Ship crew
Crew members
The crew of the ship is made up of persons on board, who are registered on the crew list.
A crew member may be a person who has acquired the appropriate title by the prescribed examination and is duly authorized to perform that occupation on board. Persons are trained in accordance with the International Convention on Standards for the Training and Keeping of Seafarers, 1978, as amended in 1995. (STCW Convention)
Authorization to perform work on board can only be given to a person who is physically and mentally capable of performing a particular job on board, which is determined by a medical examination and controlled by periodic examinations (every two years).
Only a person with a valid seafarer's license may board the crew as a person who can prove his/her professional qualifications, medical condition and ability to board the ship and the length of employment on board.
Crew members services
Crew members are assigned to on-board services:
- Deck service covers the navigation of the ship and all duties related to the members of the ship's crew, all the cargo and maintenance of the ship;
- Machine service includes tasks related to the operation and maintenance of power, auxiliary and other installations such as jobs related to electrical installations - the tasks are managed by the machine operator
- Liaison service includes the transmission and reception of all types of messages and the notification through radio equipment on board, and their maintenance - the tasks are managed by the liaison officer
- Health service is obligatory on passenger ships or cargo ships carrying more than 12 passengers (doctor is mandatory). On ships where there is no doctor, medical duties are performed by a (second) deck officer or crew member designated by the master.
- General service (white staff) includes ship supply, reception, lodging and catering, crew and passenger service, maintenance of the ship's premises.
Deck crew members: deck officers, deck leader, rudders, sailors, trainees (cadets)
The second and third officers, as well as the deck leader, the helmsmen, sailors and trainees, report to to the chief mate, and he/she to the master.
Crew members in the service of the machine: machine manager, machine officers, machine leader, electrician, greasers, cleaners, trainees.
The machine leader, lubricators, cleaners and trainees report to the service officers, and they report directly to the chief engineer. The electrician answers to the machine manager.
Liaison crew members: radio telegraphist, general operator radio operator (GMDSS operator) directly answer to the master of the ship.
General service crew members: commissioner, cook, waiter, galley boy. They all answer to the first deck officer.
Basic duties of a crew member
A crew member must perform duties on board in accordance with his/her duties prescribed by law and rules of navigation so as not to jeopardize the safety of navigation and the ship, the safety of persons on board, the risk of marine pollution.
Without the approval of the duty officer, the crew member must not leave the place where he is doing guard duty.
The crew member is obliged to immediately inform the officer in charge of any emergency and any irregularities observed concerning the safety of navigation (lighthouses, buoys).
Crew members are required, in case of an accident, to advocate for the rescue of persons, the ship and the cargo until their own life is not threatened.