Subscribe to our Mailing Lists (It's free!)
Friday, April 23, 2021
No Result
View All Result
SAFETY4SEA
  • Home
  • Safety
    • All
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security

    New Zealand’s legislation on seafarer welfare funding effective from July

    collision in channel

    NTSB investigation: Collision in channel leads to vessel total loss

    rmi marine casualties

    RMI reports 726 marine casualties and incidents in 2020

    Trending Tags

    • Green
      • All
      • Arctic
      • Ballast
      • Emissions
      • Fuels
      • Green Shipping
      • Pollution
      • Ship Recycling
      • Technology
      us carbon emissions reduction

      US announces plan to reduce CO2 emissions 50% by 2030

      first engineer convicted

      First Engineer convicted after oil dumping from tanker in US

      New value chain analysis from ABS on alternative marine fuels

      New value chain analysis from ABS on alternative marine fuels

      Trending Tags

      • Smart
        • All
        • Connectivity
        • Cyber Security
        • E-navigation
        • Energy Efficiency
        • Maritime Software
        • Smart
        electrical engineering regulations

        USCG proposes update to electrical engineering regulations

        gmdss Worldwide Navigational Warnings Service

        USCG: Overview of GMDSS Worldwide Navigational Warnings Service

        China Merchants Port

        China Merchants Port takes autonomous trucking a step further

        Trending Tags

        • Risk
          • All
          • CIC
          • Detentions
          • Fines
          • PSC Focus
          ships detained in uk

          List of ships detained in the UK in March 2021

          paris mou detentions

          List of ships detained in Paris MoU in March 2021

          shanghai

          Shanghai launches CIC on propulsion and auxiliary machinery

          Trending Tags

          • Others
            • All
            • Diversity in shipping
            • Maritime Knowledge
            • Offshore
            • Ports
            • Reports
            • Shipping
            • Sustainability
            • Videos
            ECSA

            ECSA welcomes recognition of shipping as a transitional sector

            soft skills and safety

            Book of the month: The link of soft skills to organizational safety

            underwater noise notation

            First vessel granted quiet underwater operations notation by DNV

            Trending Tags

            • Columns
              safety culture

              Waste of Space : A fresh look into Bridge Design

              TT Club Suez Canal

              “EVER GIVEN” Suez Delays: Who pays for the consequences?

              maritime nz update

              COVID-19 and bill of lading fraud

              Trending Tags

              • Career Paths
              • Industry Voices
              • Maripedia
              • Maritime History
              • Resilience
              • Seafarers Stories
              • SeaSense
            • Events
            • Plus
            • Home
            • Safety
              • All
              • Accidents
              • Alerts
              • Loss Prevention
              • Maritime Health
              • Regulation
              • Safety
              • Seafarers
              • Security

              New Zealand’s legislation on seafarer welfare funding effective from July

              collision in channel

              NTSB investigation: Collision in channel leads to vessel total loss

              rmi marine casualties

              RMI reports 726 marine casualties and incidents in 2020

              Trending Tags

              • Green
                • All
                • Arctic
                • Ballast
                • Emissions
                • Fuels
                • Green Shipping
                • Pollution
                • Ship Recycling
                • Technology
                us carbon emissions reduction

                US announces plan to reduce CO2 emissions 50% by 2030

                first engineer convicted

                First Engineer convicted after oil dumping from tanker in US

                New value chain analysis from ABS on alternative marine fuels

                New value chain analysis from ABS on alternative marine fuels

                Trending Tags

                • Smart
                  • All
                  • Connectivity
                  • Cyber Security
                  • E-navigation
                  • Energy Efficiency
                  • Maritime Software
                  • Smart
                  electrical engineering regulations

                  USCG proposes update to electrical engineering regulations

                  gmdss Worldwide Navigational Warnings Service

                  USCG: Overview of GMDSS Worldwide Navigational Warnings Service

                  China Merchants Port

                  China Merchants Port takes autonomous trucking a step further

                  Trending Tags

                  • Risk
                    • All
                    • CIC
                    • Detentions
                    • Fines
                    • PSC Focus
                    ships detained in uk

                    List of ships detained in the UK in March 2021

                    paris mou detentions

                    List of ships detained in Paris MoU in March 2021

                    shanghai

                    Shanghai launches CIC on propulsion and auxiliary machinery

                    Trending Tags

                    • Others
                      • All
                      • Diversity in shipping
                      • Maritime Knowledge
                      • Offshore
                      • Ports
                      • Reports
                      • Shipping
                      • Sustainability
                      • Videos
                      ECSA

                      ECSA welcomes recognition of shipping as a transitional sector

                      soft skills and safety

                      Book of the month: The link of soft skills to organizational safety

                      underwater noise notation

                      First vessel granted quiet underwater operations notation by DNV

                      Trending Tags

                      • Columns
                        safety culture

                        Waste of Space : A fresh look into Bridge Design

                        TT Club Suez Canal

                        “EVER GIVEN” Suez Delays: Who pays for the consequences?

