Page 33: of Marine News Magazine (May 2022)

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Feature

Training & Education

Anti-SASH -

Looking at the Ship Itself

By Tom Ewing

While most Marine News readers are likely familiar with cargo vessels—decks, holds, engine room, crew quarters, of? cers’ quarters, galleys, labyrinthine passageways—some may not be so familiar.

An awareness of a vessel’s vast space, its three dimensions, is critical for placing SASH concerns within a physical setting, a workplace setting.

After all, despite its size, a cargo vessel carries just 20-30 people.

Isolation, even entrapment (one hates to write it) are not hard to envision.

Bryan Boyle is a professional mariner, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy class of 2012; Sea Year 2009-2010. Boyle has a “Life at Sea” video blog on YouTube (35,300 subscribers and counting). His “Touring a Modern Day

Cargo Ship,” (2.7 million+ views) set aboard the 958-foot Maersk Ohio, offers the real-world look necessary for thinking about anti-SASH policies.

EMBARC, for example, directs video recording in hallways near cadet staterooms, likely a good place. But note there are miles (seemingly) of tunnel-like passageways aboard the Maersk Ohio. A ship is a 24- “Most ships have hour workplace, and an isolated one. Is an everyday passageway akin to being in a dark alley on the rough edges of town? Should all become much passageways have recording?

more thorough in

Boyle’s video takes us to separate facilities for of? cers and crew.

Is separation helpful? For whom? Maybe in mixed settings a captain the training and and leadership would be more aware of jokes, innuendos, bullying and enforcement of emerging transgressions, and know when it’s time to act. Or vice versa: does leadership take advantage of exclusive areas?

[SASH] policies.”

In an email Boyle wrote that on-boarding these days includes – Bryan Boyle, presentations about a company’s SASH policies and procedures, messages repeated throughout a voyage. He said that “most ships

Professional Mariner, have become much more thorough in the training and enforcement of

USMMA class of 2012 these policies.”

Boyle has worked with many female mariners: captains, mates, engineers, stewards and cooks. He became involved in a harassment case during a voyage after a female crew member reported an incident to him. This prompted an onboard investigation, and an offending crew member was ? red.

Looking back to Sea Year, Boyle commented that SASH incidents often go unreported because victims want to be well liked and not to be known as someone involved in charges against other crew members. “Mariners need to better support each other,” Boyle said, “and let it be known that they stand with their fellow crew as brothers and sisters who look out for each other in keeping ships a safe working environment.”

Boyle notes a decline in ship-board camaraderie. Crews used to spend off-hours playing games and watching movies.

Now, he said, most retreat to staterooms to look at personal devices.

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