Question 1

Another crew member, who is generally well-regarded and has never had a safety issue before, is seen briefly without a hard hat in a low-risk area. Should this be handled the same way as the harness case?

Accepted Answer

The response should be proportionate to the actual risk and context, but the underlying principle — addressing unsafe behaviour promptly and fairly — should apply consistently to everyone regardless of reputation or rank; inconsistent enforcement based on who someone is undermines the whole safety culture Consistency does not mean every lapse gets an identical response regardless of severity — a momentary, low-risk lapse reasonably gets a lighter response than repeated, higher-risk non-compliance. What must be consistent is that unsafe behaviour is always addressed, by someone, regardless of the individual's seniority or reputation — favouritism or selective enforcement is one of the fastest ways to destroy genuine safety culture on a ship.

Question 2

You are an Able Seaman working alongside a colleague who has removed his safety harness while working at height "because it's slowing him down." You are not his supervisor. What is the appropriate action?

Accepted Answer

Speak up directly and immediately — point out the risk and ask him to refit the harness; if he refuses, stop the job and report it to the supervisor/officer in charge. Staying silent because "it's not your job to police him" is not an acceptable option under a genuine safety culture A genuine safety culture, as promoted by the ISM Code, depends on every crew member feeling able and obligated to intervene when they see unsafe behaviour, not just designated supervisors. Speaking up directly first is usually more effective and less confrontational than going straight to a report, but if the unsafe act continues, escalating to the supervisor is the correct next step — silence is the one option that should never be acceptable.

Question 3

As Bosun, you are told about the harness refusal. You go to the work site and the crew member is still working without it. What is the correct first step?

Accepted Answer

Stop the job immediately — safety always overrides schedule. Speak to the crew member directly, calmly find out why (genuine equipment issue, complacency, time pressure), and require the harness to be worn correctly before work resumes Stopping unsafe work immediately is non-negotiable — no schedule pressure justifies continuing once a clear safety violation is identified. But effective supervision also means understanding why before jumping to punishment: a genuinely faulty harness is a different problem (and a different fix) to deliberate complacency. The first conversation should establish facts, not just issue consequences.