Question 1

As Chief Mate, you are responsible for managing the deck crew. What are your key obligations under MLC 2006 regarding their working conditions?

Accepted Answer

MLC 2006 — CM CREW WELFARE OBLIGATIONS: MLC 2006 (Maritime Labour Convention, in force 2013) consolidates and updates 68 previous ILO maritime conventions. As the officer responsible for deck crew, the CM has specific obligations: (1) WORKING HOURS: ensure deck crew rest hours comply with MLC Standard A2.3 — minimum 10 hours rest per 24 hours, 77 hours per 7 days. Maintain accurate rest hour records. Never sign falsified records; (2) SAFE WORKING CONDITIONS: MLC Title 4 — ensure a safe workplace. Risk assessments must be completed for hazardous tasks. PPE must be provided and its use enforced; (3) WAGES: MLC Standard A2.2 — crew must be paid monthly (or agreed intervals) in full. CM should not withhold or deduct wages improperly; (4) FOOD AND CATERING: MLC Standard A3.2 — adequate food and potable water. Report to master if galley conditions or food quality is below standard; (5) ACCOMMODATION: MLC Standard A3.1 — report any accommodation deficiencies affecting deck crew to the master and DPA; (6) MEDICAL CARE: MLC Standard A4.1 — ensure crew have access to medical care. Know the location of the Medical Guide (Ship Captain's Medical Guide). Know the TMAS (Telemedical Assistance Service) number for advice; (7) COMPLAINT PROCEDURE: MLC Standard A5.1.5 — crew must have access to a complaint mechanism without fear of retaliation. CM must not suppress or discourage complaints; (8) REPATRIATION: MLC Standard A2.5 — abandoned crew must be repatriated at no cost to themselves. Know the procedure. MLC 2006: described as the "seafarers' bill of rights" — a consolidation of decades of international maritime labour law. Four pillars: minimum requirements for seafarers (age, training); conditions of employment (wages, hours, leave); accommodation, recreational facilities, food; health protection, medical care, welfare, social security. Application: MLC 2006 applies to all seafarers on ships other than those which navigate exclusively in inland waters or within sheltered waters. The Chief Mate's crew management role: in practice, the CM is the officer most directly responsible for the day-to-day welfare of deck crew. The master sets policy; the CM implements it. Falsified rest hour records: a serious offence. The CM who countersigns falsified rest records faces personal professional and legal consequences. PSC routinely interviews crew privately about rest hours — if records don't match crew accounts, the records are the problem. TMAS (Telemedical Assistance Service): UK seafarers can call TMAS via radio or satellite to obtain medical advice from a doctor. The number is in the Ship Captain's Medical Guide. This is MLC Standard A4.1 compliant medical care for offshore operations.

Question 2

Three new ratings join the vessel for the first time. As Chief Mate, describe the safety induction you must provide before they stand a watch.

Accepted Answer

NEW CREW SAFETY INDUCTION — CM RESPONSIBILITIES: SOLAS III/19 and ISM Code Section 6: new crew must receive a safety induction before being assigned duties. REQUIRED ELEMENTS: (1) MUSTER LIST: show the crew member their station on the muster/emergency list — what they must do in each emergency type (fire, flooding, abandon ship, man overboard); (2) LIFERAFT/LIFEBOAT: location and how to board their assigned survival craft; (3) IMMERSION SUIT: show where their personal immersion suit is stored; check it fits; demonstrate donning; (4) LIFEJACKET: location, how to don, how to operate the light and whistle; (5) FIRE EXTINGUISHERS: location of nearest portable extinguishers; how to use them (PIN, AIM, SQUEEZE, SWEEP); type of extinguisher and what it can/cannot be used on; (6) EMERGENCY EXITS AND ESCAPE ROUTES: at least two routes from their cabin and workplace; (7) ALARM SIGNALS: general emergency alarm (7 short + 1 long blast); abandon ship (7 short + 1 long on bell AND continuous on whistle); fire alarm (continuous bell); (8) PERMIT TO WORK SYSTEM: explanation of the PTW system — enclosed space entry, hot work, working aloft. No work without permit; (9) SMOKING POLICY: designated smoking areas only; (10) REPORTING: how to report a hazard or near-miss; (11) SIGN-OFF: the crew member must sign the induction record to confirm they received the briefing. Keep the signed record on file. SOLAS III/19.4: "The company shall ensure that each crew member with specific emergency duties shall receive the relevant training before the voyage begins, if practicable." New crew induction is a SOLAS obligation, not a nicety. ISM Code Section 6 (Resources and Personnel): "The Company should ensure that each ship is manned with qualified, certificated and medically fit seafarers in accordance with national and international requirements. The Company should establish procedures to ensure that new personnel and personnel transferred to new assignments related to safety and protection of the environment are given proper familiarisation with their duties." The signed induction record: essential for ISM compliance and PSC inspection. If a crew member is injured and they had not received a safety induction, the vessel operator faces serious legal liability. The in-port timing: new crew joining in port face fire risk, man overboard risk, gangway safety risk, and chemical exposure risk — among others. The induction cannot be delayed. Bosun authority (option D): the bosun implements safety procedures under the CM's direction. But the legal responsibility for ensuring inductions are conducted belongs to the CM and ultimately the master. The CM should oversee the induction even if the bosun assists.

Question 3

The bosun wants to enter the forepeak tank to inspect the bilge pump strum box. As Chief Mate, how do you manage this enclosed space entry?

Accepted Answer

ENCLOSED SPACE ENTRY — CM MANAGEMENT: MCA Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seafarers (COSWP) Chapter 5 and SOLAS XI-1/7: enclosed space entry requires a formal procedure. CM RESPONSIBILITIES: (1) ENTRY PERMIT: complete a formal Enclosed Space Entry Permit (as per company SMS and COSWP): (a) Identify the space — forepeak tank; (b) Purpose of entry — inspection of bilge pump strum box; (c) Hazard identification — oxygen deficiency likely (rust consumption); hydrogen sulphide from organic matter in bilge; methane possible; (d) Atmospheric testing: MANDATORY before entry. Test for: O2 (safe: 19.5-23.5%); flammable gas (safe: Enclosed space deaths: among the most preventable fatalities in shipping. MAIB statistics: enclosed space entry causes approximately 2-3 maritime deaths per year in UK waters alone. Globally, dozens of seafarers die in enclosed spaces annually. The forepeak tank is definitely an enclosed space (option B wrong): SOLAS defines an enclosed space as one that: has limited openings for entry/exit; is not designed for continuous occupancy; may have a hazardous atmosphere. A forepeak tank fits all three criteria regardless of whether it has a hatch. "Assess by smell" (option C): hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is extremely dangerous precisely because it paralyses the olfactory nerve at high concentrations — the victim smells nothing as they lose consciousness. Experienced mariners have died doing exactly what option C suggests. The atmospheric test with calibrated equipment is non-negotiable. The 30-minute wait (option D): ventilation time requirements are specified in company SMS — but 30 minutes is not a universal standard, and even after ventilation, testing is required. O2 may still be depleted; H2S may not have dispersed from pockets at the bottom. The standby person: their role is safety, not assistance. They MUST NOT enter to rescue — they raise the alarm and use the pre-positioned rescue equipment (SCBA). Most enclosed space deaths involve a would-be rescuer becoming the second victim. The standby person prevents this.

Crew Management Cm Practice Questions