Operations Procedures and Safety Info

One of the primary concerns of this company is the health and safety of the passengers and employees. All managers, captains and employees are responsible for their own personal safety and the safety of their fellow employees. This attention begins at the top and extends to every one of us. This responsibility cannot be delegated and needs the participation of all employees to provide a safe work environment.

If you are a new crew member, you will find this to be a challenging opportunity to prove yourself. You will be asked to do many tasks that at first might seem foreign to you. You are to become the eyes and ears of the licensed officers that operate the vessels that you serve aboard. More often than not, you will be the first person on scene in almost every emergency, due to your proximity to the passengers and to the equipment that is carried on board your vessel. You will be asked to learn new ideas, procedures and techniques in carrying out the management’s and captain’s efforts to provide a safe atmosphere for both the passengers and the vessels’ crew. Don’t hesitate to aptly and quickly demonstrate this new-found knowledge.

Remember, safety begins with you.

–Todd Bolger, Operations Manager

Safety & Security

There are potential risks when working on boats that do not exist on other jobs. It is important to know your job, be aware of your surroundings and communicate well with others. Everyone is responsible for ensuring that the vessels, buildings and surrounding property owned by American Waterways, Inc. are safe and healthy environments for guests and employees. This involves keeping workspaces clean and orderly, using proper techniques when moving heavy objects, alerting others to potentially hazardous conditions, making sure employee and company valuables are secured, etc.

TWIC Program – Transportation Worker Identification Credential. This Transportation Security Administration (TSA) program was passed by Congress to monitor the trucking and vessel industry. For American Waterways, Inc., only the Portland Spirit, the Sternwheeler and the docks are affected.

The TWIC card is required for all Portland Spirit staff with unescorted access to secure areas. This applies to all vessel operations staff, management and any employees with keys to the designated secure areas.

Secure Areas: “Secure Restricted Areas” are the pilot houses and the engine rooms on the Portland Spirit and Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler. Manning ratios are 1 TWIC to 5 Non-TWIC. Restricted areas must remain locked when unoccupied by a TWIC employee. “Secure Areas” are the Caruthers, Salmon Street and Marine Park docks. Manning ratios are 1 TWIC to 10 Non-TWIC or monitored through video surveillance.

TWIC Employees: TWIC cards do not need to be carried by the employee but are stored in a secure, locked location in the Portland office and the Cascade Locks Visitors Center. In the event that a Coast Guard inspector requests to see the cards, the captain or cruise director can contact the Portland Spirit Office.

A new hire who has applied for a TWIC card can work but cannot go into the restricted areas unless they are accompanied by a TWIC employee.

Slips and Falls – The most common injuries to both passengers and crew members are the results of slips and falls. These can usually be prevented by keeping work areas and traffic areas clean and clear. Liquids and/or debris on the deck, gangways or ladders must be cleaned and dried immediately. Handrails should be used whenever possible when using ladders (stairwells). Horseplay on the vessels is not allowed.

Lifting – Tables, chairs and sound equipment are often rearranged before and after cruises. Before lifting any object, look it over and check for sharp edges or slick areas. Ask for assistance if the object is heavy or unwieldy. Be aware of tripping hazards before moving the object. Use a dolly or lifting-support-belt when the situation calls for one.

Lifting Tips:

