| Health and Hygiene |
 It is the seafarer's responsibility to look
after his own health and fitness. High standards of
personal cleanliness and hygiene should be maintained . Good health
depends on an even and thoughtful balance of work, rest
and active play, on sensible and regular meals, on
adequate sleep and an avoidance of excesses of rich food,
alcohol and tobacco.See also: 'Effects of Alcohol Abuse' and 'Healthy Lifestyle' On board
ship, simple infections can easily be spread from one
person to others. Thus preventive measures, as well as
easily effective treatment, are essential. Cuts and
abrasions should be cleansed at once and given first aid
treatment as necessary to protect against infection. Many serious
infections can be guarded against by inoculation and
vaccination. These should be kept up to date as necessary
to meet the requirements of the international voyages to
be undertaken. The risk of
contracting malaria in certain parts of the world can be
much reduced by taking precautions to avoid bites from
mosquitoes carrying the disease,
e.g. by the use of mosquito wire-screening and nets,
keeping openings closed, and the use of anti-mosquito
preparations or insecticides. Clothing also affords a
degree of protection against mosquito bites and seafarers
should therefore avoid going about after dusk with any
part of the arms or legs exposed. On a ship bound for a
malarious port all members of the crew should also take
appropriate anti-malarial medication to control the risk
of infection. The most effective treatment varies
geographically according to the nature and resistance of
local malarial germs. Barrier
creams may help to protect exposed skin against
dermatitis and also make thorough cleaning easier. Prolonged
exposure to mineral oils may cause dermatitis and skin
cancer. All traces of oil should be thoroughly washed
from the skin but hydrocarbon solvents should be avoided.
Working clothes should be laundered frequently.
Oil-soaked rags should not be put in pockets. Anthrax is a
dangerous disease. It can be
contracted by handling the hides, wool, bristles, bones,
horns, hooves or other products from infected animals and
from any wrapping materials which have contained them.
Overalls, head covering and protective gloves should be
worn to protect the skin as far as possible. Rats and
other rodents may be carriers of infection and should
never be handled, dead or alive, with bare hands. Inadvertent
exposure to or contact with toxic chemicals or other
harmful substances should be reported immediately and the
appropriate remedial action taken. Prolonged
exposure to synthetic domestic cleaners and detergents is
a potential cause of alkali (de-fatting) dermatitis.
Cotton-lined rubber or PVC gloves should be worn when
using such substances. Some
domestic substances, for example caustic soda and
bleaching powders or liquids, can burn the skin. They may
react dangerously with other substances and ought not to
be mixed indiscriminately. High
humidity and heat can lead to heat exhaustion and heat
stroke which may be fatal. When working in these
conditions it is advisable to drink at least 4.5 litres
(8 pints) of cool (but not iced) water daily. It is best
to take small quantities at frequent intervals. Extra
salt is essential; this can be in the form of two salt
tablets four times a day or a level teaspoonful of table
salt in plenty of water each morning and again in the
evening, or added to food. If the work is in enclosed
spaces, they should be well ventilated. In tropical
areas especially, exposure to the sun during the hottest
part of the day should be avoided as far as possible.
When it is necessary to work in very strong sunlight,
appropriate clothing offering protection to both head and
body should be worn, whatever the degree of
acclimatisation may be. Where it is
required to work in exceptionally hot and/or humid
conditions or when wearing respiratory equipment, it
should be recognised that breaks at intervals in the
fresh air or in the shade may be necessary. Mis-use of
alcohol or drugs affects a person's fitness for duty and
harms his health. The immediate after-effects may
increase liability to accidents. Drinking alcohol whilst
under treatment with prescribed drugs should be avoided,
since even common remedies such as aspirin, seasickness
tablets or codeine may be dangerous in conjunction with
alcohol. As a general
rule fresh fruit and salad should be thoroughly washed in
fresh water before being eaten. Coughs and
lung damage can be caused by breathing irritant dust.
This may be produced by many different substances to
which the general guidance in Section "Substances
hazardous to health" applies. Dust containing
asbestos fibres is particularly hazardous since this can
cause lung cancer and other serious lung diseases when inhaled (see Section
"Asbestos Dust". The risk is usually much
greater for a person who smokes than for a non-smoker. |
| Working clothes |
| Clothing
should be chosen to minimise working risks. Working
clothes should be close-fitting with no loose flaps,
bulging pockets or ties, since injuries may result from
clothing being caught up by moving parts of machinery or
garments catching on obstructions or projections and
causing falls. Clothing worn in galleys etc. where there
is a risk of burning or scalding should adequately cover
the body to minimise this risk and be of a material of
low flammability such as cotton or a cotton/terylene mix.
Clothes should be kept in good repair. Shirts or
overalls provide better protection if they have long
sleeves. Long sleeves should not be rolled up. Scarves,
sweat rags and other neck wear, loose clothing, finger
rings and jewellery can be hazards when working with
machinery. Long hair should be covered. Sandals and
plimsolls are dangerous and should not be worn when
working, since they offer little protection against
accidental scalds or burns or falling objects and add to
the risks of tripping and falling or slipping on ladders
(as do old, worn out, down-at-heel shoes). The wearing of
appropriate industrial or safety footwear, which can be
of good appearance, is recommended (see Section "Protective Clothing and
Equipment", - 'Hand and Foot Protection'). Gloves are a
sensible precaution when handling sharp or hot objects
but may easily be trapped on drum ends and in machinery.
