What are you looking at it's my face you want to know what happens in my face
you know how it is there's always plenty of work to do before saying it's
tempting to cut corners at same time take a friend of mine named Sanjeev and
he thought he was safe to stand on the guard rail when he ships in port oh yes
he should have used a ladder guardrails are not designed to be climbed on in
safety there's nothing to prevent you from slipping off my friend Sanjay
gambled with his safety and it cost him more than his dignity he spent three
weeks in hospital
gambling's about taking a chance you can win but you can lose if you gamble with
your personal safety and lose you risk losing your life or being injured so
don't take chances always assess the risks involved
moving loads are a constant hazard and can appear from nowhere hooks and wires
can slash out of you and you can slip on oil spills damage and nails can stab
into your feet and legs that's why protective clothing is so
important it's there to protect you
if you're working out of sight of stevedores or shipments you could be in
danger so make sure your supervisor knows where you're working
don't risk falling into open hatchways keep away if you don't need to be there
avoid using main hatchway ladders during cargo operations because you could be
struck by moving cargo and lifting equipment it is better to use in direct
access to hatches if your ship has them cargo lifts can damage hatchway ladders
so always check their condition before using them and all access routes should
be kept clear of obstructions report any obstructions to your supervisor a clear
mooring deck is safer than a cluttered one make sure that mooring lines are not
obstructed whether he uses a helicopter or a boat the ship's pilot needs a safe
area for boarding and disembarking
don't allow any debt cargoes to obstruct the safe passage of the pilot if the
lighting is bad in car those phases use a portable lab because if you can't see
where you're going you don't know where you're going
portable ladders should only be used if there's no safer means of access stow
phases should only be climbed with rigid portable ladders which should always be
secured against movement keep any equipment attached to your body to keep
both hands-free for holding the ladder
you should report any dangerous conditions aboard ship also anything
that may prevent safe cargo handling if you see stevedores being careless not
wearing a hard hat in a designated area for example or equipment being misused
or overloaded report it before it's too late
stevedore should leave the ship in a safe condition when they finish work
rails should be reinstalled and hatch covers closed if you see anything on the
deck which could cause injury report it to your supervisor heads and tails
what is it heads or tails
is this spillage just a harmless liquid or is it a hazardous chemical heads or
tails are you willing to take a chance this is harmless or hazardous you should
assume anything is hazardous but till you know otherwise check any leaking
cargoes for hazard placards and report any suspicious leaks for your own safety
get to know the location of hazardous cargoes
fortunately this was a harmless spill but cargo spills add to the dangers of
slipping and falling so they must be cleared up quickly
the same applies to hydraulic leaks from deck machinery if you suspect a gas leak
evacuate the area and reported only authorized crewmen should investigate
the suspected gas leaves with proper gas detection equipment and protective
clothing if a smoking cargo is placarded as dangerous
be prepared to retreat to a safer area don't tackle serious fires without
proper protection and equipment assess the situation and the possible dangers
first keep to the designated areas for smoking especially when carrying
explosive or flammable cargoes Stowe's of cargo can move about at sea take care
when walking through cargo spaces for example at lashing inspections do not go
there in bad weather always use the designated walkways and ladders
if cargo breaks loose at sea it may need risa curing report any incidents like
these because an officer should always supervise this type of work
about my face let me tell you what happened I was a ship's electrician I
was going on surely I was in a hurry to finish a job on the deck I didn't want
to go all the way down to the control room to isolate the power I just wanted
to finish the job quickly and get ashore so it wasn't lose cargo it wasn't acid
or anything like that it was simply a bad move I made so take my word for it
don't gamble your personal safety it's not worth the risk
safety isn't a game of chance you always have to assess the risks involved
staying alert to personal safety is the only way to win