The ISM Code: A picture speaks a thousand words!!

October 21st, 2010 by JCB
Posted in Articles, Coastlines | No Comments »

Happy Captain?    Photo: JCB

I recently piloted a small coastal tanker and upon arriving on the bridge I noticed that the printer in the improvised office section (now an essential element of a short sea trader’s bridge!) of the wheelhouse was clunking away merrily, churning out page after page of documents. After a while, noting that this energetic little machine was showing no sign of giving up, I asked the Captain what he was printing out and he explained that his company had recently been taken over and the since the change he had been bombarded with emails and instructions and procedures and policies and everything else that a large modern company seems to have to produce to be able to function. That morning, he had received an email advising that the new safety management system document was attached and that he was to print it out and email confirmation of receipt and also to confirm that he had read and understood its content. Being busy with navigation and ensuring that he complied with the 12 page port arrival procedures he had hit the “print” key so that he could read the attachment later. Much later as it turned out! It was nearly an hour and a couple of paper and ink cartridge changes (this was a cheap domestic printer) before we both heaved a sigh of relief as the printer finally fell silent and relative peace was restored to the wheelhouse! It turned out that the attachment was the company’s full safety management system document, totalling 402 pages! Being a Dutch ship, with the office still in Holland, I was surprised to note that this massive wadge of paper was all in English and although the Captain spoke English perfectly I questioned him why such a seemingly essential document was not printed in Dutch. With another resigned sigh, he explained that the new company’s policy was that all communications now had to be undertaken in English and hen had already been told off because he always spoke Dutch when he phoned the office! As he explained, when trying to explain a technical issue it was always easier and safer to do it in one’s own language. What I love about the Dutch is their great sense of humour and later on, whilst he was sorting through the pile of papers I asked him if he had located any important procedures. “Oh no Mr Pilot, I know that just by being a tanker underway we probably breach them all but I am just checking to make sure that I order the correct grade and colour of toilet paper”. It’s no wonder that so few officers now aspire to rise to command!

JCB