                        maritime nz update

                        COVID-19 and bill of lading fraud

                        Trending Tags

                        • Career Paths
                        • Industry Voices
                        • Maripedia
                        • Maritime History
                        • Resilience
                        • Seafarers Stories
                        • SeaSense
                      • Events
                      • Plus
                      No Result
                      View All Result
                      SAFETY4SEA
                      No Result
                      View All Result

                      Alcohol and drug consumption onboard: Taking prevention measures

                      by The Editorial Team
                      September 13, 2019
                      in Maritime Knowledge
                      drug and alcohol abuse
                      FacebookTwitterEmailLinkedin

                      RelatedNews

                      Book of the month: The link of soft skills to organizational safety

                      Building Resilience: Seafarers need certainty and systems that keep them safe

                      Any level of alcohol consumption or illegal drugs by crew members onboard has implications for the safety of the vessel, the crew and any passengers. Even small quantities of alcohol have been shown to sufficiently impair seafarer’s fitness for duty and increase the risk of accidents. As such, Regulation VIII/1, Code A-VIII/1 and B-VIII/1 of the STCW Convention, as amended in June 2010 (the Manila amendments), brought in new provisions on fitness for duty – alcohol limits.

                      Read in the series:

                      • STCW Convention at a glance
                      • STCW Convention: Terms and Definitions
                      • Certificates needed for compliance with STCW
                      • How seafarers can get their STCW certificates
                      • STCW Convention: General requirements for officers
                      • STCW Convention: General requirements for ratings
                      • STCW: How to obtain a certificate of competency as Master
                      • STCW: How to obtain a certificate of competency as Chief Mate
                      • STCW: How to obtain a certificate of competency as Navigational Watch
                      • STCW certificates according to function and type of vessel
                      • Training issues under STCW: What you should know
                      • STCW: Certificates and documentary evidence needed onboard
                      • Alcohol and drug consumption onboard: Taking prevention measures
                      • STCW: Setting the hours of rest for watch personnel

                      The consumption of alcohol on board ship is being progressively phased out through strict regulations and screening. The majority of organizations enforce a non-alcohol policy on-board their ships while PSC Officers may carry out random alcohol tests on crew members.

                      The adverse effects on personal health and general safety on board are also compelling reasons for avoiding not only alcohol consumption but also drug abuse. A seafarer can expect little sympathy from their employer or the authorities if caught in possession of, or using, illegal substances.

                      Also, legislation with severe penalties, where drugs and alcohol are adjudged to have contributed to an accident, is being introduced worldwide on an increasing scale. Penalties imposed not only cover injuries to personnel and damage to property but also the enormous costs involved in preventing or cleaning-up damage to the environment. Reports from the United States National Transportation Safety Board quote numerous cases in which alcohol and other drug use has been a factor in aviation, rail, marine and highway accidents.

                      The amended 2010 STCW Convention requires administration should put in place adequate measures to prevent drug and alcohol abuse. There is also a mandatory requirement for the administration to establish a limit of not greater than 0.05% blood alcohol level (BAC) or 0.25 mg/l alcohol in the breath or a quantity of alcohol leading to such alcohol concentration for masters, officers and other seafarers while performing designated safety, security and marine environmental duties.

                      Guidelines in part B of the STCW Code on watch-keepers recommend seafarers should not consume any alcohol within four hours of going on watch.

                      Promoting Prevention

                      Any administration has the following responsibilities to protect the health and safety of people onboard:

                      • Health checks and medical examinations: ensuring checks for drug and alcohol abuse are included in the seafarers’ medical examination both on initial screening and during seafarers’ periodic medical checks.
                      • Training & education: provide the support, guidance and expertise to assist the development of schemes to prepare trainers, the application of training and the education of seafarers and shore workers in the effects, symptoms and results of drug and alcohol abuse.
                      • Promoting and raising the profile of prevention: coordinate accident reports and provide risk assessment data and other information that may be used by the country’s maritime industry to raise the profile of the subject and to promote the dangers posed by drug and alcohol abuse.
                      • Setting safety limits: prescription of a maximum blood alcohol level for watchkeepers as a minimum safety standard and any other prohibitions on the consumption of drugs, including prescribed medications, or alcohol that can impair the ability of watchkeeping seafarers or those on board engaged in safety sensitive operations.
                      • Provision of rehabilitation services: provide rehabilitation services for those seafarers diagnosed as having or who have acknowledged a drug or alcohol abuse problem.
                      • Non-discrimination: develop and introduce legislation that ensures rehabilitated seafarers, following an individual’s successful completion of an approved treatment programme, are not discriminated against by employers.
                      • Declaring drug and alcohol abuse to be a medical condition: encourage those with drug and alcohol abuse problems to seek assistance thereby reducing health and safety risks to fellow seafarers on board ships.
                      • Focal point: to act as a focal point for industry and to express and share the national views/experiences gained from prevention programmes at international level

