Shipping safety equipment is a very important factor in the maritime industry.
However, shipping safety management and its implementation in the maritime industry are more important than ever.
The development of safety equipment has proven to be a great development in the safety of lives on a ship.
Consequently, the usage of safety equipment ensures safety at the workplace, the marine industry is still a relatively dangerous place to work.
Personal safety on board a vessel is of utmost priority for everyone on the ship.
Numerous times, vessels lack the required safety measures to meet accidents.
To minimise this loss of life and property, it is imperative for the shipping companies to take the proper measures to ensure the onboard safety of all seafarers.
Types of Marine Safety Equipment/ Safety equipment to have on-board
Below are the primary personal protective equipment i.e ppe that are always present onboard to ensure the safety of the working crew
Protective Clothing – Protective clothing on the ship is an overall which protects the body of a crew member from hazardous situations. Protective clothing is popularly known as “dangri “or “boiler suit”.
Helmet – The head is the most important part of the human body. The head needs utmost protection and that protection is provided by a hard plastic helmet on the ship.
The helmet protects the head in the case of a trip or fall.
Safety Shoes – The ship is utilised by cargo and machinery, which is made of hard metal which makes it clumsy for the crew to walk around.
Safety shoes are essential cause they ensure that nothing happens to the crew member’s feet while working or walking onboard.
Safety Hand gloves – several hand gloves are provided onboard the ship. All these are used in operations wherein it becomes imperative to protect one’s hands.
The gloves provided are heat-resistant gloves to work on hot surfaces, cotton gloves for normal operation, welding gloves, chemical gloves, etc.
Goggles – The eyes are the most sensitive part of the human body and it is involved in daily operations on the ship and chances are very high you might have an eye injury.
The protective glass is used for eye protection, whereas welding goggles are used for welding operation which protects the eyes from a high-intensity spark.
Ear Muff/plug – The engine room of the ship produces 110-120 db of sound which is very high for the human ears.
A few minutes of exposure can lead to headaches, irritation, and sometimes partial or full hearing loss.
An earmuff or earplug is used onboard ship to dampen the noise to a bearable decibel value.
Safety harness – Safety harness is used to avoid a fall from a heightened area.
Ship operation routine includes maintenance and painting of high and elevated surfaces which require crew members to reach areas that are not easily accessible.
Face mask – Face masks are provided to act as a shield from hazardous particle.
Working on insulation surface, carbon cleaning, or painting involves minor hazardous particles which are harmful to the human body if inhaled directly.
Chemical suit – A chemical suit is worn to avoid such situations.
The use of chemicals is very frequent on ships and some of these chemicals are very dangerous especially when they come in direct contact with human skin.
Fire extinguisher – It is compulsory for all ships to have all the various types of fire extinguishers for efficient handling of different cases of fires that may arise on the ship especially portable fire extinguishers which is tremendously helpful and can be used to put out small-scale fires aboard the ship.
Breathing Equipment – Breathing equipment such as oxygen cylinders and masks can be of help In case of a fire onboard, and it is hard for people to breathe due to the smoke.
The oxygen masks provide a short supply of oxygen in case of emergencies, while oxygen cylinders provide a much larger and reserved source of oxygen and it comes with tanks for replacement.
Escape Smoke Hood – It is not only the flames that cause injuries during the fire. Gases and smoke resulting from the fire are also fatal for the people.
Escape smoke hoods come in handy in case of a fire, it helps during the evacuation, giving the wearers a wide window of time.
First Aid Kit – First Aid Kits are the most important components of personal safety equipment.
The first aid kit includes all the medicines and remedies for emergencies.
They are responsible for providing immediate medical help. Having a properly stocked first aid kit can be of tremendous help onboard ships in order to even save a life.
REASONS FOR PERSONAL SAFETY EQUIPMENT ON SHIPS
The major purpose of personal protective equipment on ships is to reduce employee exposure to hazards when engineering controls and administrative controls are not feasible or effective to reduce these risks to acceptable levels.
PPE is needed when there are hazards present.
Ensuring a strong and dependable safety culture onboard ship is essential to reducing large-scale accidents at sea, which is why BSM has placed seafarer attitude-change at the heart of its loss-prevention strategy.
CONCLUSION
The crew and people aboard the vessel need to ensure their own safety to properly be able to carry out a voyage.
It is important to take the proper measures to minimise the chances of an accident occurring.
Though, mishaps can occur at any time, regardless of all the precautionary measures that have already been taken.
Persons on the vessel must be prepared for a worst-case scenario. The safety measures and equipment mentioned above can be highly useful during a mishap.
Hence, there is a need to stock up on this safety equipment before embarking on the ship.
Even with the help of the equipment, one must immediately contact authorities and seek professional help in case of emergencies.
Personal Protective Equipment Supply Company In Nigeria
King Shipping Trading Maritime Services Ltd. Provides all the necessary marine safety equipment required on a vessel.
We supply to various parts of the country and beyond.
For more information on the best safety equipment by the best safety equipment supplier, please contact +2348167069828.