Appendix 2 – Employee Participation
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Circulars - Maritime Safety Committee-Marine Environment Protection Committee Circulars - MSC-MEPC.2 Circulars - MSC-MEPC.2/Circular.3 – Guidelines on the Basic Elements of a Shipboard Occupational Health and Safety Programme – (5 June 2006) - Annex – Guidelines on the Basic Elements of a Shipboard Occupational Health and Safety Programme - Appendix 2 – Employee Participation

Appendix 2 – Employee Participation

  1 Full participation in developing, implementing, evaluating and continually improving the SOHSP helps those on board the vessel to see the SOHSP as something that is the result of a value they share with vessel owners/operators. Personnel directly involved with the work are often the best source of information on health or safety hazards and often can suggest effective methods for abating those hazards. Shore side personnel need to be directly and heavily involved with the SOHSP because they are integral in setting the rules and schedules for vessel operation. Shore side personnel also represent the vessel to management and are the link to the resources and authority necessary for the success of the SOHSP. Specific ways that crewmembers, officers, and shore side personnel can contribute to the SOHSP include:

  • .1 participating in periodic vessel inspections;

  • .2 evaluating occupational health and safety programme materials;

  • .3 developing standard operating procedures that incorporate safe working practices;

  • .4 conducting job safety/hazard analyses (JSAs/JHAs);

  • .5 reviewing and analysing injury and illness data;

  • .6 participating in risk assessment and risk management activities;

  • .7 participating in accident/incident/problem investigations;

  • .8 developing solutions to occupational health and safety complaints and disputes;

  • .9 evaluating occupational health and safety training activities; and

  • .10 evaluating the occupational health and safety management programme.

  2 Line or operations personnel including crewmembers, officers and shore side personnel outside the occupational health and safety staff may need training in occupational health and safety techniques such as job safety/hazard analysis, reviewing injury and illness data for trends, risk assessment and investigations. This initial training investment enables those who do the work to meaningfully participate in identifying and solving occupational health and safety problems. Those crewmembers, officers and shore-side personnel who receive additional training in occupational health and safety and actively participate in the development of the vessel and/or company SOHSP also become occupational health and safety “champions” among their peers. Additional information on training is provided in appendix 4.

  3 Since occupational health and safety objectives and performance may directly affect crew members' and officers' current and/or future occupational health and safety, they should be involved in setting those objectives and performance criteria. This participation may be accomplished through occupational health and safety committee involvement, labour negotiations, or other mechanism suitable to the specific company. Refer to appendix 1, paragraph 3, for examples of occupational health and safety objectives and performance criteria.

  4 Employees should:

  • .1 fully understand (including underlying principles) and follow established standard operating procedures and safety rules;

  • .2 report unsafe conditions or actions to supervisor as soon as they become aware of them;

  • .3 report all injuries to supervisor promptly;

  • .4 report all accidents, near misses or problems to supervisor promptly;

  • .5 use personal protective equipment (PPE) in good working condition where it is required;

  • .6 do not remove or defeat any safety device or safeguard;

  • .7 encourage shipmates by words and behaviour to follow standard operating procedures and use safe work practices on the job; and

  • .8 make suggestions to supervisor or safety committee representative about changes to operating procedures, work practices or equipment that will improve safety.


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