Our policies

OUR CHOICE: 

Competence, Safety and Quality. 

OUR GOAL:

TO BE a first-class ship management company operating safe fleet by

• Ensuring safe management of ships
• Saving of sea staff health
• Saving environment
• Providing excellent service to our customers 

SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT POLICY 

The Company places the highest importance on Safety and the Protection of the Environment.

The safety of personnel, the ship, the environment and cargoes takes precedence over all considerations of commercial expediency.

The policy of ZERO accidents and incidents and ZERO spills is the target for the Company’s managed fleet.

Safety and environmental issues are the concern of the Company’s all employees, regardless of position or rank.

The Company recognises and promotes the policy of minimising waste generation as part of its long-term goal to minimise negative impact on the environment.

The Company’s senior management undertake to ensure that the Safety & Environment Policy is fully understood by all shore and shipboard personnel and it is the intention of the Company to achieve the abovementioned objectives by:

• Establishing and maintaining an effective Safety Management System;
• Maintaining the present commitment to the continuous training of all employees, as and when appropriate, through the extensive facilities operated by the Company;
• Undertaking effective measures in promoting the highest standards of safe navigation and shipboard operation of the Company’s vessels;
• Directing efforts towards prevention of accidents and hazardous occurrences onboard the Company’s vessels by ensuring all personnel are aware of the importance of compliance with the Company’s, national and international standards of safety and environmental protection;
• Requiring the application of safe methods of operation and working procedures through education and practical awareness;
• Creating a safe working environment which motivates all employees ashore and afloat to achieve the highest standards in safety of navigation.

The Safety Management System ensures compliance with all mandatory rules, regulations, guidelines & considerations of all recommendations issued by pertinent authorities.

The effectiveness of the Safety Management System is monitored by annual Management Reviews, complimented by regular reporting of Safety Committees appointed on board of vessel(s).

The Master has overriding authority and responsibility to make decisions with respect to safety and prevention of pollution; he should not hesitate to request assistance from the Company as and when necessary.

DRUG & ALCOHOL POLICY 

The Company has established a Drug and Alcohol Policy for all employees onboard the Company’s all vessels, the policy is based upon the STCW Section A-VIII/1 & Section B-VIII/1? OCIMF Guidelines for the Control of Drugs and Alcohol Onboard Ship.

It is the responsibility of each individual to ensure that his or her performance is not impaired by alcohol, illegal or controlled drugs and it is the responsibility of each person in authority to ensure that any individual whose performance is impaired is relieved of his duties. Mindful of the fact that any Officer or Ratings may be called upon at any time to react to an unplanned situation, it is the Company’s unequivocal position that all personnel must be capable of carrying out their emergency duties at all times.

In addition, the Company’s reputation and business interests can be seriously undermined by any incident in which the abuse of alcohol, illegal or controlled drugs are implicated, or where the adverse effect of alcohol on ship’s personnel is witnessed by shore-based authorities, customers and the general public.

All crewmembers and any other persons including the Company’s representatives, contractors and visitors are prohibited from carrying onboard or consuming onboard any type of beverage, elixir or medicine which may contain alcohol. Further, it is prohibited to be in an intoxicated state on board any of the Company’s vessels. Alcohol intoxication is defined as a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.04% (40mg/100ml) or 20 mg/100ml BrAC or greater.

Total abstinence from any form of alcohol is required for at least, four (4) hours before assuming any period of duty. If national or local regulations impose more stringent controls than those of the Company, then these regulations shall take precedent.

The Company strictly prohibits the improper use of controlled drugs and the possession or distribution of any kind of illegal drugs on board any of the Company’s vessels. Any type of medicine, which has been prescribed by the ships’ doctor, other doctor ashore or purchased in a pharmacy or from other retailer must be formally declared to the Master in writing, kept in safe custody and used exactly as prescribed by the doctor.

Alcohols and drugs or medicines which are placed onboard as part of the ship’s Medicine Chest in accordance with Flag State requirements must be strictly controlled. The Master must ensure that the stock, issue and disposal of all medicines, drugs and alcohols contained in the ships Medicine Chest is closely monitored and only used for the intended purpose, misuse will be considered a breach of this policy.

All crew members will be required to participate in a programme of testing for illegal drugs and/or alcohol abuse during annual medical examinations, the Company has further established a program of unannounced testing as follows:

The Company will initiate random unannounced drug and alcohol testing by an independent, accredited sampling and testing company, testing will be carried out at least, one (1) time per year for each vessel.

Random unannounced alcohol testing will be also initiated by the Company, these tests will be conducted by the ship’s staff and will include the testing of the vessel’s Master. This random alcohol testing will be carried out at least one (1) time every three (3) months or more frequently if necessary. If one of these tests coincides with a test by an independent, accredited sampling and testing company the unannounced alcohol the test may be waived.

