SAFETY FOCUS
Safety & the Seafarer
D
eck Cadet Gemie Von Nicholson D. Campos, currently sailing onboard the M.V. Golden Nimbus, talks about Wallem’s safety culture and the importance of mentorship.
“The fishermen know tha t the sea i s dangerou s and the storm terrible, b u t they have never fou n d these dangers sufficient reasons f o r remaining ashore.” – Vincent Van Gogh
Life at sea is an adventure but it can also be dangerous. Dangers are lurking right around every corner; dangers that when disregarded can turn into an unfortunate event which can be catastrophic to human life, the environment or the vessel. Our job as seafarers is to transport cargo around the world. It is also to ensure that this is done safely by anticipating dangers that may occur during our voyage. Safety should always be our top priority. A Seafarers’ wellbeing is extremely important. Life at sea can be lonely which is why we should take care of ourselves, both mentally and physically so that we can return home to our loved ones safe and sound at the end of our contracts. That’s why safety is one of the most important topics discussed onboard. At school, all the theoretical aspects of our profession I learned are quite different to the reality at sea. In reality, if you disregard your safety, any operation onboard could lead to an accident. Many times, I have been corrected by the Chief Mate or Bosun during operations because I was standing in the wrong place, places where danger may occur when something happens i.e. snapback areas. As a novice, I
didn’t take this criticism personally because I know that they are just looking out for my safety. On the contrary I try to learn from these kinds of things so that dangers may be avoided. So, before and after operations I ask the Chief Mate and/or Bosun questions such as "What should I do? What should I look out for?" They told me that it’s better to ask if you don’t really know, rather than risk something happening. As a novice, new to this profession I try to learn things that will help me become better at this job and become safety conscious in everything I do. Thankfully I have crewmates that are willing to teach me and mentor me to become a better seafarer. At the same time I will now assess things that may compromise my own safety, that of my crewmates, the vessel and the environment. The process of learning is never ending so I continue to learn from my fellow crewmates in terms of technical operations and safety, increasing my knowledge and experience. Through this I will be able to improve and become a good seafarer. Hopefully someday I can do the same to those who are new onboard. I hope to pass on the knowledge and experience I am gaining now and most of all to emphasize just how important safety is to a seafarer. Issue 3 2018
14
