Handling death of crew - Emergency procedure for cargo ships
Confirmation of death
The Master must establish that the crew member is deceased by referring to the guidelines mentioned in the WHO International Medical Guide for Ships or on the basis of radio medical advice.
Further action to be Taken by Master
a) Inform Company (who in turn will advise next-of-kin)
b) If in port or at anchor, call the local agent and then inform to parties concerned such as a Doctor and the Police the Local correspondents of P&I Club etc., through the Local agent, enabling them to assist and inform the authorities as required by the laws of that particular country.
c) Unless advised to the contrary, the body is to be preserved in an emptied reefer compartment , after preparation as per the Guide
d) All personal effects of the deceased should be recorded and packed, in the presence of 2 officers. These should be delivered to the agent to be sent to the Company together with a copy of the inventory list for forwarding to the next-of-kin.
e) Advise agent at next port of call and ask him to inform all local authorities according to local regulations , the consulate of the ships flag state and the deceased , and the correspondent of the P&I Club.
f) Make necessary entries in the Official Log Book and/or the Deck Log Book.
g) A Maritime Declaration of Health is to be passed to the next port if death was caused other than by accident
Evidence to be recorded / collected
1) In case of accident, take timed photographs of the place where the deceased was found
2) Evidence such as wires or some tool etc which may have caused the death should be marked and stored safely.
3) Date/exact time and location when death occurred, and vessels position
4) Medical treatment given to the deceased before death and by whom
5) Record of the working hours of the deceased
6) Indication of intoxication of any kind
7) Detailed and complete eye witness statements to be taken immediately
Note of Reference
Procedure for when a person is reported missing
What are the conditions that should be reported to master while navigating ship ? ....
What are the safe navigational procedure for the officer of the watch ? ....
What are the entries to be made in deck log book ? ....
safety of personnel
Measures to protect the vessel side against stevedores injury
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