Handover, Takeover & Your Role as Chief Mate

Question 1

List the Handover & Takeover Procedure as a Chief Mate…

Answer 1

• Safety Management - SMS Usage
• Certification and Documentation
• Personnel - Suitable Manning
• Emergency Preparedness - Drills
• Shipboard Operations - Cargo Ops and Ballast Ops
• Inspection and Maintenance - PMS and Surveys (Outstanding Issues)

Question 2

What certificates and documents would you expect to takeover from the reliving Chief Officer?

Answer 2

• Crew Overtime Records
• Hours of Rest & Working Hours Records
• Approved manuals - Stability booklet, IGS, COW, cargo securing manuals, ORB part I & II (if tanker), cargo record book, register lifting appliances & handling gear, approval of loadicator (type & test condition), previous mooring plans, as per MEG4
• Loadicator test results
• Loadicator arr & dep of every port
• Gas instrument servicing

Question 3

What are your responsibilities as a Chief Officer?

Answer 3

• Assist Master implementing Safety & Environmental Protection Policy
• SMS understood and applied
• Follow systems of work (permits, risk assessments etc.)
• Calculate stability arr & dep & conditions
• Vessel meets flag requirements
• PMS established
• Training of crew

Question 4

What are your roles as a Chief Officer?

Answer 4

• Safety Officer
• Security Officer
• Environmental Officer
• Stability Officer
• Cargo Management
• Crew Management
• Maintenance (Deck)
• Purchasing
• Compliance
• Safe Navigational Watch

Question 5

What are your duties as a Safety Officer?

Answer 5

• Compliance of the SMS
• Safety inspections of the vessel
• Reporting deficiencies & non-conformities
• Increasing awareness of safety to crew
• Act on crew safety concerns
• Maintain records of accidents, training
• Training of crew
• Report and liase to Master anything to related to safety of the ship and crew

Question 6

What UK Legilsation states the roles of the Safety Officer?

Answer 6

Merchant Shipping (Health & Safety at Work) Regulations 1997

Question 7

What are your duties as a Security Officer?

Answer 7

• Reporting to the Master & CSO
• Ship & crew operate according to SSP
• Maintain security at all times
• Train crew with security related duties
• Contact with PFSO at port facilities
• Liaise anything to the PFSO that could risk the vessel

Question 8

Where would find your responsibilities as a Chief Officer?

Answer 8

SMS (duties, responsibilities)

Question 9

As a Safety Officer, how would you and the Master implement safety on board?

Answer 9

From the Health & Safety Act 1997 & company SMS procedures:
- AWARENESS: induction, training, record keeping
- IMPLEMENTATION: risk assessments, procedures, safe systems of work (PTW, tool-box talks)
- REVIEW: investigations, meetings, committee

Question 10

What are the principles to ensure health & safety on board?

Answer 10

• Avoidance of taking risks
• Evaluate unavoidable risks
• Adopt safe systems of work
• Provide updated & relevant information to crew
• Constantly update and improve procedures

Question 11

When must a safety officer be appointed on UK vessels?

Answer 11

Any merchant vessel (not fishing) carrying 5 or more seafarers
Not advisable to be either Master or Medical Officer

Question 12

When must you have a safety committee onboard and who should be part of it?

Answer 12

Any merchant vessel carrying 5 or more seafarers
Should include Master, Safety Officer and any other persons elected covering all departments

Question 13

What documents would a Deck Officer need to have before taking duties?

Answer 13

• Passport
• Visas
• Vaccines
• Discharge Book
• CoC or CEC with CRA (Confirmation of Receipt of Application)
• GOC
• Medical (ENG1)
• Basic STCW (Survival Techniques, PSSR, First Aid, Fire, Security Awareness / Security Duties)
• Advanced STCW (Medical First Aid, Fire Fighting, PSC & RB, Radar & ARPA Management, ECDIS (generic & type specific))

Question 14

What documents would a Engineer Officer need to have before taking duties?

Answer 14

• Passport
• Visas
• Vaccines
• Discharge Book
• CoC OR CEC with a CRA (Confirmation of Receipt of Application)
• Medical (ENG1)
• Basic STCW (Survival Techniques, PSSR, First Aid, Fire, Security Awareness / Security Duties)
• Advanced STCW (Medical First Aid, Fire Fighting, PSC & RB, High Voltage training)

Question 15

What documents would a Deck Rating (AB, Nav Watch Rating, Rating) need to have before taking duties?

Answer 15

• Passport
• Visas
• Vaccines
• Discharge Book
• EDH
• AB Certificate
• Nav Watch Rating Certificate
• Medical (ENG1)
• Basic STCW (Survival Techniques, PSSR, First Aid, Fire, Security Awareness / Security Duties, PSC & RB)

Question 16

What documents would a Engine Rating (Motorman, Fitter, GP1) need to have before taking duties?

Answer 16

• Passport
• Visas
• Vaccines
• Discharge Book
• Certificate of Proficiency Able Seafarer (Engine Room)
• Certificate of Proficiency Watch Rating (Engine Room)
• Certificate of Proficiency Electro Technical Rating (Engine Room)
• Medical (ENG1)
• Basic STCW (Survival Techniques, PSSR, First Aid, Fire, Security Awareness / Security Duties, PSC & RB)

Question 17

What documents would a Ship’s Cook need to have before taking duties?

Answer 17

• Passport
• Visas
• Vaccines
• Discharge Book
• Ships Cook Certificate
• Medical (ENG1)
• Basic STCW (Survival Techniques, PSSR, First Aid, Fire, Security Awareness / Security Duties, PSC & RB)
• Food Safety in Catering
• Cultural and Religious Catering Requirements
• Dietary Requirements of Shift Workers