Britannia P&I Club: Health Watch Vol.2 Issue 3
Britannia P&I Club issued Health Watch Volume 2, Issue 3 December 2013 including accident prevention.If you fall from a height, whether overboard or onto the deck, this could be fatal or you could be seriously injured. If you dont follow proper procedures, or if you use faulty or old equipment, this could result in a fall. You could also put yourself and people working below you at risk if tools or other objects are not secured properly and are dropped from a height.
Advisable Precautions:
Before working aloft or overside, it’s important to make sure you have the correct permit-to-work, have performed a risk assessment and that you consider any potential hazards (this could include bad weather or strong currents). It’s also safe practice to inform crewmates of your plans to carry out such work, both verbally and by putting warning signs in place, and to ensure any equipment nearby (such as the whistle, funnel, radar scanner or radio antenna) is switched off and made safe.
If you are a seafarer with limited experience, you should not work aloft or overside, unless supervised by a more experienced crewmember – but whatever your experience level, you should always have a responsible crewmember keeping watch on deck. You must make sure all safety equipment is properly worn or rigged (including a lifejacket, harnesses, nets etc). If you are working overside, the crewmember keeping watch should hold a lifebuoy and line, which can be thrown to you immediately if need be.
It is vital that all equipment and tools are examined prior to commencing work, to ensure they are of the right quality and in good condition, and tools should be carried on a tool belt or other suitable container – not in your pockets! You must also be careful to make sure any secured equipment, such as gantlines are fastened to permanent fixtures only. Also, make sure all ropes and ladders you intend to use are load tested beforehand (perform tests with at least four times the weight which the rope will actually be expected to carry) and you should also perform visual tests for quality and condition of ropes and equipment.
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Health Watch 2013, Volume 2 Issue 3 December 2013
I am a sailor that was involved in a rescue/body recovery onboard the Coast Guard Barque Eagle. I currently volunteered at the San Francisco Maritime Museum and observe incredibly unsafe practices in the riggers fall protection system that will lead to injury or death. Could you please email me what practices are safe. The system they use is ridiculouly foolish. LIVES are at risk and I don’t want to see another death in the rigging. Having my friends blood in my face is not another experience I want to go through. Thankyou for your feedback. I am in contact with OSHA