In exercising his overriding authority to maintain the safety of the vessel, its crew and cargo, the Master has the right to prevent any crew member or visitor from working onboard if he has reasonable grounds to believe that the ability of the crew member or visitor has been impaired by the influence of drugs or alcohol. The Master may carry out an alcohol test onboard and may also request assistance from the Company in arranging for Drug testing to be carried out.

In any case of an accident or incident, the Master, or his deputy, will as soon as practicable, initiate an alcohol test of all responsible persons who may have had any possible association with the accident or incident. Such tests will allow for early determination if alcohol was a contributing factor to the cause of the accident or incident. The Company may also carry out further drug and alcohol testing through an independent contractor as is deemed appropriate.

If after testing, the results show that the permissible blood alcohol content has been exceeded, or a positive result for illegal drugs or controlled substances has been established, disciplinary procedures, according to the Company’s Manual of Disciplinary Procedures and existing national legislation must be taken as follows:

• Obtain, or produce a certificate of the result of testing.
• Discharge the employee from the performance of his/her duties
• Document the facts relating to the circumstances of the dismissal.
• Obtain a written statement from the employee that he has been discharged from his duties.
• Obtain written statement from all witnesses relating to the discharged employee’s circumstances and condition.
• Full records of all disciplinary cases are to be maintained in the Official Logbook or Deck Logbook as applicable.

Refusal to participate in testing procedures described above may lead to disciplinary action in accordance with the Chapter 9 and 10 of the Crew Manual.

Alcohol testing equipment is supplied to all ships for use as appropriate.

A logbook is to be kept by the Master on board each vessel for the recording of drug and alcohol testing; the logbook is to be considered an official document.

All members of the corporation are to submit to drug and / or alcohol testing as and when required.

NAVIGATION POLICY 

This Navigation Policy applies to all vessels under PRISCO Tankers management.

Vessels managed by the Company will provide safe, reliable, and efficient marine transportation.

The safety of life, the ship and the environment will take precedence over all other considerations.

All vessels will follow the recommendations and guidelines to be found in the following publications:

Bridge Procedure Guide – International Chamber of Shipping

Bridge Team Management – Nautical Institute.

These publications will be available and understood by all personnel involved in navigation and bridge watchkeeping duties.

The effective implementation of safe navigational practices requires a co-ordinated approach between the Company’s ashore and those on board. The intention to set good bridge watchkeeping standards has to start with top management. Masters have to take the initiative to ensure that bridge watchkeeping practices and procedures are maintained in accordance with the Company’s and best industry requirements. This is established through good communications, company procedures and Master’s standing orders.

It is the Company’s responsibility to ensure that the tools required for safe navigation are readily available and that all personnel are properly trained for the tasks they are expected to perform with a formal reporting system used to identify training needs.

The Company will issue instructions describing the minimum navigational standards to be followed on board and these will be augmented by the Master’s Standing Orders and Daily Orders, which will detail all aspects required for the safe prosecution of a voyage and will include his requirements on topics such as minimum CPA, restricted/poor visibility, heavy traffic, pilotage, when to be called, etc.

The Master shall ensure that the watch keeping arrangements of the ship are effectively maintained at all times. The OOW is responsible, under the overall command of the Master, for the safe operation of the ship.

Prior to departure from any port, the Master shall ensure that the vessel is in all respects seaworthy for the voyage. A navigation briefing shall be held by the Master which will be attended by all watch keeping officers as described in Bridge Team Management Chapter 4. A bridge-manning schedule shall be posted, detailing personnel and duties for all contingencies that are likely to occur during the voyage. These must include but are not limited to: navigation during night-time, restricted visibility, heavy weather, dense traffic, restricted or shallow waters, pilotage, at anchor, emergency situations. The OOW on duty shall not be assigned any duty that may impede safe navigation of the ship or the keeping of a proper lookout. The bridge is never to be left unattended. When at sea, during the hours of darkness or periods of restricted visibility there must always be a minimum of 2 personnel on duty on the bridge.

The watch-keeping officer shall make effective use of all available navigational equipment including the helm, engines and signalling apparatus when circumstances so require. The OOW shall monitor all the safety and navigational equipment on board and must be fully familiar with the limitations of the systems. The watch keeping arrangement shall be such that the first seagoing and subsequent watches have had the required periods of rest prior to taking over duty.

The Master is responsible for ensuring that a full berth-to-berth passage plan has been completed for the voyage in hand and that this has been checked for completeness and accuracy prior to commencement of the voyage, all bridge watchkeeping officers must sign the plan to confirm their understood.