Deck operations
- Launch, operate and recover tenders and watersports equipment safely, with trained operators and the right protective equipment.
- Operate cranes and lifting appliances within their safe working load, with the gear tested and certified and the area kept clear.
- Manage guest and crew safety on deck, on the passerelle, and in and out of the water.
- Control work over the side and aloft, and enclosed-space entry, under the safe-working framework.
The safe-working framework
The Chief Mate applies the Code of Safe Working Practices: risk assessment before hazardous work, permits to work for high-risk tasks (enclosed-space entry, hot work, working aloft or over the side), the correct personal protective equipment, and safe systems of work with isolation and lock-off where needed. Most injuries come from ordinary jobs done without the proper precautions, so the framework is enforced as routine, not reserved for obviously dangerous tasks.
WARNING — Enclosed spaces and lifting gear are the big killers Enclosed-space entry without atmosphere testing, a permit and a standby person, and lifting loads with untested gear or people under the load, are among the deadliest deck hazards. The safe-working framework exists to prevent exactly these.
TIP — Risk-assess the routine jobs too The injuries come from the everyday tasks done carelessly, not just the obviously dangerous ones. A quick risk assessment and the right PPE on a routine job is what the safe-working culture is built on.