What is a Safety Committee on Ships?

In order to ensure that the ship and its crew follows all safety procedures while doing work and maintains a safe working environment, a safety committee is formed on ships under the chairmanship of the master.

The safety committee comprises of the safety officer and the safety representative along with other competent persons. More crew members can be included in the committee if the need arise.

The safety committee works with the sole goal of enhancing the safety standard on board ships by ensuring that all safety procedures and practices are followed by the ship’s crew members.

Main tasks of the safety committee are:

• To ensure that safe working practices and standards are followed on the ship and are not compromised at any cost

• To improve the standards of safety by enhancing safety-first attitude among crew members

• To make recommendations regarding enhancement of occupational health and safety measures on ships

• To act as the representative of the crew to address concerns and queries to the ship management

• Inspect safety officer’s records

• To take appropriate actions pertaining to occupational health and safety policies

• To keep a record of safety meetings, suggestions, progress, and actions taken

• To ensure that necessary safety tools and equipment are available to the crew members, along with safety publications

• To look into the accuracy of accident reports

• To make sure that safety meetings are held every 4 to 6 weeks or whenever need arise

• All the records of the committee are properly noted down in official log book

Safety committee is an important body on board ships. It has the same powers under the regulations as those possessed by safety representatives.