Place your feet as close to the object being lifted as possible.
Position your feet sufficiently apart for balance.
Grasp the object firmly when lifting.
Do not jerk the weight, but rather lift smoothly using your legs.
Keep your back straight and never lift with your back.
Keep the object close to your body.
When changing directions, move your entire body—do not twist your back.
Use the same techniques for putting down the object as you did when lifting it.
Watch out for your fingers and toes when moving the object. Hatches – Hatches are the entry ways to voids and to other decks used by the crew and sometimes in emergency situations. There are multiple hatches on every vessel in various locations —see Figures E.8 – E.11 of Appendix E.4: Emergency & Safety Equipment Locations. When hatches are open, they are a considerable risk, because people used to working around them and walking over them are generally used to them being closed. Therefore, it is imperative to use the proper safety precautions when working with hatches. When opening a hatch, alert others around you by saying loudly, “Hatch open”. Use the proper safety equipment to block off the hatch from employee or guest traffic, and always be aware of your surroundings so that you do not unwittingly fall into one. Watertight Doors – Many of the vessels have raised thresholds in the doorways. These help to prevent water leaking in but can also be a tripping hazard. All of the thresholds are well-marked, but be aware of them and alert passengers to them when necessary Lines – Always use the correct procedure for laying out and readying lines for use—refer to Section 3.3. Make sure the line will run free, is not kinked or blocked or has loops that can catch your feet. When stowing lines, see that they do not create a tripping hazard. If the area for line handling is accessible to passengers, rope it off to prevent passengers from getting injured or in the way. Use good posture and make sure your footing is dry and away from any lines.

When throwing lines, keep a good balance to prevent the forward momentum of the line from carrying you to near the edge of the dock or boat. Never grip a line too tightly—it should be able to slip slowly through your hands.

Do not attempt to physically pull in a vessel. Single-wrap the line around the cleat so that the strain is transmitted to the cleat and not to your hands. Keep your legs bent to prevent lifting with your back.

Above all, never get between the vessel and any object the vessel is heading toward!

Assisting Passengers

At certain times, you may need to help a passenger with mobility issues. Elderly or disabled passengers often need assistance when using stairs or going up or down the gangway. Before assisting, always ask permission to help the guest and communicate how you intend to help him/her. Provide a clear path to travel. Use handrails, when possible, and try your best to move at a comfortable speed for the guest. Finally, be aware of the passengers feelings. It can be offensive or scary for someone to be touched or held by a stranger, so when possible, allow the passenger to hold onto your arm rather than vice versa.

Wheelchairs – Passengers in wheelchairs must be assisted when traveling up and down the ramps. Generally, this is done by employees in operations and in the service department. When going down ramps, wheelchaired passengers must be backed down with two employees behind them in order to ensure the safety of the person in the wheelchair. Two employees are also required when pushing passengers in wheelchairs up ramps.

Passengers in wheelchairs are not allowed on the Starlight Deck for safety reasons, in case of emergencies. Motorized wheelchairs are never allowed on the Columbia Deck or Starlight Deck. Only wheelchaired guests weighing 200 lbs. or less (including the weight of the chair) may be assisted to the Columbia Deck.

Tips:

Make sure the passenger’s feet are secure before moving the wheelchair.
Provide a clear path before moving someone in a wheelchair, especially going up and down ramps.
Move slowly and methodically when moving the wheelchair over barriers, such as between the deck/dock and ramp—angle the wheelchair backward when possible.
Work up a good, controllable momentum when pushing wheelchairs up a ramp.
When assisting another employee who is pushing a wheelchair up a ramp, push just belowthe small of their back and just above their tail bone in order to prevent injuring the employee’s back.Strollers – Parents/Guardians are responsible for transporting occupied strollers up and down ramps and inside the vessel. Only empty strollers may be moved by the service staff. Also, if a passenger requests assistance in moving a stroller up or down a ladder, the baby must first be removed from the stroller by the passenger.Companion Animals – Guests with disabilities will sometimes be accompanied and assisted by “companion animals”, such as a Seeing Eye dog. As a general rule, animals are not allowed on- board. However, a companion animal is an exception to this rule. Take the time to see to any special needs that these guests and/or their companion animals may have. Injury/Incident Reports – In the event of an accident, especially one in which someone is hurt, the proper paperwork needs to be filled out in order to legally protect everyone involved. Alert the cruise director to the incident, so that an Injury/Incident Report can be filled out. Also, be ready to assist the cruise director in gathering the contact information of anyone who witnessed the event.

