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USING YOUR STOP WORK AUTHORITY
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Safety is a shared responsibility; all crewmembers should know how to effectively use their Stop Work Authority.
The infamous General George Custer had a reputation as an arrogant megalomaniac. During his time as a cadet at West Point, he amassed a record total of 726 demerits, the worst conduct record in the history of the Academy. As a young officer during the Civil War, Custer style of battle was often claimed to be reckless or foolhardy.
Later on in 1876 during the American Indian Wars, General George Custer commanded a force from the 7th Calvary of 208 soldiers against the Lakota - Cheyenne Indians at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. The Lakota-Cheyenne at the time of the battle had over 1800 warriors. The outcome of the famous battle is well known and is often time attributed to the General's arrogance.
What if "Stop Work Authority" was in place as part of the U. S. Calvary's standard operating procedures in 1876? What if one of Custer's officers spoke up to the General prior to the event and pointed out the vast superiority of the opposing forces? Maybe the outcome would have been better for the Calvary force.
What is "Stop Work Authority"? Opening up the Higman Safety Management System to section "B", you will find the first reference to Stop Work Authority that gives any crewmember the authority to stop an unsafe practice: - Employees are responsible for performing tasks and work assignments in a safe manner with due regard for the well-being of others, the vessel and the environment. This includes the authority to stop any work that is deemed to be unsafe. Any non-conformity in operations or equipment that may impact safety or the environment shall be reported to the immediate Supervisor.
- (SWA) or Stop Work Authority includes the authority to stop any work that is deemed to be unsafe. This provides any employee the 'responsibility and obligation' to suspend a work task when:
- The control of a Health, Safety and/or Environment risk is not clearly established or understood.
- An individual identifies or recognizes an unforeseen hazard or risk, which if left uncorrected, may result in injury or damage
Though not nearly as dramatic as the Battle of the Little Big Horn, in our operations Stop Work Authority (SWA) is a powerful directive for all crewmembers from the newest deckhand to the most seasoned captain to take the responsibility to stop work when a there is a perceived unsafe condition.
SWA has an easy to remember, several step process from that will take the crew from observation to conclusion:
Stop, Notify, Investigate, Correct, Resume and Follow-up
Let's play it through using SWA on recent action taken by the crew of the M/V ORANGE when docking at a terminal located on the Houston Ship Channel.
Stop..... Stop what you are doing or what could cause an incident. - The M/V ORANGE with 2 loaded barges was cleared to dock at a terminal on the Houston Ship Channel. Because of dredge activity near the dock, the terminal requested that the tow be strung out for the tie-up at one of their ship berths. The Pilot on watch determined that the strung out tow would hang over 150 feet on both ends of the dock, resulting in an inadequate and potentially dangerous mooring. He initiated his Stop Work Authority.
Notify....Let your Captain or Port Captain know the situation and why work is being stopped. - The Pilot had the Tankerman wake up the Captain. Upon reviewing the situation, the Captain agreed with the Pilot. They initiated calls to the Port Captain, the on-call Higman Safety Rep and to the terminal personal.
Investigate..... Gather facts and understand the situation. Use critical thinking to come up with solutions. Communicate with all involved. - A discussion with the terminal folks initially brought no resolution. With the Higman representatives and the dock operator not agreeing, the Terminal Manager was brought into the discussion. Upon looking at the tie-up situation, the Terminal Manager agreed with the crew of the M/V ORANGE that the tie up was potentially unsafe.
Correct..... Use advice from your Captain or Port Captain, or your own investigation to fix the issue. - A plan was made to bring in one barge at a time.
Resume.....Continue your work while actively monitoring the previous situation. - With one barge at the dock and one to the fleet, discharge soon underway.
Follow-Up..... Think about how this can be prevented from happening again. - Determination with your Port Captain on whether a formal report should be made should be made with lessons learned.
Since SWA can be initiated by any member of the crew, it is important to understand the roll of everyone onboard.
- Wheelmen, Port Captains, Schedulers - all need to promote a culture where SWA is freely exercised.
- Crewmembers - should only initiate SWA in good faith and support it when initiated by others. It is not a crutch to get out of a work activity and will become quickly transparent if that is the case.
SWA is an important tool to keep our operations safe and productive.
