One precautionary measure all vessels should take while moored is to stand a wheelhouse watch. Company policy C.3.70 reiterates the necessity of having someone in the wheelhouse at all times. "The Wheelman on Watch is responsible for standing, or designating someone to stand, the radio watch in the wheelhouse at all times." As Wheelman on Watch, should you designate someone else to stand that watch, you need to ensure that they are capable of taking action in the event of an emergency. Can that person move the tow if another vessel loses control and is headed right for you?
 

Let's look at the second part of Rule 2, "In construing and complying with these Rules due regard shall be had to all dangers of navigation and collision and to any special circumstances, including the limitations of the vessels involved, which may make departures from these Rules necessary to avoid immediate danger." If another tow hits you, you are not "exonerated...from the consequences" if you did not take the "necessary action to avoid immediate danger." This Rule essentially makes you responsible for any incident that your vessel is involved in.

One of the points we stress during steersman interviews is that a licensed officer is always responsible for the vessel and crew, no matter who made the mistake. If a steersman was not standing a proper radio watch and an incident were to occur, the error is the responsibility of the Wheelman on Watch.

The responsibilities of a Wheelman are enormous, but the tasks don't have to be. While standing a wheelhouse watch while moored, these are some things you may want to consider: 

• Security: watch for suspicious activity (on your tow, another vessel, or on dock). Any suspicious activity should be reported to the CSO (Kyle Shaw, or Amy Kappes his alternate) or to 877-24WATCH.

• Hazards of the environment: watch the weather (tides, currents, heavy winds, etc) , shift your tow to ensure that it has not gone aground.

• Hazards of other vessels: watch other vessels around you such as ships with excessive speed, or tows that are turning around in the fleet next to you.

• Check your tow: or designate a crewmember to do this. Are the lines tight? Are any lines damaged?

• Radio watch: Always monitor channel 16 and your local traffic channel. 16 is the internationally designated emergency channel.

• Radar: You can use the radar when moored to set a VRM with an alarm from a fixed object to determine if your vessel is drifting. You can also set a zone to notify you if any vessels come into that zone.

Make sure you are protected.

If you are going to load or discharge a product that has more than 0.5% BENZENE, anyone involved in on deck cargo operations must have a full face cartridge respirator, wear flame resistant coveralls plus chemical resistant gloves. What actions do you take for respiratory protection?

If the product has a Benzene concentration of 6.0% or more, then;

• Crewmembers involved in transfer operations should wear the PPE listed above plus slicker suit and rubber boots.
• Over-Head stripping will be done by a shore facility, by a shore tankerman or by a cargo tank cleaning facility.  This operation required use of a supplied air respirator and other PPE. 

Cartridge for full face respirators must be changed whichever comes first:

• After each watch. 
• Whenever the wearer experiences "Break through".
• Whenever it becomes difficult to breath
• Whenever the cartridge reaches its expiration date. As seen in the picture below there are 4 numbers 4813 in bold black on the cartridge. Those signify the date the cartridge was manufactured, they are good for 3 years. The first two numbers are the week of the year it was made. The second two numbers are for the year made. This cartridge was made the 48th week of '13 or November 13, 2013, so it expires November 13, 2016.  A quick internet search can tell you the day of the year for any week.

Facial hair reduces the effectiveness of the full face respirator seal.  Company policy requires that personnel must be groomed in such a manner that facial hair is not covered by the face piece seal.  Discipline including the reduction in pay grades will be considered for disregard of the facial hair policy.

If you are unsure of your requirements for respiratory protection, go to the Higman Management System, volume 1, Policy and Procedures Manual.  

This safety alert serves as a reminder to vessel Owners / Operators, Port Captains / Engineers, crewmembers, and marine inspection personnel of the importance of properly maintaining and repairing vessel electrical systems including those located in inaccessible or confined areas. In this casualty, a young mariner employed onboard a Great Lakes bulk carrier was electrocuted while working in a dark and confined cargo tunnel beneath the ship's cargo holds. Another crewmember discovered the fallen mariner, went to his aid and received an electric shock sustaining a serious injury.

The investigation of this incident revealed that both crewmembers' heads had contacted a broken lamp fixture. The fixture lacked a light bulb, a globe, and a guard. It appears that, at one time the fixture was separated from its connection box and a repair was made using electrical tape to cover some open wires without properly replacing the connecting fitting between the fixture and the box. It also appears that the connection box was ungrounded due to the use of tie wraps instead of solid metal fasteners.

The photo below clearly illustrates the material condition of this fixture. 

This dangerous latent unsafe condition existed until the crewmember brushed his head against it and was killed. Likewise, the second mariner also brushed his head upon the fixture as he was responding to his fallen shipmate and was shocked. Fortunately, he survived.

All crewmembers must do their best to ensure their safety as well as the safety of their co-worker by reporting and acting to correct unsafe conditions. Further, it is critical that vessel and shoreside management personnel establish and maintain effective programs where unsafe conditions like this one can be reported, acted upon and effectively managed. Employees must not be hindered from or retaliated against for reporting and documenting such concerns. These principles have been widely adopted in maritime and other industries as Safety Management Systems.

Eliminating unsafe conditions also makes good business sense. The associated post-accident costs to the Owner/Operator can potentially be very substantial. Further, there's a societal cost to deaths and injuries caused by these casualties that can't be fully measured.

Ultimately, no lengthy cost benefit analysis was needed in this case as the issue was very clear. A hazardous condition was found but the repair was grossly inadequate and didn't eliminate the unsafe condition. As a result of this casualty, the Coast Guard strongly recommends to vessel Owners / Operators, Port Captains / Engineers, crewmembers, and marine inspection personnel, especially those associated with older vessels, to be alert for such hazards and to take immediate action to report, properly document and correct any hazardous condition.

Rules of the Road Questions 
  

GORDIE KEENAN
KELLY CLEAVER

JANIS ANDERSON

DENNIS ZINK