Unit 14

SAFETY ABOARD

6.1. Safe working practices

Accidents are usually the result of carelessness, mistakes, lack of thought or care, and often result in
injury. Consideration will now be given to avoiding accidents, largely by the adoption of safe working
practices.
Working clothes should be chosen with the job and hazards in mind. They should fit fairly closely
with no loose flaps, straps or ragged pockets. Clothing should cover as much of the body as possible and a
stout pair of shoes worn. Neck chains, finger rings and wristwatches should not be worn, particularly in
the vicinity of rotating machinery. Where particular hazards are present appropriate protection, such as
goggles or earmuffs should be worn.
When overhauling machinery or equipment, it must be effectively isolated from all sources of power.
This may involve unplugging from an electrical circuit, the removal of fuses or the securing open of
circuit breakers. Suction and discharge valves of pumps should be securely closed and the pump casing
relieved of pressure. Special care should be taken with steam operated or steam-using equipment to
ensure no pressure built-up can occur.
When lifting equipment during overhaul, screw-in bolts should be used where possible. These should
be fully entered up to the collar and the threads on the eyebolt and in the equipment should be in good
condition. Any lifting wires used should be in good condition without broken strands or sharp edges.
Before any work is done on the main engine, the turning gear should be engaged and a warning
posted at the control position. Lubricating oil in the working area should be cleaned up and where
necessary suitable staging erected. The turning gear should be made inoperative if not required during the
overhaul. Where it is used, care must be taken to ensure all personnel are clear before it is used.
Where overhead work is necessary suitable staging should be provided and adequately lashed down.
Staging planks should be examined before use and where suspected discarded. Where ladders are used for
access they must be secured at either end. Personnel working on staging should take care with tools and
store them in a container.
Boiler blowbacks can cause serious injury and yet with care can usually be avoided. The furnace floor
should be free of oil and burners regularly checked to ensure that they do not drip, particularly when not
in use. The manufacturers instructions should be followed with regarding to lighting up procedures.
Generally this will involve blowing through the furnace (purging) with air prior to lighting up. The fuel
oil must be at the correct temperature and lit with a torch. If ignition does not immediately occur the oil
should be turned off and purging repeated before a second attempt is made. The burner should be
withdrawn and examined before it is lit.
Entry into enclosed space should only take place under certain specified conditions. An enclosed
space, such as a duct keel, a double bottom tank, a cofferdam, boiler, etc. cannot be assumed to contain
oxygen. Anyone required to enter such a space should only do so with the permission of a responsible
officer. The space should be well ventilated before entry takes place and breathing apparatus taken along:

it should be used if any discomfort or drowsiness is felt. Another person should remain at the entrance to
summon assistance if necessary, and there should be a means of communication arranged between the
person within the space and the attendant. Lifelines and harness should be available at the entrance to the
space. The attendant should first raise the alarm where the occupant appears in danger but should not
enter the space unless equipped with breathing apparatus.
Training in the use of safety equipment and the conduct of rescues is essential for all personnel
involved.

Exercise 1 Complete the table below to summarize the information given in the extract. Part of it has been completed for
you.

Exercise 2 Now use the information in the table to write out statements like this: If you are working in machinery spaces,
you should wear well-fitting clothes in order to protect your body.
If you are working near machinery in motion, you should not wear ties or sweat rags, in order to protect your neck.
6.2. Expressing Obligation/Commands
Imperative has the same form as the shot infinitive: Hurry! ; Wait! ; Stop! etc.For the negative we put
do not/dont before the verb: Dont hurry! ; Dont wait! etc.
2. Commands are often expressed as obligation by must, mustnt expresses interdiction:
You must not smoke in the petrol store.
Passengers must come aboard on the main gang board.
3. An indirect form of command, used especially for instructions and orders, is be + infinitive:
You are to report for duty immediately.
The switchboard is to be manned at all times.
4. Subject + will, mainly for third person commands. This is a formal, impersonal, peremptory type
of command, implying that the person giving the order is quite certain that he will be obeyed. It used
chiefly in written instructions by people who have some authority, e.g. captains of ships, officers of the
service etc.
When the alarm rings passengers and crew will assemble at their boat stations.
The team will report to the gymnasium for weight-lifting training.
You will not mention this meeting to anyone else.
5. Modals should and ought to can be used for mild commands in the form of advice.
You should read the instructions.
You ought to plant some trees.