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Open enrollment is now until June 17, 2016
to enroll as a new member or change your contribution election. Your contributions will begin July 1, 2016. Should you miss this opportunity, you need to wait until the end of the year for January 1, 2017.
Enrollment To be eligible, an employee must have reached their six month anniversary by July 1, 2016 and be age 19 or older. To enroll, please obtain a 401k packet from the Peninsula Office or call/email and Mary Kay can send one to the boat or your home. You may also rollover a previous employer's 401k at this time. Complete the enrollment form and the beneficiary form entirely and submit. Contribution Limits For 2016, the standard annual maximum IRS limit remains the same at $18,000. If you are 50 or over by the end of the calendar year, you can make catch-up contributions over the specified limits within the IRS Code and the retirement plan, up to a certain dollar amount. The catch-up contribution amount for 2016 is $6,000.
Changing Contribution Percentage
If you would like to change the percentage you contribute, forms are available at the Peninsula Office or www.Higmanboats.com. The first form "401K Catch Up Contribution" is available for those age 50 or older who would like to contribute the catch-up amount. The second form "401K Contribution Change" is to either increase or decrease the percentage you currently contribute. This adjustment cannot be done online.
How the Match Works
The company will match 100% up to 3%, and 50% up to 5% of your elections. The company can make an additional match at its discretion. The match is paid once annually after the end of the plan year. Remember, your elections are pre-tax dollars.
All forms need to be returned to Mary Kay at the Peninsula Office by June 17
th. You can fax, email, mail or drop them off. Please let her know if you have any questions.
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7 SIMPLE WAYS TO START EATING HEALTHIER
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Good fats: salmon, olives, almonds
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We've all heard not to judge a book by its cover, but what about a food by its product label?
Claims over which foods are truly healthy versus those that are not make it even more important for consumers to educate themselves.
Just because a product is labeled "all-natural" doesn't make it so, and items promoted as "fat-free" aren't necessarily healthy choices. It's time to take more notice of what we're putting in our bodies.
By learning more about nutrition, we can make healthier choices like minimizing processed foods and eating more whole, unrefined foods and fruits and vegetables. Doing so can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, Alzheimer's and stroke.
Not sure where to begin? Here are seven simple steps that require minimal effort to get you going on the right track.
1. Do a quick scan of ingredients on every label - the fewer, the better.
2. If sugar or corn syrup is listed, make sure it's low on the list.
3. Include some protein, carbohydrate and fat at every meal.
4. Look for whole grains over refined.
5. Focus on natural healthy fats like butter, olive oil, those from nuts and fatty fish - in moderate amounts.
6. Stay away from harmful oils like hydrogenated, processed seed oils, and trans fat. Seed oils include vegetable, cottonseed, soybean, safflower, sunflower, etc. What's wrong with them? Oil from seeds cannot be naturally extracted. They must be chemically treated, deodorized and altered. They quickly go rancid which can lead to inflammation and disease.
7. If it can't be grown or raised, think about giving it up and don't eat it.
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THE TYPES OF POWER IN LEADERSHIP
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Do you know how to recognize and utilize them?
Power can mean different things to different people. For some they see it as corrupt. For others the more power they have, the more controlling they are and maybe for others the more successful they feel. However, different types of power can affects one's leadership ability and success in a leadership role. Let's take a look at the different types of power a leader could use. Formal Power
Coercive: Coercive power is conv eyed by the fear of losing one's job, being demoted, or receiving a poor performance evaluation. In fact, it can be considered to be threatening. By simple telling a person "if you don't do this correctly and in a timely manner you will be fired".
Reward: Reward power is conveyed through rewarding individuals for compliance and effort. This can come in the form of promotions, pay raises, or time off. For example the captain gives the crew off a certain day because of how hard they worked in achieving the goals he has set forth for them.
Legitimate: Legitimate power comes from having a position of power in the company or organization such as being the boss or a key member of a team. This power comes when crewmembers or employees recognize and understand the authority of the individual. For example, the captain of the boat who determines the overall direction of his crew and operation of the boat.
Personal Power
Expert: Expert power comes from one's experience, skills, or knowledge. As we gain experience in particular areas, and become experts in those areas. We begin to gather export power that can be utilized to lead others when they feel "you know what you're talking about "and you have demonstrated your ability to do it.