Whilst loose- fitting gloves allow hands to slip out
readily, they do not give a good grip on ladders. Wet or
oily gloves may be slippery and great care should be
taken when working in them. |
| Shipboard Housekeeping |
| Most of
this Code deals with foreseeable risks arising in
particular places and in performing particular jobs, but
accidents may happen at any time in any part of the ship.
Many such accidents can be prevented by always keeping
things ship-shape and doing things in an orderly fashion. Wear and
tear on a ship in service give rise to minor deficiencies
in the structure, equipment or furnishings; for example,
protruding nails and screws, loose fittings and handles,
uneven and damaged flooring, rough and splintered edges
to woodwork and jamming doors, any of which may cause
cuts, bruises or trips and falls. They should be put
right as soon as they are noticed . If
asbestos-containing panels, cladding or insulation work
loose or are damaged in the course of a voyage, pending
proper repair, the exposed edges or surfaces should be
protected by a suitable coating or covering to prevent
asbestos fibres being released and dispersed in the air
(see also section: "Asbestos Dust"). Flickering
lights usually indicate faults in wiring or fittings
which may cause electric shock or fires.
They should be investigated and repaired by a competent
person. Failed light bulbs should be replaced as soon as
possible. Instruction
plates, notices and operating indicators should be kept
clean and legible. Heavy
objects, particularly if at a height above deck level
should be stowed securely against the movement of the
ship or inadvertent displacement. Similarly, furniture
etc. likely to fall or shift during heavy weather should
be properly secured. Doors
whether open or closed, should be properly secured; they
should not be left swinging. Litter may
present a fire risk or cause
slips or falls, but in any case may conceal some other
hazard (see Section "Fire
Precautions" - 'Spontaneous Combustion'). Tidiness not
only makes hidden defects apparent but ensures that
articles are in their proper place to be found as
required. In carrying
out any task, possible risks to other persons should be
considered; for example, if water from a careless
hosing-down of the deck enters a galley through an open
light or scuttle, it may be most dangerous to galley
staff. Care is
needed in personal matters. Dangerous articles such as
razor blades and lighted cigarette ends should be
disposed of safely. Many
aerosols have volatile and inflammable contents. They
should never be used or placed near naked flames or other
heat source even when 'empty'. Empty canisters should be
properly disposed of. Some
fumigating or insecticidal sprays contain ingredients
which though perhaps in themselves harmless to human
beings, may be decomposed when heated. Smoking may be
dangerous in sprayed atmospheres while the spray
persists. |
| Substances hazardous to health |
| Many
substances found on ships are capable of damaging the
health of those exposed to them. They include not only
substances displaying hazard warning labels (e.g. on
dangerous goods cargoes and ships' stores) but also, for
example, a range of dusts, fumes and fungal spores from
goods, plant or activities aboard ship. Whenever
crew members work in the presence of substances hazardous
to health the employer or the Master should ensure that
any risks from exposure are assessed and appropriate
measures taken to prevent or control them. The assessment
should include consideration of any necessary
precautionary measures both for crew members and other
affected groups (e.g. stevedores and maintenance
personnel). Failure to protect workers exposed to
hazardous substances in this way could result in
prosecution. Employers
should instruct, inform and train crew so that they know
and understand the risks arising from their work, the
precautions to be taken and the results of any monitoring
of exposure. The health
risk from a substance hazardous to health should be
assessed by a competent person who should look at each
hazard from each of the following viewpoints: the
identity, concentration, form and possible harmful
effects of the hazardous substance, including any harmful
products; the likely exposure for the work in hand; and
the number of people (crew members and others) who will
be in contact (they should be identified). The risks to
crew members and other persons should be assessed
individually. Where appropriate the risks to different
categories of person should be considered separately. |
| Asbestos Dust |
| All
types of asbestos have a fibrous structure and can
produce harmful dust if the surface exposed to the air is
damaged or disturbed. The danger is not immediately
obvious because the fibres which damage the lungs and can
cause lung cancer are too small to be seen with the naked
eye; Asbestos which is in good condition is unlikely to
release fibres, but where the material is damaged or
deteriorating, or work is undertaken on it, airborne
fibres can be released. Dry asbestos is much more likely
to produce dust than asbestos that is thoroughly wet or
oil-soaked. Asbestos is particularly likely to occur on
older vessels in old insulation and panelling, but
certain asbestos compounds may also be found on other
vessels in machinery components such as gaskets and brake
linings. Shipowners
should advise Masters of any location where asbestos is
known or believed to be present oh their ship. Masters
and/or safety officers should keep a written record of
this information and should also note any other position
where asbestos is suspected, but they should not probe or
disturb any suspect substance. Crew members who work
regularly near asbestos or a substance likely to contain
it should be warned of the need for caution and should
report any deterioration in its condition such as
cracking or flaking. If it is
essential to carry out emergency
repairs liable to create asbestos dust while the ship is
at sea strict precautions, including the use of the
appropriate protective clothing and respiratory
protective equipment. |
| Ends |
