PPE & personal safety: what SIRE 2.0 inspectors ask and find
Personal protective equipment is checked for condition and dates, such as helmet manufacture dates, and whether working lifejackets are maintained.
Do this before the inspector arrives: Check helmet dates and that working lifejackets are in the PMS.
What the inspector wants to see
- Helmet manufacture dates within the maker's limit
- Anti-static winter jackets and rain gear
- Working lifejackets inventoried and inspected in the PMS
Questions inspectors ask about PPE & personal safety
A group boards with the vetting inspector. Who gets the gangway safety briefing?
Everyone in the group. A focused briefing given only to the vetting inspector while the others were ignored was flagged.
What hearing protection is needed when passing the ER blowers on rounds?
Ear muffs.
What are the requirements for portable cargo hold lights?
Non-conductive shades and supply voltage not above 50 V (COSWP 18.15.2). 220 V lamps were flagged.
Where must face shields be available?
In the chemical locker and wherever chemicals are used: paint room, battery room, sample locker, along with chemical gloves, apron and goggles.
Where should inertia-reel fall arrestors be made mandatory?
In the PPE matrix and work aloft checklist. Not making them obligatory was flagged.
Is a smoking policy required?
Yes. It must exist and be implemented; a missing policy was flagged.
There are 25 PPE & personal safety questions in NilObs, with spaced repetition so the ones you miss come back. Practise them free.
Real PPE & personal safety observations, and how to avoid them
A securing clip on a work vest used for overside work while rigging pilot and accommodation ladders was broken.
Avoid it: Inspect overside work vests before each use and replace damaged clips or buckles.
The crew member responsible had not spotted the broken clip on one of the two work vests kept for rigging pilot/accommodation ladders.
Avoid it: Check PPE item by item during safety rounds, not with a quick glance at the locker.
During pump room rounds, two safety chains guarding open vertical ladder accesses were unhooked and had been overlooked.
Avoid it: Check that guard chains at ladder openings are in place every time you pass through the pump room.
Safety goggles in the battery locker and safety equipment locker had perished elastic straps, making them unusable.
Avoid it: Check PPE in lockers regularly and replace goggles with perished straps.
There was no procedure for inspecting, electrically testing or replacing electrical insulating gloves.
Avoid it: Inspect insulating gloves before each use and track their test or replacement dates.
Interviewee did not know ear protection was needed when starting the emergency generator, and its door had no ear protection sign.
Avoid it: Wear ear protection in noisy machinery spaces and post IMO safety signs at their entrances.
A fall arrestor at the accommodation ladder was attached to a handrail, which was not a suitable anchor point.
Avoid it: Attach fall arrest gear only to rated anchor points, never to handrails.
The interviewed officer did not appreciate the risk of storing paint drums high up or the injury they could cause if they fell.
Avoid it: Store heavy drums low and secured; think about falling objects when stowing stores.
Who answers for PPE & personal safety
Chief Officer, Chief Engineer, Third Engineer, Fourth Engineer, Deck Cadet, Engine Cadet, Bosun, Pumpman, Able Seaman, Ordinary Seaman, Fitter, Oiler / Motorman, Wiper, Cook, Steward / Messman, HSEQ Manager. NilObs picks the questions and the daily drill for your role.
Rehearse PPE & personal safety before your next inspection.
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