoption of work patterns and procedures taking into account the individual, especially in respect of the design of workplace and choice of work equipment
Adapt procedures