                      What masters should do

                      The responsibilities which the master is expected to fulfil with respect to alcohol and drug consumption onboard include:

                      • commitment to the programme,
                      • familiarity with the policy, programme and associated
                      • procedures,
                      • monitoring and providing feedback on the programme
                      • through the ship’s safety committee,
                      • monitoring the performance of ship’s officers and seafarers,
                      • identifying drug and alcohol abuse problems,
                      • carrying out disciplinary procedures,
                      • obtaining medical or specialist advice and dealing with
                      • emergency medical situations,
                      • executing testing procedures (where required),
                      • co-operating with foreign port authorities and ensuring
                      • conformance to national or foreign regulations, and
                      • monitoring and controlling consumption.

                      What an abuse policy statement should include

                      Any shipping company should have written an abuse policy, clarifying its position on the use of alcohol, illicit drugs and medications both on board and on shore. Namely, the policy should explain why the company has implemented an alcohol and drug programme and refer to prevention measures and consequences of policy violations.

                      More specifically, at a minimum, the policy statement should address:

                      • Rules concerning the consumption of alcohol on board ship.
                      • Restrictions concerning consumption of alcohol prior to coming on duty
                      • Use of medications which may interfere with work performance.
                      • Use of illicit drugs.
                      • Consequences of violating drug and alcohol use rules.
                      • Consequences of illicit drug possession or drug trafficking.
                      • Seafarers with drug and alcohol problems.
                      • Rehabilitation and re-employment.
                      • Alcohol and drug testing

                       

                      Tags: alcoholdrugsSTCW Convention

                      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

                      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

                      Recommended

                      New Zealand’s legislation on seafarer welfare funding effective from July

                      April 23, 2021
                      collision in channel

                      NTSB investigation: Collision in channel leads to vessel total loss

                      April 23, 2021
                      MARITIME EVENTS

                      Most Read

                      • enclosed space design

                        Emergency Procedures: Rescue from Enclosed Space

                        0 shares
                        Share 0 Tweet 0
                      • Bulk Jupiter sinking: A stark reminder of bauxite cargo risks

                        0 shares
                        Share 0 Tweet 0
                      • Do you know what are the biggest ships of the world?

                        0 shares
                        Share 0 Tweet 0
                      • Do you know what NATO phonetic alphabet is?

                        0 shares
                        Share 0 Tweet 0
                      • Insurers Considerations for Autonomous Ships

                        0 shares
                        Share 0 Tweet 0

                      Newsletter

                      GET THE SAFETY4SEA IN YOUR INBOX!

                      Explore

                      • Safety
                      • Green
                      • Smart
                      • Risk
                      • Others
                      • Events
                      • Plus

                      Useful Links

                      • About
                      • Disclaimer
                      • Editorial Policies
                      • Advertising
                      • Contact

                      © 2021 SAFETY4SEA

                      No Result
                      View All Result
                      • Safety
                        • Alerts
                        • Accidents
                        • Loss Prevention
                        • Maritime Health
                        • Regulation
                        • Safety
                        • Seafarers
                        • Security
                      • Green
                        • Arctic
                        • Ballast
                        • Emissions
                        • Fuels
                        • Green Shipping
                        • Pollution
                        • Ship Recycling
                        • Technology
                      • Smart
                        • Connectivity
                        • Cyber Security
                        • E-navigation
                        • Energy Efficiency
                        • Maritime Software
                        • Smart
                      • Risk
                        • CIC
                        • Detentions
                        • Fines
                        • PSC Focus
                        • Vetting
                      • Others
                        • Diversity in shipping
                        • Maritime Knowledge
                        • Offshore
                        • Ports
                        • Shipping
                        • Sustainability
                        • Videos
                      • Columns
                        • Opinions
                        • Career Paths
                        • Industry Voices
                        • Maripedia
                        • Maritime History
                        • Seafarers Stories
                        • SeaSense
                      • Events
                      • Plus

                      © 2021 SAFETY4SEA

                      This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Disclaimer.