Accident prevention on board ship at sea and in port
1.General provisions
1.1.Objective
1.1.1.The objective of this code is to provide practical guidance on safety andhealth in shipboard work with a view to:(a)
preventing accidents, diseases and other harmful effects on the health of seafarersarising from employment on board ship at sea and in port;(b)
ensuring that the responsibility for safety and health is understood and remains apriority for all concerned with maritime transport, including governments,shipowners and seafarers; and(c)
promoting consultation and cooperation among governments, as well asshipowners’ and seafarers’ organizations in the improvement of safety and health onboard ship.1.1.2.The code also provides guidance in the implementation of the provisions of the Prevention of Occupational Accidents to Seafarers Convention, 1970 (No. 134), andRecommendation, 1970 (No. 142), as well as other applicable ILO Conventions andRecommendations.
1.2.Application
1.2.1.The code covers the safety and health of all seafarers serving on board allseagoing ships, whether publicly or privately owned, and which are ordinarily engagedin commercial maritime navigation. However, parts of the code may be applicable tovessels used in inland waterways or to fishing vessels.1.2.2.The provisions of this code should be considered as the basic minimumrequirements for protecting seafarers’ safety and health.
1.3.General definitions
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1.3.1.For the purposes of this code the following terms have been defined asfollows:(a)
competent authority:
a minister, government department or other authority havingpower to issue regulations, orders or other instructions having the force of law inrespect of safety and health aboard any vessel registered in their territory or any shipwithin their territorial waters and ports;(b)
competent person or competent officer:
a rating or an officer possessing adequatequalifications, such as suitable training and sufficient knowledge, experience andskill, and including, where appropriate, any certificates required by the competentauthority, to fill a particular position, carry out a specific task, or assume supervisory
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Use of the male gender in the text should be read as meaning male or female.
Accident prevention on board ship2
responsibility. The competent authority may define appropriate criteria for thedesignation of such persons and may determine the duties assigned to them;
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(c)
crew:
seafarers, other than the master, working on the ship;(d)
officer:
one who is ranked as an officer
by national laws or regulations;
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(e)
personal protective equipment:
includes but is not limited to protective clothing,safety helmets, eye and face protection, hearing protection, gloves, safety footwear,lifelines, safety harnesses, breathing apparatus and respirators, as appropriate;(f)
rating:
a competent member of the crew other than an officer;(g)
responsible persons:
persons having authority delegated to them either directly orindirectly by the shipowner or the master to carry out or supervise the duties oroperations under consideration;(h)
safety officer:
an officer designated by the shipowner or the master as beingresponsible for carrying out certain tasks associated with shipboard safety and health;(i)
safety policy:
a written document produced by a shipowner indicating in broad termshis commitment, aims and objectives;(j)
safety programme:
a detailed plan designed to implement the ideals and intentionsexpressed in the safety policy;(k)
safety representative:
a member of the crew elected or appointed by and from themembers of the crew to serve on the shipboard safety and health committee;(l)
shipboard safety and health committee:
a committee which examines and deals withall aspects of shipboard safety and health and related issues;(m)
seafarer:
any person employed in any capacity on board a seagoing ship or vesselengaged in commercial maritime navigation, whether publicly or privately owned,other than a ship of war;(n)
ship or vessel:
any seagoing registered craft, whether publicly or privately owned,engaged in commercial maritime navigation;(o)
shipowner:
any person(s) or organization that owns the ship or acts on behalf of theowner and is responsible for the ship and its equipment or for the seafarers employedthereon. For the purposes of the code, the term may also include, for example, a shipmanagement company.
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Such standards should at least be those of the IMO’s International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978 (and any subsequent revisions oramendments), and the requirements of the ILO’s Merchant Shipping (Minimum Standards) Convention,1976 (No. 147), and other relevant instruments.
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See also 1.3.1(b), above.
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2.General duties and responsibilities
2.1.General duties of the competent authority of flag States
2.1.1.The competent authority should, on the basis of an assessment of safety andhealth hazards and in consultation with shipowners’ and seafarers’ organizations, adoptnational laws or regulations to ensure the safety and health of seafarers working onships.2.1.2.A practical application of these national laws or regulations should beprovided through technical standards or codes of practice, or by other appropriatemethods.2.1.3.In giving effect to paragraphs 2.1.1 and 2.1.2 above, the competentauthority should have due regard to the relevant standards adopted by recognizedinternational organizations in the field of maritime safety.
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2.1.4.The competent authority should provide appropriate inspection services toenforce or administer the application of the provisions of national laws and regulationsand should provide the necessary resources for the accomplishmentof their task, orsatisfy itself that appropriate inspection and enforcement are carried out.
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2.1.5.The inspection and survey of ships should normally be carried out by thecompetent authority.
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If inspection and survey are delegated to classification societiesand other bodies, the competent authority should ensure that its internationalobligations
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are fulfilled and that national laws and regulations are enforced.2.1.6.The measures to be taken to ensure organized cooperation betweenshipowners and seafarers to promote safety and health on board ship should be
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These include, from the International Labour Organization, the Merchant Shipping (MinimumStandards) Convention, 1976 (No. 147); the Prevention of Accidents (Seafarers) Convention, 1970(No. 134); the Prevention of Accidents (Seafarers) Recommendation, 1970 (No. 142); and from theInternational Maritime Organization, the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974(SOLAS); the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping forSeafarers, 1978 (STCW); the International Convention on Loadlines, 1966 (ICL); the Convention on theInternational Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREG) and any subsequent revisionsof the above instruments.
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For guidance on inspections in accordance with Convention No. 147, the ILO publication
Inspection of labour conditions on board ship: Guide-lines for procedure
should be followed. Inaccordance with Article 2 of Convention No. 134, the competent authority in each maritime country shalltake the necessary measures to ensure that occupational accidents are adequately reported andinvestigated, and comprehensive statistics on such accidents kept and analysed. Use may also be made of the IMO/ILO Guidelines for the investigation of accidents where fatigue may have been a contributingfactor, where appropriate.
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See also the Labour Inspection (Seamen) Recommendation, 1926 (No. 28).
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Guidelines for the Authorization of Organizations Acting on Behalf of the Administration, IMOResolution A.739(18), 1993, and subsequent related resolutions should be followed.
