Ciencia Marina

10 Professional Mistakes Seafarers Should Never Make Onboard Ships (With Real Incidents)

There is no dearth of stress on board ships. Ask a seafarer and you will know what it takes to work on board. It is the ultimate test of both physical and mental strength.

No mariner is born smart! One has to learn the ropes of the game, avoid the pit falls, and play it safe.

In this difficult job market, a mariner must know what not to do in order to prevent any kind of professional trouble.

But every sea going professional knows that under excessive work pressure at sea, mistakes are bound to happen. So how does one save work related trouble?

It is by keeping note of basic yet important things while working on board ship. Here are ten mistakes a professional seafarer should never want to make on ship.

1. Never follow Illegal or Irrelevant Orders

Whether you are a rating, an operational level officer, or a management officer controlling the ship’s operations, there will always be a boss ordering you from the top.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, make sure that you know all the important regulations of the sea including SOLAS, MARPOL, COLREG, ISPS, STCW etc.

Never oblige to an order which violates all these important laws as it may land you in prison and can even end your career. If you think that the orders asked to follow are dangerous for your ship or ship’s personnel, do clarify again with your seniors

before proceeding.

Real Incident

: It has been reported several times that people pump out bilges or throw garbage in sea when ordered by their superiors. Such activities have high chances of bringing both you and your superior to court or prison

2. Never Hide a Problem or a Mistake

Everyone makes mistake, and unless it is not repeated several times, it is usually forgiven. The same applies to every mariner on ships. If you make a mistake, of whatever kind, don’t hide; instead report it to your superior so that necessary steps can be taken immediately by the onboard team. Hiding mistakes can lead to bigger problems or emergency situations later on.

Real Incident

: A ship’s duty engineer ignored a minor leakage from hot oil pipe as his watch was almost about to end. The motorman of the next watch met with an accident from the bursting of the same oil pipe causing burns. Moreover, the ship’s engine had to be stopped until the pipe was repaired.

3. Make Correct Paper Work Entries

In today’s shipping industry, documentation has become the primary concern for all shipping operators, who keep a track of each and every operation of the ship. These records are used as a proof for authorities that the ship is operating as per all international regulations.

It also helps them in tackling future problems (as the documents are used as references) and most importantly, they are used for insurance claim survey if any damage or accident occurs. Thus make sure that all the entries you make in your documents (e.g-Log books) are correct to avoid any mishaps in the long run.

Real Incident

: Many officers enter wrong and manipulative readings/ records in the official log book, which is considered as the main reference for any operation on ships. This has lead to several fatal accidents and emergency situations in the past. Moreover, when in need, these false records can lead to wrong interpretation or cancellation of insurance money in case damage occurs to the ship.

4. Don’t Ignore Alarms – Every Alarm is a sign that something is wrong

Different types of alarms (audible and visual) are fitted onboard ships to warn crew members of any emergency, so that immediate actions can be taken to tackle the same. It does not matter if the alarm is genuine or just meant for a drill; one must treat every alarm as an emergency and act on the dedicated duties as soon as possible.

Don’t use your brain to judge a situation when an emergency alarm is given; just act! Sometimes even a second delay can lead to severe consequences and loss of life.

Real Incident

: Once a vessel was crossing the Indian Ocean, which is considered a no pirates attack zone and a safe region. Suddenly a general alarm was heard. Some of the crew members thought it was a drill or some error in the alarm system. They were not spontaneous and delayed their duties. The ship was attacked by pirates and those who took the alarm seriously reached the Citadel safely whereas those who ignored were held as hostages by the pirates.

5. Don’t allow anyone to Have Access to Your Cabin

Your Cabin in ship’s accommodation is your own private place and you are solely responsible for all the holdings inside it. Never allow any one (from ship or outside) to enter your cabin without your consent or presence.

Custom

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