What is Risk Assessment and how it is done Onboard ?

When to carry out a Risk Assessment

Risk Assessments are to be conducted whenever an activity which is:

  1. Known to be hazardous, from your experience, training or plain common sense.
  2. Unusual, abnormal or requires significant departure from normal routines.

List of Work that requires risk assessment, which by no means is exhaustive:

  • Hot Work in enclosed space/ deck
  • Entry into enclosed spaces
  • The malfunctioning of (or any work which requires disabling of) critical systems, such as steering, inert gas, alarm systems, fire fighting or lifesaving appliances, etc.
  • Working on live electrical circuits
  • Working on piping or systems, sections of which contain stored energy (pneumatic, hydraulic or spring loaded pressure)
  • Working on piping or systems, sections of which contain potentially harmful or hazardous fluids.
  • Undertaking major maintenance / repair / renewal jobs
  •  Movement, removal or replacement of heavy items such as cylinder heads, pistons, liners, large pumps or motors, pipelines, etc
  • Diving (or internal work) on underwater shipside connections (e.g. pipelines & valves).
  • Critical areas of navigation, including shallow water, Sensitive Areas and difficult night passages.
  •  Loading unusual cargoes (may be detrimental to health or the ship). 
  • Inadequate berthing / mooring / terminal facilities.
  • Discovery of cracks, cargo ingress into non-cargo spaces, etc.
  • Rescue and Salvage operations.
  • At any other time or operation considered appropriate by Shipboard Management.
  • When directed by Shore Management.

It should also be noted that many of these events would require input and assistance from Shore Management.

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