OYT Scotland operates a Safety Management System (SMS) in order to promote high standards of safety at all levels throughout the organisation.
We were one of the first Sail Training Organisations operating vessels under 500 Gross Tonnes to implement an SMS. We chose to do this voluntarily (it is not currently a legal requirement for vessels under 500 GT).
Our SMS is based on the International Safety Management Code with all relevant information compiled into a Safety Management Manual to compile all safety related information into one place. The manual follows a standard layout as below:
1. Introductions and Definitions
2. Policies
3. Company Responsibilities and Authority
4. Appointed Safety Officers
5. Masters Responsibility and Authority
6. Personnel
7. Ship Operations
8. Emergency Preparedness
9. Non-Conformities, Accidents and Hazardous Occurrences
10. Maintenance
11. Documentation
12. Review and Evaluation
This replaces our old Standard Operating Procedures that combined safety info with other things like youth work guidelines. The new Safety Management Manual should make it much easier to find all relevant safety information in one place. The Manual will be available to view and download through our new “members portal” via the website. Sea staff will be emailed their username and password for the portal when it goes live at the end of August.
Trevor Farrar
Operations and Training Manager.