Question 1

A height work permit for mast maintenance was issued at 0800 with a 24-hour validity. At 0600 the next day, the job is still ongoing and the original responsible officer has gone off watch.

What is the correct course of action?

Accepted Answer

The permit's validity is approaching its limit; it should be reviewed, revalidated, or reissued by a currently on-duty authorising officer before work continues past the original validity period A permit nearing its time limit needs an active decision by someone currently on duty and accountable - conditions, personnel, and equipment status may have changed overnight, and an absent officer cannot meaningfully extend oversight of work they are no longer monitoring.

Question 2

What must be completed and reviewed before a height work permit is prepared, to ensure the permit's precautions are properly grounded?

Accepted Answer

A specific risk assessment (or an existing one reviewed and adapted for the task) covering the hazards involved The permit documents and controls a task whose hazards have already been identified through risk assessment; without that foundation, the permit's listed precautions would not be properly justified.

Question 3

Who typically has overall accountability for ensuring a vessel's permit-to-work system functions correctly, even where authority to issue specific permits is delegated to other officers?

Accepted Answer

The Master The Master retains overall accountability for the permit-to-work system, even when day-to-day authority to issue certain permits (e.g. Chief Officer for deck work) is delegated.