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2.
2.1.1. CODE OF SAFE WORKING PRACTICES
2.1.2. Safe working practices can prevent accidents and this
Code has been prepared to draw attention to some of the hazards you may have to face in
your daily work.
Preservation of life, limb and livelihood is the most
important of all and knowledge of the many pit-falls is the best insurance against
accidents. The age old maxim, that FAMILIARITY BREEDS CONTEMPT is still valid.
Read the following precautionary notes carefully – you
could be glad you did!
ETERNAL VIGILANCE IS THE PRICE OF SAFETY ^
2.1.3. Before being sent into holds to work, personnel should be thoroughly instructed by
the officer in charge of the deck in the precautions necessary to ensure their own safety
and the safety of their fellow employees.
2.1.4. Before inexperienced persons are sent into cargo holds
to work, they should be instructed and cautioned:
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(i) as to job techniques;
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(ii) as to potential hazards which may develop during unloading procedures;
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(iii) as to the safety precautions that should be taken; and
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(iv) where possible, inexperienced persons should be teamed with experienced personnel
so that they may be guided in matters of safety and job techniques.
2.1.5. The officer in charge of the deck should keep a count
of personnel working in holds and periodically check this out with the person in charge of
the hatch.
 2.1.6. No person should enter a hold on his own initiative
unless authorized to do so by the officer in charge of the deck.
2.1.7. No person should enter a hold while hatch covers are
being removed.
2.1.8. Unless absolutely necessary an inexperienced person
should not be sent into a cargo hold alone.
2.1.9. No person should be sent into an empty hold while the
vessel is unloading unless he is under observation, or in communication with other person.
2.2.0. No person should enter an unlighted hold without means
of illumination.
2.2.1. In the event of a main power failure provision should
be made for emergency lighting, such as a strong battery-operated portable lamp.
2.2.2. Personnel employed in an area where there is danger of injury to the head and feet
from falling or moving objects should wear a safety hat and suitable footwear.
 2.2.3. Personnel should wear appropriate protective clothing and respiratory equipment
when required to work with a substance or in an atmosphere that may adversely affect their
health.
2.2.4 Personnel should wear safety belts and lines when advised to do so by the officer in
charge of the deck.
2.2.5. Where lifelines are used extreme care should be taken
to prevent the bight of the line becoming fouled in the conveyor belt rollers.
 2.2.6. Where safety chains are provided, use them for your
protection.
2.2.7. Catwalks should be cleaned off to prevent falls due to slippery conditions
2.2.8. Always use extra care when going from one hopper bay
to another and where possible advise the tunnelman accordingly.
 2.2.9. In hopper bays where the cargo has been cleaned off,
gates should be closed.
2.3.0. Great care should be taken when working in the
vicinity of the end gates which are proximate to the transfer points.
2.31 Those working close to conveyor belts should not wear
loose clothing. Long hair should be tied back
 2.3.2. Personnel working in holds should wear retroreflective vests to facilitate
identification.
2.3.3. Extra care should always be taken when cargo
"wall-ups" develop.
2.3.4. A sharp lookout should always be maintained for
potential "cargo slides" and "cave-ins".
 2.3.5. Special care must always be taken when cargo is not
running free.
2.3.6. No person should work on top of a cargo pile without a lifeline or equivalent means
of safety precaution.
 2.3.7. Always be alert and safety conscious.
2.3.8. A person suffering from fatigue or otherwise impaired should not be permitted in
any working area.
2.3.9. The rest period as outlined in the Safe Manning
Regulations, should be strictly adhered to.
2.4.0. Adequate means of communication should be provided for
everyone engaged in the processes.
 2.4.1. Practical jokes and horseplay should be prohibited.
2.4.2. The emergency stop switch control for conveyor belts
should be tested before unloading.
2.4.3. The person in charge of the emergency stop switch
should be equipped with means whereby he is in direct contact with all persons in the
tunnels and hold.
2.4.4. The emergency stop switch should never be left
untended when belts are running.
 2.4.5. No inexperienced person should be in charge of the
emergency stop switch.
2.4.6. The person in charge of the hatch should have an
unobstructed view of those in the hold and the work in progress.
2.4.7. The person in charge of the hatch should be equipped
with a portable light having independent means of power for use in the event of complete
power failure in the ship.
2.4.8. Safety chains and connections should be in good
condition, checked regularly and replaced immediately if found defective.
2.4.9. Lifelines should always be in good condition and
checked before use.
2.5.1. Access to and from holds should be safe and in accord
with safe working practices.
 2.5.2. All gates should be capable of being tightly closed.
Defective gates should be repaired or replaced as soon as possible.
2.5.3. In the tunnels all gates should be numbered for
identification purposes. The system of numbering should be uniform for all self-loaders.
2.5.4. Guardrails or other safety means that are fitted over
moving machinery should be in satisfactory condition.
2.5.5. Where portable lights are required these should be
fitted with lamp guards and lanyards.
2.5.6. Glare, dazzle or sudden contrasts of illumination
should be minimized as far as practicable.
 2.5.7. Adequate ventilation should be used to alleviate dust
problems.
2.5.8. All personnel should be advised of the danger of smoking or using naked lights in
hazardous places. Warning notices should be posted at the entrance to cargo compartments
and adjoining spaces where an inflammable gas or explosive dust atmosphere may be present.
2.5.9. To minimize the danger of explosion and fire where
coal is stowed in holds or any other compartment, effective surface ventilation is
essential to ensure free escape of explosive gases. To facilitate this, the cargo should
be leveled off to allow air to circulate freely over the surface.
2.6.0. Where cargo is liable to emit dangerous gases portable
methanometers should be used to monitor working spaces.
2.6.1. Before men are allowed to enter holds all compartments
should be well ventilated particularly where there is a likelihood that methane or other
hazardous gas may be present.
 2.6.2. All electrical cables passing through cargo
compartments and adjoining spaces should be free from defects and safe for use in
atmosphere containing hazardous gases.
2.6.3. Ventilation fans serving compartments in which coal is
stowed or adjoining spaces, should be explosion proof.
NOTES ^
* Combination of
Coal Dust/Air Mixtures
^
Practically all combustible substances in the form of dust
when mixed with air in the proper proportions will burn at so rapid a rate as will cause
severe explosion if ignited by external sources. To initiate a coal dust explosion two
factors must occur simultaneously; firstly, the correct air/dust ratio must be present,
and secondly there must be present a source of ignition capable of igniting this dust
cloud.
** Gas ^
Coal emits an inflammable gas (methane) particularly after
being freshly mined, or broken, and when subjected to shock or agitation. The amount of
methane released depends on such factors as the rank and fineness of the coal. When there
is between 5 to 14 percent of methane mixed in the air it may explode if an outside source
of ignition is introduced; such ignition could be caused by an electrical spark, naked
flame or by frictional sparking. Low rank coal is more susceptible to this emission than
the higher ranks of coal, and the emission is greatest when the coal is moved directly
from the mine workings to the ship.
The intensity of the blast and thermic energy released by a
local methane explosion may be sufficient to initiate a series of coal dust explosions.
*** Gas may accumulate in adjoining spaces to the cargo compartments if the divisional
bulkheads are not gas-tight.
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