Maritime Questions › Permit To Work Rank

An OOW is asked by a deckhand to authorise quick overside touch-up work "since we're barely moving, only half a knot." Should the OOW agree?

A. Yes, provided the deckhand wears a harness and lifejacket

B. Yes, since half a knot presents negligible risk compared to normal operating speed

C. It depends on whether the OOW personally judges the conditions to be safe

D. No — overside work should only proceed at berth, anchor, or fully stopped; "barely moving" is still underway, and the restriction isn't calibrated to speed

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?

A. There is no fixed maximum — it depends entirely on the job

B. 48 hours, renewable once without re-inspection

C. 24 hours from issue, with any shorter job-specific time limits also stated on the permit

D. 7 days, matching the standard watch rotation

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?

A. Accept the outgoing OOW's assessment and take no further action since the job scope hasn't changed

B. Cancel the job immediately without consulting the authorising officer

C. Wait until the 24-hour mark is actually reached before mentioning anything

D. 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

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