Merchant Navy

The merchant navy offers a challenging yet exciting career choice for anyone willing to invest the time and effort. It is a career not suited to everyone, naturally, with long and lonely stints at sea surrounded by nothing but the open ocean. Time spent in port is often limited and stressful. Living and working with the same people for weeks and months on end can inevitably lead to flashes of irritation and antagonism. But with all things said and done, there is no experience quite like waking up to the sun rising over the horizon hundreds of miles away from the hustle and bustle of modern life on land.There are many facets to being a seafarer, and whilst this book initially started out as a book on onboard safety, it became readily apparent that there was so much else to say that the original concept morphed into an all embracing introduction to the merchant navy.But to keep the book true to its original intent, it is important to dwell a little on the all important aspect of safety. Onboard safety is an area of utmost importance for members of the ship's crew - from the Master down to the Steward and everyone in between. Safety is something which affects everyone equally, no matter what their rank or their role onboard. The safety of the ship and the safety of everyone onboard her is a responsibility shared equally, and if not, the consequences can be dire.From the simplest one man task to the navigation and manoeuvring of the largest ships in the world, safety is at the very heart of being a competent and considerate seafarer. Container ships, oil tankers, gas carriers, car carriers, bulk carriers, offshore support vessels all have their unique characteristics. But whatever the ship and whatever her job, it is the responsibility of the officers and crew to work together.The purpose of this book, therefore, is to introduce the reader to the fundamental aspects of onboard ship operations that can provide a safe working environment for everyone, from the regulations and standards that governs and controls safety to basic measures that can mitigate hazards and risks. This book touches on the shipboard safety organisation, inductions and new crew member familiarisation, safe means of access to enclosed spaces, general housekeeping, risk assessment and risk management, and specific hazardous activities such as cargo loading and unloading, drydocking, drills and what to do in the event of an emergency.This book has not been written as a definitive handbook, but rather as a handrail to introduce the reader to the vast, wide ranging and expansive nature of living and working onboard a modern merchant navy ship. It is absolutely fair to say this book does not introduce anything new. There are no revelations, or industry secrets. No shortcuts to the top. What this book offers is a single point of reference for the general reader, the merchant navy cadet, and the seasoned seafarer, to gain a glimpse of life on the open ocean.By combining and summarising the key aspects, and providing where appropriate case studies of related incidents, it is hoped this book will act as a comprehensive introduction for anyone with a keen interest in the life and work of the merchant navy.