Question 1

Short-handed on a small vessel, the Chief Officer is pushed by the Master to "just sign for both roles, just this once" on an enclosed space entry. What's the correct response, and what should the Chief Officer propose instead?

Accepted Answer

Refuse the dual role regardless of seniority pressure from the Master, and propose delaying the job, requesting another qualified officer, or escalating the manning gap rather than compromising the separation principle Seniority of the person applying pressure doesn't change the underlying risk of merging the roles. The Chief Officer's responsibility includes proposing a workable alternative, not just refusing and leaving a gap.

Question 2

A cadet is told a hot work permit was issued "this morning" and asks the bosun how long it's valid for, without checking the form itself. What is the maximum validity period a permit to work can have?

Accepted Answer

24 hours from issue, with any shorter job-specific time limits also stated on the permit COSWP Chapter 14 sets 24 hours as the maximum validity period a permit can be issued for, with any further job-specific time limits stated on the permit itself.

Question 3

An OOW taking over the watch finds a permit for overside work was issued 20 hours ago and the job is still running. The outgoing OOW says it's "basically the same job, don't worry about it." What should the new OOW do?

Accepted Answer

Check elapsed time against the 24-hour limit, recognise it's close to expiry, and flag to the authorising officer that revalidation will be needed rather than letting it lapse unnoticed A permit approaching its validity limit needs proactive attention at handover, not passive monitoring — the new OOW's job is to flag it to the authorising officer before it lapses, not to wait for it to expire.