ONDECK
Academy
OOW Oral Prep
Module 20 — OOW 3000 GT Oral Preparation
Surveys, Casualty Reporting & Health and Safety
MAIB reporting · Official Log Book · Statutory surveys · Classification · Improvement notices · Risk assessment · SOLAS training manual
MAIB — Marine Accident Investigation Branch
The MAIB investigates marine accidents involving UK-flagged vessels or accidents in UK waters involving any vessel. The Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation) Regulations 2012 set out the reporting requirements.
Mandatory MAIB notification: Any accident in any of the following categories must be notified to the MAIB as soon as practicable (by phone initially, followed by written form): Very Serious Marine Casualty (VSMC) — vessel lost, multiple deaths, severe structural damage, catastrophic pollution; Serious Casualty — significant structural damage, fire, explosion, collision, grounding, flooding, significant personal injury; Less Serious Casualty — any accident that is not in the above but resulted in injury to a person on board; Hazardous Incident — a near miss that, in different circumstances, could have resulted in a serious or very serious casualty.
| Accident Category | Examples | Notification Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Very Serious Marine Casualty | Vessel total loss, structural failure, death of multiple persons | Immediately by fastest available means — phone MAIB 24h duty officer |
| Serious Casualty | Fire causing significant damage, collision with damage, grounding, flooding, person seriously injured | As soon as practicable — typically within hours |
| Less Serious Casualty | Minor injury requiring medical treatment, minor damage | Within 1 working day |
| Hazardous Incident | Near-miss collision, loss of steering in a fairway, loss of person overboard (recovered) | Within 1 working day |
Do not disturb the scene after a serious casualty until the MAIB investigator has attended, unless doing so is necessary to prevent a further casualty, to assist the injured, or to prevent serious pollution. Preservation of evidence is a legal requirement.
Official Log Book
The Official Log Book is a statutory document required under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. It is kept by the Master and records events of a legal or statutory nature. It is distinct from the deck log (navigational record).
| Entry Required | Notes |
|---|---|
| Crew agreements — signing on and off | Every crew member signs the crew agreement. The OLB records commencement and termination |
| Deaths on board | Full record of circumstances. Death certificate completed by Master |
| Illness and injury | Record of any illness or injury to crew or passengers — nature, treatment, outcome |
| Births on board | Rare but required — same detail as a death entry |
| Stowaways | Discovery, search, identity (if possible), notification to MCA/MRCC |
| Disciplinary matters | Formal cautions, suspensions, fines (not internal warnings) |
| Drug and alcohol testing | Positive results and actions taken |
| Distress — signals seen | Record of any distress signal seen and action taken |
| Surveys and inspections | Record of statutory survey completion and any deficiencies |
| Navigational hazards reported | Icebergs, wrecks, derelicts — confirmation that report was made |
The OLB must be kept during the voyage and retained for a period after the voyage. On UK-flagged vessels it is inspected by the MCA. Falsifying an OLB entry is a serious criminal offence under the Merchant Shipping Act.
Statutory and Classification Surveys
| Survey Type | Frequency | Authority | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Survey | Every 12 months (±3 months) | Classification society (on behalf of flag state) | General condition of vessel — hull, machinery, safety equipment. Certificates renewed |
| Intermediate Survey | Between 2nd and 3rd annual survey (2.5-year mark) | Classification society | More thorough underwater hull inspection and internal inspection of selected tanks and spaces |
| Special Survey (Class Renewal) | Every 5 years | Classification society | Full hull survey in drydock — entire underwater hull, rudder, propeller, sea cocks. Internal structural survey. All certificates renewed |
| Docking Survey | At least every 2.5 years (may align with intermediate) | Classification society | Underwater hull — propeller, rudder, sea cocks, sacrificial anodes, antifoul, shell plating |
| Safety Equipment Survey | Annual | Flag state / MCA-approved surveyor | All SOLAS LSA equipment — lifejackets, EPIRBs, flares, liferafts, fire equipment. Safety Construction Certificate and Safety Equipment Certificate renewed |
| Radio Survey | Annual | Flag state / approved body | All GMDSS equipment tested and certified. Carriage requirements verified for sea area |
| Load Line Survey | Every 5 years (with annual endorsements) | Classification society | Freeboard calculation, hull openings, weathertight integrity, marking of load line disc |
Statutory Certificates — Key Documents
| Certificate | Issued by | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| International Load Line Certificate (ILLC) | Classification society / flag state | 5 years (annual endorsements) |
| Safety Construction Certificate | Flag state / classification | 5 years (annual endorsements) |
| Safety Equipment Certificate | Flag state / approved surveyor | 5 years (annual endorsements) |
| Safety Radio Certificate | Flag state / approved body | 5 years (annual endorsements) |
| International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate (IOPPC) | Classification society / flag state | 5 years |
| Document of Compliance (DOC) / Safety Management Certificate (SMC) | Flag state after ISM audit | DOC: 5 years; SMC: 5 years (annual verification) |
| International Ship Security Certificate (ISSC) | Flag state / RSO after ISPS audit | 5 years (annual verification) |
| Minimum Safe Manning Certificate | Flag state (MCA for UK) | Indefinite — reviewed when changes made |
Improvement and Prohibition Notices
Issued under the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Health and Safety at Work) Regulations 1997 by MCA Marine Surveyors or HSSE inspectors.
