Division Taking over the watch - Marine Orders - Part 28: Operations standards & procedures, Issue 2 (Order No. 9 of 1997) - Taking over the watch | Zoe
Marine Orders - Part 28: Operations standards & procedures, Issue 2 (Order No. 9 of 1997)
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4.1.7 Officers in charge of the deck or engineering watch must not hand over the watch to their relieving officer if they have any reason to believe that the latter is obviously not capable of carrying out watchkeeping duties effectively, in which case the master or chief engineer must be notified accordingly. Relieving officers of the deck or engineering watch must ensure that all members of their watch are apparently fully capable of performing their duties effectively.
4.1.8 If, at the moment of handing over the deck or engineering watch, an important operation is being performed it must be concluded by the officer being relieved, except when ordered otherwise by the master or chief engineer officer.
4.2 Taking over the deck watch
4.2.1 Prior to taking over the deck watch, the relieving officer must be informed of the following by the officer in charge of the deck watch as to:
(a) the depth of the water at the berth, the ship's draught, the level and time of high and low waters; the securing of the moorings, the arrangement of anchors and the scope of the anchor chain, and other mooring features important to the safety of the ship; the state of main engines and their availability for emergency use;
(b) all work to be performed on board the ship; the nature, amount and disposition of cargo loaded or remaining, and any residue on board after unloading the ship;
(c) the level of water in bilges and ballast tanks;
(d) the signals or lights being exhibited or sounded;
(e) the number of crew members required to be on board and the presence of any other persons on board;
(f) the state of fire‑fighting appliances;
(g) any special port regulations;
(h) the master's standing and special orders;
(i) the lines of communication available between the ship and shore personnel, including port authorities, in the event of an emergency arising or assistance being required;
(j) any other circumstances of importance to the safety of the ship, its crew, cargo or protection of the environment from pollution; and
(k) the procedures for notifying the appropriate authority of any environmental pollution resulting from ship activities.
4.2.2 Relieving officers, before assuming charge of the deck watch, must verify that:
(a) the securing of moorings and anchor chain are adequate;
(b) the appropriate signals or lights are properly exhibited or sounded;
(c) safety measures and fire protection regulations are being maintained;
(d) their awareness of the nature of any hazardous or dangerous cargo being loaded or discharged and the appropriate action to be taken in the event of any spillage or fire;
(e) no external conditions or circumstances imperil the ship and that it does not imperil others.
4.3 Taking over the engineering watch
4.3.1 Prior to taking over the engineering watch, the relieving officer must be informed by the officer in charge of the engineering watch as to:
(a) the standing orders of the day, any special orders relating to the ship operations, maintenance functions, repairs to the ship's machinery or control equipment;
(b) the nature of all work being performed on machinery and systems on board ship, personnel involved and potential hazards;
(c) the level and condition, where applicable, of water or residue in bilges, ballast tanks, slop tanks, sewage tanks, reserve tanks and special requirements for the use or disposal of the contents thereof;
(d) any special requirements relating to sanitary system disposals;
(e) the condition and state of readiness of portable fire‑extinguishing equipment and fixed fire‑extinguishing installations and fire detection systems;
(f) authorized repair personnel on board engaged in engineering activities, their work locations and repair functions and other authorized persons on board and the required crew;
(g) any port regulations pertaining to ship effluents, fire‑fighting requirements and ship readiness, particularly during potential bad weather conditions;
(h) the lines of communication available between the ship and shore personnel, including port authorities, in the event of an emergency arising or assistance being required;
(i) any other circumstance of importance to the safety of the ship, its crew, cargo or the protection of the environment from pollution; and
(j) the procedures for notifying the appropriate authority of environmental pollution resulting from engineering activities.
4.3.2 Relieving officers, before assuming charge of the engineering watch, must satisfy themselves that they are fully informed by the officer being relieved, as outlined above, and:
(a) be familiar with existing and potential sources of power, heat and lighting and their distribution;
(b) know the availability and condition of ship's fuel, lubricants and all water supplies; and
(c) be ready to prepare the ship and its machinery, as far as is possible, for stand‑by or emergency conditions as required.
4.4 Performing the deck watch
The officer in charge of the deck watch must:
(a) make rounds to inspect the ship at appropriate intervals;
(b) pay particular attention to:
(i) the condition and securing of the gangway, anchor chain and moorings, especially at the turn of the tide and in berths with a large rise and fall, if necessary, taking measures to ensure that they are in normal working condition,
(ii) the draught, under‑keel clearance and the general state of the ship, to avoid dangerous listing or trim during cargo handling or ballasting,
(iii) the weather and sea state,
(iv) the observance of all regulations concerning safety and fire protection,
(v) the water level in bilges and tanks,
(vi) all persons on board and their location, especially those in remote or enclosed spaces, and
(vii) the exhibition and sounding, where appropriate, of lights and signals;
(c) in bad weather, or on receiving a storm warning, take the necessary measures to protect the ship, persons on board and cargo;
(d) take every precaution to prevent pollution of the environment by the ship;
(e) in an emergency threatening the safety of the ship, raise the alarm, inform the master, take all possible measures to prevent any damage to the ship, its cargo and persons on board, and, if necessary, request assistance from the shore authorities or neighbouring ships;
(f) be aware of the ship's stability condition so that, in the event of fire, the shore fire‑fighting authority may be advised of the approximate quantity of water that can be pumped on board without endangering the ship;
(g) offer assistance to ships or persons in distress;
(h) take necessary precautions to prevent accidents or damage when propellers are to be turned; and
(i) enter in the appropriate log‑book all important events affecting the ship.
4.5 Performing the engineering watch
4.5.1 Officers in charge of the engineering watch must pay particular attention to:
(a) the observance of all orders, special operating procedures and regulations concerning hazardous conditions and their prevention in all areas in their charge;
(b) the instrumentation and control systems, monitoring of all power supplies, components and systems in operation;
(c) the techniques, methods and procedures necessary to prevent violation of the pollution regulations of the local authorities; and
(d) the state of the bilges.
4.5.2 Officers in charge of the engineering watch must:
(a) in emergencies, raise the alarm when in their opinion the situation so demands, and take all possible measures to prevent damage to the ship, persons on board and cargo;
(b) be aware of the deck officer's needs relating to the equipment required in the loading or unloading of the cargo and the additional requirements of the ballast and other ship stability control systems;
(c) make frequent rounds of inspection to determine possible equipment malfunction or failure, and take immediate remedial action to ensure the safety of the ship, of cargo operations, of the port and the environment;
(d) ensure that the necessary precautions are taken, within their area of responsibility, to prevent accidents or damage to the various electrical, electronic, hydraulic, pneumatic and mechanical systems of the ship;
(e) ensure that all important events affecting the operation, adjustment or repair of the ship's machinery are satisfactorily recorded.
4.6 Watch in port on ships carrying hazardous cargo
4.6.1 The master of every ship carrying cargo that is hazardous, whether explosive, flammable, toxic, health‑threatening or environment-polluting, must ensure that safe watchkeeping arrangements are maintained. On ships carrying hazardous cargo in bulk, this will be achieved by the ready availability on board of a duly qualified officer or officers, and ratings where appropriate, even when the ship is safely moored or safely at anchor in port.
4.6.2 On ships carrying hazardous cargo other than in bulk, the master must take full account of the nature, quantity, packing and stowage of the hazardous cargo and of any special conditions on board, afloat and ashore.