Safety operations hub

Plain-English working-seafarer reference for the shipboard safety system. Permit-to-work, enclosed-space entry, mooring, hot work, watchkeeping, fatigue, bunkering, garbage and OWS, near-miss reporting, port-state-control preparation. Where this hub conflicts with your vessel's SMS or your flag-state circular — follow your ship.

Permit-to-work system

• Permit to Work

  When the system kicks in, who signs, what cancels a permit.

• Risk assessment

  Pre-task hazard identification, controls, residual risk.

• Enclosed-space entry

  SOLAS XI-1/7 + OCIMF best practice — pre-entry gas testing, attendant, rescue plan.

• Hot work

  Permit, gas-free certificate, fire watch, neighbouring spaces.

• Lockout / tagout

  Isolating energy sources before maintenance — locks, tags, verification.

Shipboard operations

• Mooring safety

  Snap-back zones, line condition, communication, anti-piracy considerations alongside.

• Working aloft

  Permit, harness, secondary lines, communication with watch officer.

• Bunkering

  Pre-transfer checks, drip trays, MARPOL Annex I + VI obligations, sampling.

• Ballast water exchange

  BWM Convention compliance, D-1 vs D-2, record book.

• Garbage management

  MARPOL Annex V garbage plan, segregation, record book, port reception facilities.

• Oily-water separator (OWS)

  Record book honesty, magic-pipe enforcement, OWS alarms.

Watchkeeping + fitness for duty

• Engine-room watchkeeping

  STCW Reg VIII/2, taking over the watch, UMS alarms, fatigue check.

• Bridge watchkeeping

  STCW Reg VIII/2, look-out, position fixing, traffic, weather, fatigue.

• Cargo watchkeeping

  Liquid + dry cargo, gas + tanker considerations, communication with terminal.

• Gangway watch

  ISPS, visitors, packages, port-state inspectors, lifebuoy + radio readiness.

• Hours of rest (STCW VIII)

  10/24, 77/7 — the fitness-for-duty rules.

• Fatigue and watchkeeping

  MEPC.1/Circ.1014 guidance, sleep banking, hot-bunking risks.

Reporting + inspection readiness

• Near-miss reporting

  Why honest reporting protects you and your shipmates.

• Stop-work authority

  When and how to stop the job — protected under most SMS.

• Accident investigation

  IMO MSC.1/Circ.1503 + flag-state procedures.

• Port-state-control preparation

  Paris/Tokyo MoU — common deficiencies and how to prepare.

• PSC detentions database

  Search recent detentions by vessel, MoU, or year.