38 Responsibilities of Ship Security Officer

On each ship when more than five workers are employed the company is required to appoint a safety officer. A safety officer monitors activities on board to ensure that marinrs comply with company policies and-marine safety regulations. The duties of this job vary by employer, but safety officers

typically have responsibilities including policy development, safety inspections, safety training and compliance with Maritime Coastguard Agency Code of Safe Working Practices Merchant Seamen , The International Convention on Standards of Training.

The Master must the appointment of a safety officer in the official logbook. According to the

ISM code a ship safety officer should have minimum of two years of consecutive sea service. In case of tanker ships the SSO should have six months of experience on tanker ships in addition to two years of consecutive sea service.

Some of the important duties include:

• To look into all the potential hazards to the health and safety of the ship and its crew.

• To ensure that the crew maintains high standard of safety consciousness and knows all the important aspects of the ISM code related to safety;

• To ensure that all regulations concerning safe working practices and safety instructions, rules and guidance for the ship‘s safety and health are complied with

• To ensure that safety inspection of the ship is carried out at least every three months or more frequently if required

• To help ship safety committee to take substantial steps for improving the safety of the ship

• To look into crew complaints related to health and safety

• To make recommendations to the ship‘s master to remove a potential hazard which might lead to an accident or harm to the crew

• To provide information to the ship‘s master regarding deficiencies related to ship‘s health, safety, and security;

• To properly investigate any accident involving death of a crew and major or minor accident

• To inform the master when someone from the crew fails to work according to the regulations mention in the ISM code

• To recommend important aspects related to safety in ship's maintenance plan

• To maintain a record of all the accidents taking place on the ship, including death, major or minor injury. and near death experiences. The safety officer makes this information available to the ship‘s master, safety representative, or any official of the company

• To stop any ship operation. which might cause damage to the ship or harm to any of the ship‘s crew. In this case the safety officer must inform about the some to the ship‘s master and take necessary steps.

39 Example of log book entries during navigation watch

Every vessel shall keep the Official Log Book, Oil Record Book or the Engine / Deck Log Books. The log book is considered to be a running log of all official events such as arrival and departure of the vessel to and from port, draughts, freeboards. onboard emergency drills, crew onboard, fuel/fresh water remaining on board (ROB). Master's Handing Over/Taking Over etc. Is is imperative that all entries must be made in a professional and legible manner. All entries should be made as soon as practicable after an event occurs. Only authorized personnel should make such entries. All entries must have a date and time recorded.

• During watch: After an incident we study ship records. If we have a stranding and insurance claim, incpectors examine the chart and log book/

The OOW shall keep records ,,littler and often’’. When hi is busy he keeps a note book and write in the log book after the watch. All log entries should be neat and tidy. If you make a mistake, cross out the entry with a single line, enter the corrected date above it and initial the correction.

Time, weather, sea state, track, course, speed, compass error, and position are written in different columns .