Referent: Referent power comes from being trusted and respected. You can gain referent power when others trust what you do and respect you for how you handle situations. For example, a captain that treats all his crewmembers fairly and equally. You don't have to be the captain of a boat or a senior member in an organization to have some form of power. The most respect and trust are given to those who have personal power. There is more respect for these individuals than those who have power simply because they are the boss or a senior member of the organization.
Employees/crewmembers who associate the leader's power with expert or referent power are more engaged, more devoted to the operation, and committed to their role within it. Those employees/crewmembers are also willing to go the extra mile to reach goals.
So, the questions are, what is your source of power? And are you using the right source or just throwing your weight around? How effectively do you use your source of power to meet goals and objectives?
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Mini Spill Kits
All boats are being provided with a self-contained "Mini Spill Kit" in a 6-gallon plastic bucket with lid and label. These kits consist of: Chemical Splash/Impact Resistant Goggles, a 5-foot SPILL FIX Absorbent Sock, 0.6 cuft. Broadcast SPILL FIX.
These kits are for your safety and convenience, and if used properly, can completely capture a small deck spill or divert a larger spill from entering the water until a larger containment system can be brought to the immediate area. These kits are to be poised at-the-ready for each product transfer and for oily waste, regardless of direction from the barge or the boat.
Let's recap. This includes, but is not limited to, barge transfers, fueling, slop oil transfer, taking on lube oil and even pouring gasoline into the skiff. Always have the kit ready. While skill and knowledge are the first lines of defense, a sound back-up plan is always a good strategy.
What is SPILL FIX?
It's a green product, meaning it's safe for the environment. Coir, also known as "coir fibre pith," is a natural renewable resource free of any chemicals and toxins, produced as a by-product when coconut husks are processed for the extraction of the long fibers. It has a preference for hydrocarbons over water and will remove hydrocarbons from an oil/water emulsion.
What?! Yepp, it floats and can even be reused until completely darkened and saturated. The 0.6 cuft. of granulated broadcast you receive in one kit will absorb 2.1 gallons and is then landfill safe (in addition to the 5-foot absorbent sock).
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SIGMA 300 Swing meter
We all know what a swing meter is and how to read it, but do you know if it is working properly? A test of your swing meter should be done as part of your pre-departure testing. It's a very simple test that takes about 1 minute. Here are the directions for the Sigma 300 found on most Higman Boats:
While at dock sitting still, turn on the swing meter.
- Push the "test" button on the left side of the meter.
- The gyro in the sensor will begin to move to the port side.
- The velocity should be 20°/min.
- When the indicator begins to move start the timer.
- Stop the timer when the indicator stops at 20°.
This should take 1 minute. If it does not take 1 minute or does not reach 20° there may be something wrong with your swing meter.
Other items that can go wrong with the Sigma 300 Swing meter:
The gyro may malfunction. A red "Gyro Alarm" light will appear. This light comes on when you first start the swing meter while the gyro is getting up to speed. This should not take more than 30 seconds. Once up to speed it will turn off. If the light does not turn off or comes on while running, the gyro sensor has malfunctioned.
Power supply malfunction. The power light will turn red if one of the two power sources fails (this light is normally green). If communication fails, the power supply light will start blinking red to green and an alarm will sound.
Check the meter range on the lower right side. For normal operation is should be in position 1, a scale of 30°. Position 2 is used for a range of 90°.
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USCG RULES OF THE ROAD QUESTIONS
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BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND.....Which vessel may carry her sidelights and stern light in one combined lantern?
a. A 10-meter power-driven vessel
b. A 15-meter vessel propelled by sail and machinery
c. A 10-meter sailing vessel
d. All of the above
BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND.....Which lights would be shown at night by a vessel which is restricted in her ability to deviate from her course? a. Three red lights in a vertical line b. Three white lights in a vertical line c. Three lights in a vertical line, the highest and lowest white and the middle red d. Three lights in a vertical line, the highest and lowest red and the middle white
BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND..... Which vessel is the stand-on vessel when two vessels crossing in fog are NOT in sight of one another? a. The vessel which has the other on her own starboard side b. The vessel which has the other on her own port side c. The one which hears the other's fog signal first d. Neither vessel is the stand-on vessel.
BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND.....A vessel engaged in fishing shall keep out of the way of a vessel __________. a. under sail b. restricted in her ability to maneuver c. crossing a channel d. All of the above
BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND.....A vessel servicing a pipeline during the day shall display __________. a. three black shapes in a vertical line; the highest and lowest are balls, and the middle one is a diamond b. three shapes in a vertical line; the highest and lowest are red balls, and the middle one is a white diamond c. three black balls in a vertical line d. two black balls in a vertical line
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The James Caird: Lifeboat of the Endurance.
The Endurance was the ship used by Ernest Shackleton for his Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-17. The Expedition left South Georgia for the Weddell Sea. As they traversed the sea they encountered polar pack ice and became trapped. For 8 months the endurance was trapped until her final sinking in November of 1915. The Crew drifted northward in the Endurance's 3 life boats for another 5 months before the ice began to break apart and they could sail for Elephant island. Over a perilous period of seven days they sailed and rowed through stormy seas and dangerous loose ice, to reach the temporary haven of Elephant Island on 15 April.
Elephant Island, on the eastern limits of the South Shetland Islands, was remote from anywhere that the expedition had planned to go, and far beyond normal shipping routes. No relief ship would search for them there, and the likelihood of rescue from any other outside agency was equally negligible. Shackleton decided he needed to reach help, looking through his options and considering wind direction he decided to head to a whaling station on South Georgia Island. So on Elephant Island they decided that of the 3 lifeboats the James Caird was the strongest, and used the other 2 lifeboats to reinforce it for the journey. The South Georgia boat party could expect to meet hurricane-force winds and waves-the notorious Cape Horn Rollers-measuring from trough to crest as much as 60 feet.
And so the James Caird began its journey. Success depended on Worsley's navigation, based on sightings attempted during the very brief appearances of the sun, as the boat pitched and rolled. The first observation was made after two days, and showed them to be 128 nautical miles north of Elephant Island. The course was now changed to head directly for South Georgia. They were clear of the dangers of floating ice but had reached the dangerous seas of the Drake Passage, where giant waves sweep round the globe, unimpeded by any land. They encountered some of the harshest weather a ship could venture through. With constant bailing of the water in the boat they were able to stay afloat. After 800 miles they saw land and to avoid being swept past the island they made the soonest landing they could, far from the inhabited areas. Once landed, Shackleton determined the boat unfit to make it round the island. He would cross the island on foot. They crossed the island's interior with no map for 36 hours before they reached their destination. And 3 months later he was able to get a tug to help retrieve his men from Elephant Island.
The journey of the James Caird has been hailed by historians as the greatest ever. With all odds against them they made a nearly impossible journey.
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Intern Jonathan Blanchard going "above" and beyond
during cleaning duties aboard M/V Higman Mariner
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T-Johns, Relief Captain on M/V Red River, enjoyed time together
with his family at Casino Night during the Wheelman Seminar
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Sixth Session
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| Complete | Seventh Session
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| Complete | Eighth Session
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| Complete | Ninth Session
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| Complete
| Tenth Session
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| Complete
| Eleventh Session
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| June 21
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First Session
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| Complete
| Second Session
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| Complete
| Third Session
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| Complete
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HIGMAN
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LEADERSHIP
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First Session
| October 10-11 | |
Second Session
| October 20-21 | |
Third Session
| October 31- Nov 1 |
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First Session
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| Complete | |
Second Session
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| Complete | |
Third Session
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| July 21-22 | |
Fourth Session
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| October 3-4 |
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First Session
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| Complete | |
Second Session
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| Complete | |
Third Session
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| Complete | | Fourth Session |
| July 18-20 | | Fifth Session |
| August 1-3 | | Sixth Session |
| September 12-14 | | Seventh Session |
| Oct 31- Nov 2 |
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To schedule training please email Janis or Austin.
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Make sure crewmembers have access to the Training Newsletter
- Print a copy of each issue for the crew.
- You may join our mailing list by clicking below:
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Higman CBT Certificates earned year to date: 1960
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Answer to this weeks Nav Gen: C, D, D, B, A
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Sincerely,
GORDIE KEENAN
JANIS ANDERSON
DENNIS ZINK
AUSTIN ZODY
© 2016 HIGMAN MARINE SERVICES, Inc.
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