AB Deck Safety and Pollution 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following actions would be a violation of MARPOL Annex I in port?
- Discharging clean ballast water at the berth
- Pumping oily bilge water directly overboard without treatment (Correct answer)
- Transferring bunkers through a closed manifold
- Using the incinerator to burn waste oil sludge
Correct answer: Pumping oily bilge water directly overboard without treatment
Pumping untreated oily bilge water overboard in port violates MARPOL Annex I, which prohibits such discharges in all port areas.
Question 2: When rigging a bosun's chair to work over the side, the line used must be:
- The ship's mooring line for extra strength
- A properly tested and certified safety line secured independently of the working line (Correct answer)
- Any available rope of sufficient length
- A wire rope only, never fiber rope
Correct answer: A properly tested and certified safety line secured independently of the working line
A separate, certified safety line must be rigged independently so that if the working line fails, the safety line prevents the worker from falling into the sea.
Question 3: What is the meaning of a black circle on the NFPA 704 hazard diamond (fire diamond)?
- The material is an oxidizer
- The material is water-reactive (Correct answer)
- The material is radioactive
- The material presents a cryogenic hazard
Correct answer: The material is water-reactive
A white square with a 'W' crossed out on the NFPA 704 diamond indicates the material reacts dangerously with water; a plain white section can indicate special hazard codes.
Question 4: A seaman finds an unlabeled drum on deck containing an unknown liquid. The correct action is to:
- Smell the contents to identify the substance
- Treat it as hazardous, do not open it, and report to the officer on watch (Correct answer)
- Pour a small amount out to check color and viscosity
- Move it to the paint locker for safekeeping
Correct answer: Treat it as hazardous, do not open it, and report to the officer on watch
Unknown chemicals must always be treated as hazardous; the drum should not be opened and must be reported to a supervisor immediately.
Question 5: Under MARPOL Annex VI, what emission is controlled by Tier III NOx standards when operating in a NOx Emission Control Area (NECA)?
- Sulfur dioxide (SO2) from exhaust
- Nitrogen oxides (NOx) from marine diesel engines (Correct answer)
- Carbon monoxide (CO) from incinerators
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from cargo tanks
Correct answer: Nitrogen oxides (NOx) from marine diesel engines
MARPOL Annex VI Tier III NOx standards limit nitrogen oxide emissions from marine diesel engines when operating within designated NECAs.
Question 6: What is the primary purpose of a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for a hazardous chemical on board?
- To record the purchase price and supplier information
- To provide health, safety, and emergency response information about the chemical (Correct answer)
- To serve as a cargo manifest entry
- To document how the chemical was stowed in the cargo hold
Correct answer: To provide health, safety, and emergency response information about the chemical
An SDS provides essential health hazard, safe handling, PPE, first aid, and emergency response information for each hazardous substance.
Question 7: If a vessel's crew member accidentally drops a plastic bag overboard in a Special Area under MARPOL Annex V, the officer of the watch must:
- Take no action if the bag was empty
- Enter the incident in the Garbage Record Book and report as required by the SMS (Correct answer)
- Report only if witnessed by another vessel
- File the report only at the next port
Correct answer: Enter the incident in the Garbage Record Book and report as required by the SMS
Any accidental discharge of garbage, including plastics, must be recorded in the Garbage Record Book and handled per the SMS reporting procedures.
AB Deck Safety and Pollution 5
Which of the following actions would be a violation of MARPOL Annex I in port?