Countless Things have been said on the topic, some hit the bull’s eye, and others seem as Unwelcome Sermons.But, Needless to reiterate the fact that we are working for an Industry which involves taking a certain number of risks on a day to day basis.
Common Mistakes On Ship-You Should Avoid
Let’s peep in to them one by one:
1 ) NO Shortcuts !
Well, sometimes we might be tempted to take shortcuts to get things done faster. Reasons like long grueling working hours, unrealistic deadlines and accumulated fatigue may often influence our decisions.
Remember, NEVER take shortcuts ! Always Follow the Check Lists and important points discussed in the Toolbox Meeting. Bypassing Safety Checks and Procedures may seem like you are saving time, it is in fact a gamble on the lives of everyone involved, also it is against company policies and ISM guidelines. A trivial ALARM might not always be so. DO NOT Ignore ALARMS. NEVER use the options to Suppress or Mute ALARMS in normal circumstances.
A few minutes saved today could shorten someone’s life by a lot many years tomorrow Better management of Time and Man power is of prime importance Camaraderie and Morale are a huge part of a team’s effectiveness especially for people like us who are all away from their Homes and working in the toughest of environments.
2) Falsification of Records
Under current legal obligations logging and recording of Information, be it ORB or LOG BOOK entries and even ALARM logs are very important for the authorities and shipping operators alike.
The company office stores records and data for a very long time (sometimes up to 5 years ). Falsified Entries and Data can affect your career even years after the incident. Never Falsify Records and Data, they may be used for settling future insurance claims in case of accidents.In case of mistakes and incorrect entries, a simple strike through is acceptable in most cases., or the company SMS manual may mention of an alternate acceptable method. When in Doubt, Always Confirm from Seniors / Company Representatives
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3) Hiding Mistakes / Faults
Senior experienced officers exist on board for a reason, they have resources to come up with solutions for most of the problems.
Everyone appreciates honesty and professional behavior on board in the long run. That leaky valve or pipeline might seem irrelevant today. It could make matter worse tomorrow or even cause an accident ! Experience teaches us a lot of lessons, therefore even a young dynamic and completely devoted
professional seafarer might not be able to identify potential major risks and problems always as easily as an experienced Seafarer can.
As Aldous Huxley puts it “Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him.”
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4) Risk Assessment Is A Real Thing !
Risk assessment is the process of Identifying Hazards in the work to be performed, Analyzing the Severity and Frequency of the risk of encountering such hazards And determining the ways to avoid or minimize the risk of encountering the hazards. That being said, RA is often treated as a mundane paperwork to be dealt with, an added on workload for senior officers in the planning stage. It is a process which needs to be done continually even when the work is in progress. The only way to perform a task is the SAFE way.
Risks are to be always analyzed because, circumstances can always change and lead to accidents or injuries. With Insurance companies nowadays performing exhaustive investigations of accidents before settling claims, more and more cases of non compliance of terms and conditions are coming to notice. In layman terms, if you don’t follow Safe procedures, in case of an injury or accident, you are NOT eligible for compensation !
5) No Fight Clubs Here !
We all loved the screen adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club. But that doesn’t mean we should participate in a real one ! : )
People from many nationalities are working together, which makes it a wonderful learning experience for most people. But some people find it hard to deal with the ‘Culture Shock’ Differencesin Lifestyles, opinions about everything under the sun and mannerisms can lead to the feeling of alienation as well as intimidation amongst certain people.
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Never offend anyone’s beliefs nor encourage such practices on board. Make the effort of becoming socially aware and politically correct to make sure you treat everyone with dignity and respect.
Very useful article.Thank you so much to share this type of knowledge.