Line Handling

Anyone in the service department may be required to assist operations in handling lines. To handle lines, you need to be familiar with the vessel’s safety equipment and operational procedures. You must understand the nautical terminology in order to be able to communicate with your crew members. You also need to know certain basic knots and proper line maintenance. This section contains general guidelines for line-handling and docking procedures. For more detailed information, please refer to the deckhand training manual or talk with a deckhand.

Line Maintenance – A line under tension, especially nylon line, can be a lethal weapon. If the line or what it is attached to fails, the line can recoil with tremendous force and cause serious injury. Therefore, monitor lines under stress and keep a safe distance.

Chafing (repeated rubbing of the line against an abrasive surface) will weaken a line. So will prolonged exposure to sunlight, rust, dirt, sand or mud. Tying knots/hitches in the same place on the line repeatedly can also weaken a line. Any stiff or hard line should be replaced.

Neatness counts when handling lines, not only because it looks better, but because it is safer. Messy lines can tangle or jam when you need them. They can also trip or ensnare employees or passengers. Stepping on a loose line can be like stepping on a marble, while stepping on a flemished line is like stepping on a mat. Therefore, coil lines that are not in use and flemish any lose ends on the deck or dock. Doing so also protects lines from unnecessary wear and tear and helps preserve the lay of twisted rope.

Docking – Generally one deckhand and two service staff members carry out docking procedures. One service staff member handles passenger (pax) control, preventing guests from leaving the boat before it is secured. The deckhand and the other service staff member don work- vests and handle lines.

If you are handling lines, always wait until the vessel is within stepping range before stepping onto the dock. Never jump to the dock from a distance. When stepping onto the dock, yell “on the dock” to communicate to the captain and crew that you have reached the dock safely.

Three to four lines are used when securing a vessel to the dock. The bow line secures the bow, the stern line secures the stern, and at least one spring line is used to prevent fore-and-aft boat movement. Follow the instructions of the deckhand with you to secure the vessel properly.

Emergency Protocol

The Coast Guard Code of Federal Regulations requires that every crew member be instructed at least once every three months as to the duties that are expected of him/her in emergency situations. These trainings consist of drills that are ran periodically throughout the year, generally after cruises. After a drill is completed, each crew member that participated in the drill signs a log sheet, which can be submitted to the Coast Guard for review upon request.

Station Bills – Station bills are displayed in various locations on the vessels—They list the duties of every crew member in various emergencies, including fire, man overboard, power loss/blackout, collision/grounding, abandon ship, and security breach. It is important to memorize and understand your duties in these situations. Moreover, you should know what everyone else needs to do in case you have to perform someone else’s tasks.

In general, the service department is in charge of passenger control and passenger assistance. Keeping passengers calm, prepared, and out of harm’s way is a top priority. However, the individual duties of the service staff may vary widely. The bartender, for example, usually assists the captain as a messenger, communicating between the pilothouse and those working on the scene. In the case of a man overboard, one member of the service staff is the designated swimmer, generally a busser or a server. The engineer is generally the scene leader, but he/she may delegate this duty to another crew member during special circumstances. Many contingencies can occur in an emergency situation, and you may be required to do something outside your normal routine.

To be prepared for emergencies, familiarize yourself with the locations of all the emergency and safety equipment on the vessels you work on—fire extinguishers, fire hoses, life jackets, swimming gear, first aid, etc. Know your escape routes. Follow the chain of command and keep in good contact with fellow crew members. If you do these things, and keep a level head, you will be a valuable team-player if something goes wrong. It is important to remember that, in an emergency, you are first and foremost a crew member of the ship, no matter what you title is—server, photographer, bartender or busser. Until the emergency is over, all other service staff duties are on hold.

Other Emergencies – For the types of emergencies not listed in the station bill (ex: medical emergencies, passenger fights, earthquakes, bomb threats, etc.), the captain or scene leader will delegate tasks.

