Checklists, SOPs & Job Cards
Why paperwork saves lives — when crews actually use it Estimated read time: 75–90 minutesAudience: Cadet → AB → Junior Officer → Chief Mate Introduction – Paperwork is not the enemy Few things on board attract as much quiet resentment as paperwork. Checklists, permits, toolbox talks, job cards — all are seen as obstacles to […]
Stores & Provisions Handling
Why “routine lifting” quietly causes crush injuries and fatalities Estimated read time: 70–85 minutesAudience: Cadet → AB → Junior Officer → Chief Mate Introduction – The most underestimated lifting operation on deck Stores and provisions handling is one of the most frequent lifting activities carried out on deck — and one of the least respected. […]
Pollution Prevention on Deck
Why most pollution incidents start as “nothing serious” Estimated read time: 75–90 minutesAudience: Cadet → AB → Junior Officer → Chief Mate Introduction – Pollution doesn’t start with disasters Major pollution incidents are rarely caused by catastrophic failures. They start with small, local, manageable releases: a drip at a manifold, residue after bunkering, hydraulic mist […]
Signs, Markings & Deck Plans
Why people die standing in the right place — marked wrong Estimated read time: 75–90 minutesAudience: Cadet → AB → Junior Officer → Chief Mate Introduction – Visual control is a safety system Signs, markings, and deck plans are often dismissed as administrative clutter. Paint fades. Signs peel. Plans get outdated. Because they are static, […]
Drills & Exercises (MOB, Fire, Abandon Ship)
Why drills fail when the emergency doesn’t follow the script Estimated read time: 80–95 minutesAudience: Cadet → AB → Junior Officer → Chief Mate Introduction – Drills are not rehearsals, they are diagnostics On paper, drills are meant to prepare crews for emergencies. In reality, drills are diagnostic tools. They reveal how people move, where […]
Weather Preparation on Deck
Why ships are lost after the weather arrives — not before Estimated read time: 80–95 minutesAudience: Cadet → AB → Junior Officer → Chief Mate Introduction – Weather doesn’t sink ships, preparation does Severe weather rarely appears without warning. Forecasts, satellite imagery, and routing advice give crews time to prepare. Yet ships continue to suffer […]
Housekeeping & Drainage
Why slips, flooding, and pollution start small — and end careers Estimated read time: 70–85 minutesAudience: Cadet → AB → Junior Officer → Chief Mate Introduction – The work nobody wants to own Housekeeping is often treated as background noise on deck. It is what happens between “real jobs”. Washdowns, clearing scuppers, tidying lines, removing […]
Deck Machinery: Faults & Troubleshooting
Why machines fail quietly — and people get hurt fixing them Estimated read time: 75–90 minutesAudience: Cadet → AB → Junior Officer → Chief Mate Introduction – When machinery problems become human problems Deck machinery rarely fails without warning. What fails first is usually interpretation. Strange noises, minor leaks, intermittent behaviour — these are often […]
Cargo Securing & Lashing
Why cargo shifts long before it looks dangerous Estimated read time: 75–90 minutesAudience: Cadet → AB → Junior Officer → Chief Mate Introduction – The quiet phase before things go wrong Cargo failures at sea are rarely dramatic at the start. There is no bang, no immediate alarm, no visible catastrophe. What happens instead is […]
Manifolds & Hose Handling
Why spills and injuries happen after the hose is connected Estimated read time: 70–85 minutesAudience: Cadet → AB → Junior Officer → Chief Mate Introduction – The illusion that the danger is over Once a hose is connected and valves are lined up, many crews feel that the risky part of bunkering or cargo transfer […]