Improvement Notice
- Issued when a contravention of health and safety regulations has occurred or is likely to occur
- Specifies the contravention, a remedy required, and a time limit to remedy it
- The vessel may continue operations while the improvement is made
- Failure to comply is a criminal offence
- Can be appealed to an employment tribunal
Prohibition Notice
- Issued when there is a risk of serious personal injury — imminent danger
- Prohibits the activity or use of the equipment/area immediately until the defect is rectified
- Takes effect immediately on service — no delay permitted
- More serious than an improvement notice — the vessel cannot proceed until the prohibition is lifted
- Only the issuing authority or a court can lift the notice
Risk Assessment — Merchant Shipping H&S Regulations
The Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Health and Safety at Work) Regulations 1997 require the employer (the owner/operator) to carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments for all work activities. The OOW implements risk control measures and ensures crew understand them.
| Step | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Identify the hazard | What can cause harm — not the outcome, the source. Working at height: the hazard is falling, not the ladder itself |
| Identify those at risk | Crew, contractors, guests, third parties in the water |
| Evaluate the risk | Likelihood × Severity = Risk Level. A numerical matrix or qualitative (High/Medium/Low) — both valid. Record the current controls in place |
| Implement controls | Eliminate → Substitute → Engineering controls → Administrative controls → PPE (hierarchy in order of preference). Never start with PPE |
| Record and review | Written record of all significant findings. Review when the activity, equipment, or crew change, or after any incident |
Permit to Work (PTW) system: High-risk tasks on board — hot work, enclosed space entry, working at height, electrical work — require a completed PTW before work commences. The PTW identifies the hazards, control measures, emergency procedure, and requires the Master's signature. The OOW may be required to issue or authorise PTWs under the SMS.
SOLAS Training Manual
SOLAS III/35 requires every vessel to carry a training manual in each crew mess room and recreation room, or in each crew cabin. It provides instructions and information on the life-saving appliances provided in the vessel and on the best methods of survival.
- Contains illustrated instructions for use of all LSA — liferafts, lifeboats, immersion suits, lifejackets, line-throwing apparatus, EPIRBs, SARTs, pyrotechnics
- Explains survival techniques — actions after abandoning ship, in the water, in a liferaft
- Provides information on hypothermia — the primary cause of death after abandonment
- Must be kept up to date — replaced or updated if any LSA changes
- Crew must know where it is — the examiner will ask this
Oral Exam Practice Questions
Question 1
A crew member falls from a ladder and sustains a broken wrist. What are your reporting obligations?
This is an injury requiring medical treatment — it meets the definition of a Less Serious Casualty under the MAIB Regulations. I must notify the MAIB within one working day. The notification can be made by phone initially and followed up with the written form (Form REP1 or online via the MAIB website). The entry must also be made in the Official Log Book — record the nature of injury, circumstances, treatment given (first aid on board or medical evacuation), and outcome. The injury must be recorded in the vessel's accident and near-miss log under the SMS. If there is any suspicion of equipment failure (e.g. the ladder was defective), preserve the evidence and do not repair the equipment until it has been inspected — report this fact to the Master and DPA. If the crew member requires medical evacuation I would contact MRCC and arrange appropriate assistance. Under the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels H&S Regulations, a risk assessment for work on ladders and working at height may need to be reviewed and updated.
Question 2
A Port State Control officer boards and issues an improvement notice for a defective davit. What does this mean and what do you do?
An improvement notice means the PSC officer has found a contravention of health and safety regulations — in this case, the defective davit. The notice specifies the exact contravention, the remedy required, and a time limit for compliance. The vessel may continue operations — the improvement notice does not detain the vessel — but I must carry out the required remedy within the specified time limit. My immediate action: inform the Master, who notifies the DPA. The DPA will coordinate with the classification society or flag state to arrange the necessary survey or repair. The engineer and technical superintendent will be informed. The davit should be taken out of service immediately — while we can continue operating, we must not use the defective equipment. Once the remedy is completed, the classification society or an approved surveyor must inspect and certify the davit, and the inspector who issued the notice must be satisfied. Failure to comply with an improvement notice within the time limit is a criminal offence. Log all actions and correspondence in the vessel's SMS records.
Question 3
What is a risk assessment and when is one required on board?
A risk assessment is a systematic process of identifying hazards, evaluating the risk they present, and implementing controls to reduce that risk to an acceptable level. Under the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels Health and Safety Regulations 1997, the employer must carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments for all work activities on board. As OOW, I am responsible for ensuring the assessments that apply to my area of work are being followed and that crew are briefed on the hazards and controls. On a superyacht, risk assessments are required for — among others — working at height (mast work, davits), enclosed space entry (bilges, tanks, void spaces), hot work (welding, cutting), anchor and mooring operations, tender and watersports operations, and crane and lifting operations. Each of these requires a Permit to Work before the task starts. A risk assessment is not a one-off document — it must be reviewed when the task changes, when equipment changes, when crew change, or after any incident. The SMS specifies which tasks require a formal PTW and risk assessment and the OOW is responsible for enforcing this on deck.