People in charge

Safety representative

The ship operator is responsible for the work safety onboard. The required personal protective equipment is present onboard. For the crew's support one of the expedition participants is named as a safety representative for the scientific community.

Safety representatives act supporting in their field of work without fixed expenditure of time. They are the main contact persons for the employees concerning safety-related questions. Furthermore, their exemplary function and collegiality should provoke a safety conscious behavior of the staff. Notably they should observe the workplaces etc. with regard to the presence of protection devices and safety equipment. Safety representatives offer voluntary for the task, which for them is an additional duty to their regular work. Because of their local knowledge and expertise they are able to detect health risks and dangers of accident  and react to them adequately.

The main tasks of safety representatives are described in DGUV regulations 1, § 20 and DGUV rule 100-001, 4.2. Further information are to be found in the recent DGUV information 211-042 "Sicherheitsbeauftragte".

Duties:

• keeps contact with the chief scientist and reports regularly
• keeps contact with the chief mate (1st Officer) in case of questions or problems
• keeps contact with the scientific members

• supports the chief scientist in taking measures to prevent occupational accidents and diseases

  • support in taking measures to prevent occupational accidents and diseases and other health risks

  • checking the presence and usage of the protective equipment

  • calls attention to health and accident risks

• exemplary function for colleagues and inexperienced participants

What is the difference between a safety representative and a specialist for work safety?

Quite often there is confusion about the terms safety representative and specialists for work safety.

Safety representatives are designated by the employer for support in prevention of occupational accidents and diseases. All companies with more than 20 employees have to name a safety representative. The legal bases are  § 22 SGB VII and § 20 DGUV Vorschrift 1 "Grundsätze der Prävention".
The internal or external specialists for work safety directly responses to the management. They have no authorities to issue directives but advise the employer in all question of work safety and user-friendly work design. The legal bases are  ASIG and DGUV Vorschrift 2 "Betriebsärzte und Fachkräfte für Arbeitssicherheit".

Hazardous goods

If dangerous substances should be transported it is indispensable to ensure the proper packaging, documentation, labelling, etc. according to the current HAZMAT regulations. Please get in touch with the dangerous goods safety advisor respectively the commissioned person for RV Polarstern if you have any questions. For immediate matters onboard RV Polarstern please apply to the person trained for cargo business.

Duties:

The user has to

• provide the concerning material safety data sheet in English for the dangerous substance to be transported
• ensure the proper packaging and labelling according to the current HAZMAT regulations for sea freight (IMDG-Code)
• issue the further needed documentation (IMO declaration), which has to be handed over to the person trained for cargo business onboard

Radiation protection

Please contact the radiation protection commissioner of AWI in case you want to carry out such work on RV Polarstern in due time before the expedition. You will be given detailed information and eventually named as radiation protective commissioner onboard during the expedition. 

Laboratory safety

The chief scientist has to name a laboratory safety represenative before the expedition start. Laboratory managers have to be named for every laboratory. Their names and the chemicals used in the lab have to be clearly indicated at the entrance door of each lab.

Duties:

Laboratory safety representative

• • keeps contact with the chief scientist and reports regularly
  • keeps contact with the chief mate (1st Officer) in case of questions or problems
  • keeps contact with the laboratory managers
  • controls laboratories regularly and checks safety-relevant devices and equipment
  • not responsible for the isotope container

Laboratory managers

• • enforces laboratory instructions in his laboratory
  • pays attention to the work safety of his colleagues
  • reports problems to the laboratory safety representative
  • prepares the risk assessment for the lab work that is supposed to be carried out in the respective lab during the expedition and forwards the assessment to the cruise leader before expedition start for checking (guidance on how to carry out risk assessments and information about lab safety can be found here HSE (Health, Safety and Environment))

Persons of trust

A Person of Trust is the point of contact on board for expedition participants when problems arise relating to psychosocial risks during the expedition (including bullying, sexual harassment, aggression, stress, conflicts, etc.). 

Further information can be found here: Code of Conduct 

Weapon representative

A weapon representative will be appointed by the cruise leader if necessary. The main tasks are the following:

   Before the cruise

• attending an introduction and training by the AWI weapon officer (pls see here Contact persons)

During the cruise

• on site repetition of weapon safety procedures, checking of appropriate weapon handling according to safety procedures

• safekeeping of weapons and ammunition under captain's supervision

• handing out of weapons to participants with correct certification

• report about loss or damage of weapons to AWI Logistic

• check maintenance status of weapons

Cold storage

The person in charge for the scientific cold storages needs to:

• be aware of what's inside the stores and to whom it belongs
• compile lists and handover it to the person in charge of the next expedition if the samples stay in the cold stores
• stay in contact with the cargo mate about the content
• arrange the delivery back home with AWI logistics