(1) To improve the standard of safety consciousness amongst the crew;
(2) to ensure that the provisions of the Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seamen and safety instructions, rules and guidance for the ship relating to health and safety are complied with; (3) to investigate, so far as is reasonably practicable, (i) every accident involving death, major or serious injury as defined in the Merchant Shipping (Accident Investigation and Reporting) Regulations, (ii) all potential hazards to health and safety, and (iii) all reasonable complaints by workers about health and safety, and make recommendations to the master to prevent their recurrence or to remove any hazard (provided that the duty to investigate shall not extend to accidents arising from a casualty to the ship); (4) to ensure that health and safety inspections of each accessible part of the ship are carried out at least once every 3 months, and more frequently if there have been substantial changes in the conditions of work; (5) to make representations and, where appropriate, recommendations to the master about any deficiency in the ship in respect of (i) any legislative requirement relating to health and safety, (ii) any relevant M Notice, or (iii) any provision of the Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seamen, and also suggest whether those representations and recommendations should be passed by the master on to the employer or other person who has control of the matter; (6) to maintain a record of every accident involving death, or major or serious injury, and make it available on request to any elected safety representative, to the master and to any person duly authorised by the Secretary of State (e. g. an MAIB inspector or MCA surveyor); (7) to stop any work which he observes in progress and reasonably believes may cause a serious accident, and immediately inform the master or the master’s deputy, who shall decide when work can safely be resumed.