Emergency Response Codes – In order to expedite communication among the crew and to prevent panic among the passengers, codes are used in emergency situations. The following codes may be used in the event of an emergency and may be announced over the public address system by the captain.

Color codes represent the nature of the emergency. Here are the colors and their meanings:

Red – Fire
Blue – Man Overboard
Black – Hostile Takeover
Yellow – Fight
White – Medical Emergency
Green – Drugs in Use

Crew codes represent who should respond to the emergency:

Alpha – All Hands
Foxtrot – Food Service Crew
Bravo – Bartenders
Golf – Galley
Oscar – Operations Crew
Sierra – Security Staff

Here is an example of how the code is used: a fire in the galley would be announced, “Code

Red! Alpha! Galley!” When you hear of an emergency, report to your assigned muster station as it appears on the vessel’s station bill.

Note: Five short blasts on the vessel’s horn or any sound-making device is the international signal for an emergency. If you hear this signal, quickly find out the nature of the emergency.

Man Overboard (MOB) – If you are the first person to spot another person in the water, alert other crew members by shouting “man overboard” and “port” or “starboard”, depending on where the person in the water is located. Point to the overboard person and do not take your eyes off him or her. Do this until the boat is safely alongside the person or someone relieves you from being the “spotter”.

If you are not the spotter and are in range, immediately throw a life ring or life jacket (also known as personal flotation device or PFD) toward the person in the water. This not only helps the overboard person remain afloat, but also makes them more visible to the captain and crew.

Next, alert the captain, if someone has not already done so, so that he/she can turn the ship’s stern and propellers away from the person overboard.

Follow your duties on the stations bill and assist as needed. Do not go into the water to assist the person unless absolutely necessary, and then only if directed by the captain or scene leader. If the victim is unable to board or needs further assistance and someone must go into the water, make sure they have on a PFD and that they are attached to the boat with a line.

Anyone who has been in the water is potentially vulnerable to hypothermia. Once the person is retrieved, keep them lying down and get them dry and warm. Never give the person depressants (alcohol) or stimulants (coffee) as these can lead to cardiac arrest. Rather, have them drink warm water or decaffeinated tea until their core temperature rises to normal.

Life-Jackets (PFDs) – American Waterways, Inc. vessels carry Type I PFDs, both vest and horse-collar. All service department employees are required to know how to don these life-jackets. The vest-like Type I PFDs provide the most buoyancy (22 lbs. in the water) and are effective for all waters, especially rough, open or remote water where rescue may be delayed. They are also designed to turn the wearer face-up, even if unconscious.

The horseshoe-shaped Type I PFDs and are intended for calmer waters. They are less effective in turning unconscious wearers face up and provide only 15.5 lbs. of buoyancy in the water. Child-sized Type I horse-collar PFDs provide 11 lbs. and infant-sized provide 7 lbs. of buoyancy. Infant PFDs are generally stored in the wheelhouse.

In the water, people weigh approximately one-tenth their normal weight. Therefore, a Type I vest-style PFD can float a person weighing up to 220 lbs., and a Type I horse-collar-style adult PDF can hold up to 155 lbs. in the water. Bear this in mind when distributing life-jackets to passengers.

Fire-Fighting Procedures

In the event of a fire on board, F.I.R.E. is a useful acronym to remember proper procedures in controlling a fire: Find the fire’s location, Inform the captain and crew, Restrict the fire, and Extinguish it.

When you Find the fire, determine its size and what locations are affected.

If it has not already been done, immediately Inform the captain and notify all hands. (To prevent passengers from panicking, do not shout “fire” unless a passenger is in immediate danger. Rather use the phrase “code red”.) At this point, all crew members will assume their duties posted on the station bill.

Restricting the fire involves shutting off air supplies (hatches, doors, window, etc.), shutting off affected electrical systems, fuel supplies and ventilation, and setting fire boundaries. Passengers should be evacuated from the area(s) at this time. As a precaution, the captain may decide to have the passengers don life-jackets as well.

