{"id":1253,"date":"2026-08-06T06:31:49","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T06:31:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marinersupdate.com\/blog\/?p=1253"},"modified":"2026-08-06T06:31:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T06:31:51","slug":"risq-inspection-focus-wk-13-two-checks-one-standard-of-readiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marinersupdate.com\/blog\/risq-inspection-focus-wk-13-two-checks-one-standard-of-readiness\/","title":{"rendered":"RISQ INSPECTION FOCUS \u2013 WK 13 | Two Checks, One Standard of Readiness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Two very different checks, one shared goal: making sure the people on board are ready, capable, and fit for the job. This week we look at how crew are trained to handle dangerous cargo safely, and how a strong drug and alcohol policy keeps the whole ship’s operation sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Questions Covered:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

2.8 \u2013 Have officers and ratings responsible for cargo handling on ships carrying dangerous and hazardous substances in packaged form, undergone formal training ?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.9 \u2013 Has an SMS policy and procedure been established to enforce the STCW Convention and Code requirements for the purpose of preventing drug and alcohol abuse?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.8 \u2014 DANGEROUS CARGO HANDLING TRAINING<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Any officer or rating involved in handling dangerous, hazardous, or harmful cargo in packaged form needs to have gone through formal, structured training for it \u2014 not just picked it up on the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Core training areas :<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Safe Packaging<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Handling & Stowage<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Segregation of Cargoes<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. IMDG Code + CSC 1972<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Legal Compliance<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Guide to Inspection \u2013 what it means for you:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • If the ship isn’t carrying this type of cargo \u2014 and didn’t on the previous voyage either \u2014 the item is simply marked Not Applicable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Training should leave crew able to safely plan and carry out the loading, stowage, and segregation of dangerous and hazardous cargo, not just recognise the rules on paper.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Crew should understand the legal side too, and be able to check that packaging and handling instructions are actually being followed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • The training also needs to cover how dangerous cargo interacts with other cargo on board, in line with the IMDG Code and the International Convention for Safe Containers (1972).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      2.9 \u2014 DRUG & ALCOHOL POLICY UNDER THE SMS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Every company should be able to show a clear drug and alcohol policy under its Safety Management System \u2014 one that lines up with STCW requirements and leaves no room for confusion about what’s expected on board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • The policy should spell out exactly who it applies to \u2014 including contractors, not just the ship’s own crew.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • It should state clearly which substances are restricted, covering anything that affects judgement or alertness, regardless of the circumstances.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Prescription medicine has its place too \u2014 permitted use should be backed by a valid prescription from a qualified doctor or the ship’s medical store.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • A company can absolutely run a zero-alcohol, zero-drug policy across its ships and premises \u2014 many do.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        What good policies clearly cover:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        • Using, distributing, or possessing prohibited substances at work.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Not meeting STCW standards of training, certification, and watchkeeping.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Being under the influence, or otherwise unfit for duty.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Ignoring a stand-down order after a positive test.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Refusing to test, or interfering with the testing process.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
          \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          Testing usually comes down to two methods \u2014 blood or breath \u2014 and it matters that a company’s policy sets clear limits for both, rather than leaning on rough conversions between the two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          Blood vs. Breath Testing \u2014 STCW Code limits:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
            \n
          • Blood (BAC): 0.05%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Breath: 0.25 mg\/L Note: the two are not directly interchangeable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Blood and breath results don’t convert cleanly \u2014 physiology, temperature, and testing method all introduce variation, which is exactly why disputes and audit findings happen.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Where urine testing is used, there’s currently no fixed statutory limit, so the policy should explain how those results are interpreted, ideally with the testing provider.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Unannounced testing can be run by the ship or by an outside party, for both drugs and alcohol \u2014 and it can be initiated by the Master, a terminal manager, or the company.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Legal advice matters here \u2014 drug and alcohol rules differ by country, and getting it wrong can create real legal exposure for both the company and the individual.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
            \n

            Readiness on board isn’t only about equipment and procedures \u2014 it’s about whether the people carrying them out are properly trained, and properly fit to do the job. Both start well before the inspector ever steps on deck.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Two very different checks, one shared goal: making sure the people on board are ready, capable, and fit for the job. This week we look at how crew are trained to handle dangerous cargo safely, and how a strong drug and alcohol policy keeps the whole ship’s operation sound. Questions […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1258,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[527],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rightship-inspection"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/marinersupdate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/risq-13-cover-1024x576.png","blog_images":{"medium":"https:\/\/marinersupdate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/risq-13-cover-300x169.png","large":"https:\/\/marinersupdate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/risq-13-cover-1024x576.png"},"ams_acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marinersupdate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marinersupdate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marinersupdate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marinersupdate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marinersupdate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1253"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/marinersupdate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1253\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1259,"href":"https:\/\/marinersupdate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1253\/revisions\/1259"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marinersupdate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1258"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marinersupdate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marinersupdate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marinersupdate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}