It is far easier (and better for all) to prevent an HSQE Event taking place, than it is to deal with the consequences of one happening.

Everyone has the right to go home safely at the end of their contract.

While a ship is a hazardous place to work, those hazards can be managed with good planning and leadership, by everyone onboard. Leadership can also be personal leadership - doing the right thing yourself is just as important as being told to do the right thing.

Everyone has the right to stop a job if they are not sure it is safe to continue or if they observe unsafe working practices being undertaken by anyone. Nobody will be negatively penalised for stopping a job they genuinely believe is not being safely undertaken.

If you do stop the job, you must inform a senior officer immediately. They must inform the Master immediately, who will in turn inform the Company.

Before a job is started, it is essential that it has been properly planned by the person in charge. This means making sure that the required steps to complete the job are clear, that you have all the required equipment and consumables, all the right safety equipment. Importantly, the person in charge needs to make sure that everyone else involved in the work knows all of this.

As required by this system, every work activity requires a Risk Assessment. However, not all need to be in written form. Check section A09 to see what is required for your planned job.

It is important that a briefing is conducted before work starts with all involved.

It is strongly recommended that a debriefing is carried out when work is finished. This is a chance to see what could be improved next time.

Any crew member, no matter what rank or position onboard, must act if they see unsafe working practices by anyone onboard the ship. Remember, safety is everyone's responsibility.

If you see unsafe practices, "stop the job" immediately, and inform a senior officer. If they do not act, inform the Master. If they do not act, inform the DPA.

Do not stand by and let your colleagues get hurt.

Never use faulty equipment, damaged protective clothing or engage in unsafe working practices.

Always check the equipment you are planning to use to complete a job before you start work. If you are not sure it is safe to use, don't use it - report it to a senior officer.

Chemicals, including those substances used for cleaning (soaps and similar) pose specific risks to the health of those who use them. Each substance has its own dangers. Even similar products from different makers can have slightly different chemical make-ups which can change how they react to other substances.

Therefore, it is vital that these items are properly handled, stored and used with the correct PPE Personal Protective Equipment.

Information on the risks associated with a chemical substance is required to be provided by the maker in a Material Safety Data Sheet MSDS. This document gives information on the contents of a substance, what equipment is required when using it, how it can be stored safely, how to respond to spillage and information on essential first aid in the event of contact, ingestion or inhalation.

MSDS are mandatory - every chemical maker must produce these.

Whenever a chemical or cleaning material is to be used onboard, its MSDS must be posted at the storage location For chemicals or cleaning materials that are consistently used in the same place (such as laundry soap, dishwasher liquid, or similar), the MSDS must also be displayed at the location of use.
As a minimum, MSDS must be available:
- In the chemicals locker
- In the paint locker
- In any location used for the storage of chemicals or cleaning materials
- In all laundries (for the products used there)
- In the galley (for products used there)

The Master is required to check that MSDS are available in the laundry(-ies) and galley when he carries out his weekly inspection of the ships accommodation.

Refer further to A06 for Storage and Use of dangerous, Hazardous Substances, Chemical and Materials.