To Extinguish the fire, the class of fire must be determined. There are four types: (A) – combustible solids like wood, (B) – flammable liquids such as gasoline, (C) – electrical fires, and (D) – combustible metals like magnesium. (To remember which class is which, class A fires produce (A)sh, class B fires (B)oil, and class C fires require (C)urrent. Class D fires are rarely dealt with and are not produced by normal means.) Once the fire is put out, a re-flash watch should be setup and all crew and passengers accounted for. However, if the fire cannot be contained, as a last resort, the captain may deem it necessary to abandon ship.

The Fire Triangle – Fires require three things to burn: oxygen, heat and fuel. Removing any one of the three will extinguish a fire.

Fire Extinguishers – CO2 fire extinguishers can safely extinguish class A, B and C fires. However, only class A fires can be extinguished with water. Using water on a class B or C fire will only spread the fire. Therefore, class B and C fires require CO2 or dry chemical fire extinguishers.

It is important to know how to use a fire extinguisher before a fire occurs. Instructions can be found on all the fire extinguishers on American Waterways, Inc. vessels. Read the instructions and be familiar with them, so that during an emergency, you will not hesitate.

Here are the basic instructions to use a fire extinguisher: Activate it. Direct it toward the base of the flames. Use short bursts and sweep from side to side.

(Note: When a CO2 fire extinguisher is used, the CO2 expands to 450 times its stored volume. This rapid expansion causes its temperature to drop to around -80 °C. Therefore, use extreme care when holding the nozzle and do not point the extinguisher directly at a person unless absolutely necessary.)

You witness a person fall into the water while on a cruise. What three things do you immediately do?

a._________________________________________________________________ b._________________________________________________________________ c._________________________________________________________________

PFD stands for: ______________ ______________ ______________.

F.I.R.E is an acronym used to help you remember the proper procedures for controlling a fire. Describe the four steps it represents?

F._________________________________________________________________ I._________________________________________________________________ R._________________________________________________________________ E._________________________________________________________________

Slips and Falls

The most common injuries to both passengers and crew members are the results of slips and falls. These can usually be prevented by keeping work areas and traffic areas clean and clear. Liquids and/or debris on the deck, gangways or ladders must be cleaned and dried immediately. Handrails should be used whenever possible when using ladders (stairwells). Horseplay on the vessels is not allowed.

Lifting Tips:

Place your feet as close to the object being lifted as possible.
Position your feet sufficiently apart for balance.
Grasp the object firmly when lifting.
Do not jerk the weight, but rather lift smoothly using your legs.
Keep your back straight and never lift with your back.
Keep the object close to your body.
When changing directions, move your entire body—do not twist your back.
Use the same techniques for putting down the object as you did when lifting it.
Watch fingers and toes when lifting items

Hatches

Hatches are the entry ways to voids and to other decks used by the crew and sometimes in emergency situations. There are multiple hatches on every vessel in various locations . When hatches are open, they are a considerable risk, because people used to working around them and walking over them are generally used to them being closed. Therefore, it is imperative to use the proper safety precautions when working with hatches.

When opening a hatch, alert others around you by saying loudly, “Hatch open”. Use the proper safety equipment to block off the hatch from employee or guest traffic, and always be aware of your surroundings so that you do not unwittingly fall into one.

Watertight Doors – Many of the vessels have raised thresholds in the doorways. These help to prevent water leaking in but can also be a tripping hazard. All of the thresholds are well-marked, but be aware of them and alert passengers to them when necessary.

Lines – Always use the correct procedure for laying out and readying lines for use. Make sure the line will run free, is not kinked or blocked or has loops that can catch your feet. When stowing lines, see that they do not create a tripping hazard.

If the area for line handling is accessible to passengers, rope it off to prevent passengers from getting injured or in the way. Use good posture and make sure your footing is dry and away from any lines.

Above all, never get between the vessel and any object the vessel is heading toward!

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