6. Had better + short infinitive can be used for strong advice or recommending the wisest course of
action:
Youd better take off your wet shoes.
Youd better not wait any longer
Hed better stop taking those pills.
TASK 2
Exercise 1 Read the following advice based on an extract from a safety handbook for engineer officers.
Using the imperative, make up a notice summarizing the main points that might be put on the door of an
unmanned machinery space. The first is done for you:
A seaman should not enter an unmanned machinery space unless he has been given permission by the
officer in charge. While in the space, reports by telephone must be made at regular intervals to the duty
Deck Officer.
A seaman should only do the task which he has been specifically told to do. If any job is beyond his
unaided capability, he should obtain assistance. The Engineer Officer in charge must be informed by the
seaman in person when he leaves the space.
The maintenance of adequate lighting and clean conditions is essential at all times.
Alarm circuits should be tested regularly to the manufacturers schedules.
At all times, personnel working in unmanned machinery spaces should be on their guard against the
sudden starting of automated machinery.
1. Do not enter without permission from the officer in charge.
2. Report by telephone
3. .
Now continue. There are about nine orders in all.
Exercise 2 Use your imagination to respond to these statements. (Use
ould/ ought to for advice, use had better for making a stronger recommendation).
a. Im spending my leave in Hong Kong this year.
b. The temperature level is far too low.
c. I think hes stopped breathing.
d. I overslept again this morning.
e. One of the cadets has a terrible cough and sore throat.
f. I dont know how his paint spray gun works.
g. Ive just spilled a can of oil over the floor.
h. The exam starts in two minutes time.
i.

My eyesight seems to be getting worse.

j.

The weathers turning bad.

7. If Clause
Type 0 conditionals
The pattern is if + present + present
If you heat iron it expands.
We can also use continuous:

If youre practicing on the drums, Im going out. Type 1 conditionals: The pattern is: if +
present + will
If we dont hurry, well miss the ship.
The if-clause expresses an open condition, a real one. Here the present simple (dont hurry) expresses the
future. We do not normally use will in an open condition (after if).
As well as present simple we can use the continuous or perfect in if clause.
If were having ten people to dinner, well need more chairs.
If Ive finished my work by ten, Ill probably watch a film on TV.As well as will, we can use
modal verbs and expressions in the main clause.
If we miss the train we can get the next one.
If Simon is hoping to borrow the car, hes going to be disappointed.
If you phone at six, they might be having tea.
If youre going out, take your key.Type 2 conditionals: The pattern is: if + past simple +
would (+infinitive)
If I had lots of money, I would travel round the world.
Id tell you the answer if I knew it.
The past tense expresses an unreal condition, or we talk about imaginary present or future.
If you lost the book, you would have to pay for a new one.
The same structure can be used for making suggestions:
Would it be all right if I came round at about seven?
It would be nice if you helped me.
As well as past simple, we can use past continuous or could:
If the sun were shining, everything would be perfect.
If I could help you, I would, but Im afraid I cant.As well as would, we can use other modal
verbs such as could or might in the main clause.
If I had a light, I could see what Im doing.
If we could roll the car down the hill, we might be able to start it.Type 3 conditionals: The
pattern is: if+ past perfect+ would (+ perfect).
If you had taken a taxi, you would have got here in time.

If you had worked harder last year, you would probably have passed your exam. Here the past
perfect refers to something unreal, an imaginary past action.We can use could + perfect in the if-clause:
If I could have warned you in time, I would have done. We can use other modal verbs such as
could or might + perfect in the main clause.
If Id written the address down, I could have saved myself some trouble.
The plan might not have worked if we hadnt had one great piece of luck. We can also use
continuous forms:
If we hadnt been evicted by his landlord, he wouldnt have been sleeping in the streets. TASK
3 Exercise 1 Use your imagination to complete these sentences:
a. If I fell overboard
b. ., he would have been saved.
c. ., if we finish painting the funnel.
d. If the radio had been manned
e. ., you would report it to the duty officer.
f.

They will miss the boat,

8. Terms relating to life-saving appliances. Life-saving appliances on board ships can be of several
types as follows: survival craft; lifeboat (open, partially enclosed, totally enclosed); selfrighting
lifeboat; rescue boat; inflatable liferaft; davit-launched liferaft; survival capsules. Totally enclosed
lifeboat

1. mooring bitts

2. after Iifting hook

3. after manhole, after hatch

4. steering tower

5. port hole; viewing port

6. navigation light

7. top hatch

8. handrail

9. air vent

10. mast shoe, mast step

11. skates release gear

12. sprinkler tube

13. forward lifting hook

14. tow rope and painter tie

plate

15. non-skid surface deck

16. glass-fiber hull

17. bcover or enclosure

18. gunwale

19. locking device (from inside

and outside)

