It is almost obligatory to mention pollution when discussing anything to with ships, and there is enough emotion left to stir the hearts of the media whenever an incident occurs Ships these days have the best record of pollution care but that is regrettably not recognised, with the slightest incident being enough to have the local politicians storming onto the stage and the Captains dragged off to prison All of this is regardless of the IMO regulations regarding treatment of the ships and their crew When the ship is coming alongside, keep a good eye out for oil on the water in way of the ship and, if there is any spotted, draw the attention of the Captain to it and enter it in your logbook It is interesting to note the disinterest shown by the ports when it is their pollution but the alacrity with which they respond if they think that it is yours Accidental pollution seems to come from machinery both ashore and afloat rather than bunkering operations, over which great care is now taken This doesn't mean you can relax in ensuring that all the precautions are taken, so block the scuppers and ensure that the oil pollution prevention equipment is ready standing by and that the crew are trained to use it Crew and officers must keep a continuous watch on all deck machinery where, without warning, a hydraulic pipe can burst or leak Everyone must know where to shut the oil off and shut down the motors It is wise to have mats and a sack of sawdust standing by at strategic locations On bulk carriers this would mean near each hatch, ready for instant use When any accident happens it is often no one's fault, but the more you can show that you did all you could to avoid any oil going into the water, the better it will be 189 34.1 Bunkering Bunkering requires that you coordinate with the bunkering officer as to his requirements for pollution control Bunkering is a responsibility of the engineering department However, pollution control is everyone's responsibility as, apart from pollution, it is in the ship's interest that any required assistance is given by departments to each other When bunkering in poor weather, it is essential that a good watch is kept on the moorings of the ship and, if bunkering from a barge, of the barge as well A duty engineer should be on deck monitoring the operations You will also have to ensure that a close check is maintained on the deck scuppers and that these are drained off regularly to avoid any build-up of rainwater Remember that if any pollution does occur, you must call the appropriate authorities immediately and then, when questioned, say nothing until your P&l representative attends 190