Job Description for Safety and Environmental Master for Marine Services
General Responsibilities for Safety and Environmental Protection
General Responsibilities for Safety and Environmental Protection
The Master shall operate the vessel with
the safety of the passengers and crew foremost in mind by directing the vessel
in order to prevent a casualty. In
addition, the Master shall operate the vessel in a safe manner to minimize the
risk of pollution to the environment.
Specific
Responsibilities:
The Master is required:
·
to be adept with the vessel’s
structure and layout;
·
to be fully familiar with the
vessel’s safety management system;
·
to familiarize all first time
crew members for the first time with the management system, safety
requirements, instructions, and facilities on board the vessel; and
·
to update established personnel
whenever any changes occur in the management system, equipment or safety
instructions.
Repairs and
Alterations
The Master shall:
·
notify the Officer in Charge,
Marine Inspection (OCMI) as soon as practicable after repairs or alternations
are made during an emergency.
·
notify the cognizant OCMI as
soon as practicable that the seal on a boiler safety valve on a vessel is
broken.
·
conduct the inspection and
enter the results of the inspection in the vessel logbook when not in a port or
a place in the United States or its territories and possessions, and when a
marine chemist or a person authorized by the cognizant OCMI is not available.
·
obtain a copy of certificates
issued by the certified marine chemist or the other person authorized by the
cognizant OCMI, and ensure that all conditions on the certificates are observed
and that the vessel is maintained in a safe condition.
·
maintain safe conditions on the
vessel by requiring full observance, by persons under his or her control, of
all requirements listed in the certificate.
Material
Inspections
The
Master shall destroy each fire hose found to be defective and incapable of
repair in the presence of a marine inspector.
Marine
Casualties and Voyage Records
The
Master shall report:
·
damage to a boiler, unfired pressure vessel, or machinery that renders use of the item unsafe until repairs are
made, to the OCMI at the port where the casualty occurred or nearest the port
of first arrival, as soon as practicable.
·
the following entries in the
Official Logbook:
-
each legal conviction of a
seaman of the vessel and the punishment inflicted;
-
each offense committed by a
seaman of the vessel for which it is intended to prosecute or to enforce under
a forfeiture, together with statements about reading the entry and the reply made
to the charge as required by 46 U.S.C. 11502;
-
a statement of the conduct,
character, and qualifications of each seaman of the vessel or a statement that
the master declines to give an opinion about that conduct, character, and
qualifications;
-
each illness of or injury to a
seaman of the vessel, the nature of the illness or injury, and the medical
treatment;
-
each death on board, with the
cause of death, and if a seaman, the following information required by 46
U.S.C. 10702:
*
the wages due to a seaman who
dies during the voyage and the gross amount of all deductions to be made from
the wages;
*
the sale of the property of a
seaman who dies during the voyage, including a statement of each article sold
and the amount received for the property;
-
each birth on board, with the
sex of the infant and name of the parents;
-
each marriage on board, with
the names and ages of the parties;
-
the name of each seaman who
ceases to be a crew member (except by death), with the place, time, manner, and
the cause why the seaman ceased to be a crew member; and
-
immediately after a marine
casualty occurs, write a statement about the casualty and the circumstances
under which it occurred.
Miscellaneous
Operating Requirements
The Master
shall:
·
determine vessel compliance
with all applicable stability requirements in the vessel's trim and stability
book, stability letter, Certificate of Inspection, and Load Line Certificate
after loading and prior to departure and at other times necessary to assure the
safety of the vessel.
·
take necessary precautions to
see that all vehicles have their motors turned off and their emergency brakes
set when the vessel is underway. Also,
that the motors are not started until the vessel is secured to the landing, and
a vehicle at each end of a line of vehicles or next to a loading ramp has its
wheels securely blocked while the vessel is being navigated.
·
ensure that appropriate
"NO SMOKING" signs are posted.
·
take all necessary precautions
to prevent smoking or carrying of lighted or smoldering pipes, cigars, cigarettes
or similar items in the deck area where automobiles or other vehicles are
located.
·
prior to getting underway,
ensure that vehicles are properly distributed consistent with the guidance in
the vessel's stability letter and Certificate of Inspection, if applicable.
·
ensure that whenever an
automatic pilot is used:
-
it is possible to immediately
establish manual control of the vessel's steering;
-
a competent person is ready at
all times to take over steering control; and
-
the changeover from automatic to
manual steering and vice versa is made by, or under the supervision of, the
master or the mate on watch.
Preparations
for Emergencies
The Master
shall:
·
conduct sufficient drills and
give sufficient instructions to make sure that all crew members are familiar
with their duties during emergencies that necessitate abandoning ship, or the
recovery of persons who have fallen overboard.
·
conduct sufficient fire drills
to make sure that each crew member is familiar with his or her duties in case
of a fire.
Emergency
Responsibilities:
The master of the vessel is responsible
for directing the movement of the vessel and the actions of the crew in an
emergency.
Unless otherwise delegated, the Master of
a small passenger vessel is responsible for the following tasks in an
emergency:
·
MAY DAY call to Coast
Guard/maintain communications with rescue resources.
·
Maneuvering vessel to minimize
the effects of wind on a fire.
·
Issuance of clear
orders/instructions to the crew and passengers.
Master’s Authority
The Master has the overriding authority
to make decisions with regard to safety and environmental protection.