20. boarding hatches with slide

panels

21. bracket

22. bilge keel

23. grablines becketed

24. rudder

25. fire extinguisher

26. tiller

27. battery

28. engine casing cover

29. helmsman seat

30. wheel

31. high pressure hose (for

sprinklers)

32. sprinkler main pipe

33. structural stiffrners

34. fender

35. keel

36. bottom boards

37. buoyancy tank

38. hook tie band

39. air bottles

40. water tank

41. equipment locker

42. rowlock

43. fuel tank

44. sprinkler pump

45. engine

46. engine casing

47. propeller shaft

48. exhaust pipe

49. propeller

life-raft

1. self-erecting canopy = aparatoare

2. knife = cutit
3. emergency pack = trusa de prim ajutor
4. paddles = vasle
5. buoyancy chambers, buoy tubes = flotor
6.
7.
8.
9.

painter line = barbeta

foot step ladder, boarding ramp = schela
equipment bag = echipament
external light = semnalizare exterioara

11. rain catchment pocket = rezervor apa ploaie

12. internal light = iluminat

13. floor inflation valve = valva inferioara de
umflare
14. survival instruction card = reguli de
supavietuire
15. rescue line = saula de salvare
16. inflate/deflate valve = supapa
umflare/dezumflare
17. lifeline = parama tin-te-bine
18. water stabilizing pocket = rezervor apa
19. sea anchor = ancora
20. relief valve = supapa de siguranta
21. righting strap = saula de redresare
22. retro-reflective tape, fluo tape = banda
reflectorizanta
23. spare parts bag = trusa de accesorii

Terms relating to open lifeboats:

clew ~ col de cot

bilge grab rail ~ bru de protecie

a gurnei

reef points ~ baier de terarol

foot ~ margine de ntinsur

gunwale ~ copastie

peak ~ col de fung

crutch socket ~ picior de furchet

stern post ~ etambou

grab lines ~ curent de redresare

head ~ margine de
nvergare

keel ~ chil

stem band ~ armtur de etrav

leech ~ margine de cdere

lifting hook ~ ganci

luff ~ margine de cdere

prova

lower cross seats ~ bnci de

sprijin

thwart knees ~ colar de banc

mast ~ catarg

rudder ~ crm

thwart ~ banc

mast thwart ~ banc de

catarg

side benches ~ bnci

tiller ~ eche

skates ~ sanie

yard ~ verg

lug sail ~ vel de treime

Procedure for launching davit-launched liferaft

remove guard rail

slew davit outboard

position raft (bag or container)

make fast the bowsing lines (to the deck cleats)

hook the davit fall onto the release gear

heave away on the davit fall taking the raft outside

inflate raft

board raft

release bowsing lines

lower away

tack ~ mur
throat ~ col de nvergare

6.6. Prepositions of time

In English certain prepositions are used for different moments or periods of time.
On

Friday
Wednesday morning
the sixteenth of March
Christmas Day

day
day + morning/afternoon/evening/night
date
special day

In

spring
2003
August
the morning

season
year
month
parts of the day

At

three oclock
Christmas
lunchtime
the moment/present
the weekend
night/midnight

time
festival
mealtimes
now

Periods

for four weeks

in three days
two months ago

general period
period starting from now
period finished

Some prepositions need explanation not to be confused:

until not before
The ship will not leave until 2 oclock.
by any point before or at a certain time
I start my watch by 2 oclock.
since shows the moment in the past the action started, looking back to that point
I havent seen him since I left the port.
from shows the moment the action started
The shops are open from 10 oclock.
for + a period of time how long something goes on
Ive been waiting the shipping for ages.
during + noun when something happens
The deck is wet. It must have rained during the night.
during + noun in a certain period of time
I learned many new things during my voyage.
while + subject + verb in a certain period of time (while is placed at the beginning of a subordinate
clause).
I learned many new things while I was on voyage.

TASK 4
Exercise 1 Complete the gaps using in, at or on.
1. . July
2. 9.00
3. .Fridays
4. the afternoon
5. .the weekend
6. 2006
7. the evening
8. Christmas
9. ..the last day of the week
10. .December 25th
Exercise 2 Are the underlined words correct or not? If they are incorrect, change them.
1. Ill wait by he arrives, and then Ill go.
2. Have you seen her since we last met?
3. I have known her during a very long time.
4. They remained calm throughout the negotiations.
5. We fixed the appointment during next Tuesday.
6. Im seeing him for about a weeks time.
7. She met her uncle for the first time during the war.
8. I hope to get to your house by 7.00 at the latest.