Controlling the Operation of the Ship and Care for Persons on Board
Controlling the Operation of the Ship and Care for Persons on Board
This domain tests shipboard organisation, hours of rest, drills, hygiene and the human-element duties of the engineer officer.
Organisation and rest hours
- STCW: minimum 10 hours rest in any 24-hour period and 77 hours in any 7-day period; rest may be split into no more than two periods, one of at least 6 hours, and the interval between consecutive rest periods must not exceed 14 hours.
- Drills and training count as work. Rest records must be signed by the seafarer and the master and are examined at port state control.
Drills and musters
- At least one abandon-ship drill and one fire drill each month; if more than 25 per cent of the crew has changed, these drills are held within 24 hours of leaving port.
- Each lifeboat is launched and manoeuvred with its assigned crew at least once every three months.
Care for persons on board
- Medical care: medical chest per flag requirements, a designated person in charge of medical stores, radio medical advice, hospital space.
- Food and catering under MLC: qualified cook, regular inspections, potable water quality, accommodation cleanliness, pest control.
- Fatigue, bullying and harassment, complaint procedures and access to shore-based assistance.
Worked example
A rating's 7-day record shows 74 hours total rest, including a day split as 04:00-08:00, 12:00-15:00 and 19:00-23:00.
- That day gives 11 hours rest in three periods, none of 6 hours. There are two breaches: total below 77 hours, and three rest periods instead of a maximum of two with one of at least 6 hours.
- The fix is to correct the watch bill, not the record.
Traps
Assuming rest can be split into any number of short naps; leaving drills out of the work record; treating the rest sheet as paperwork rather than fatigue evidence.