Answer
As a Class 1 Chief Engineer, your first realization must be that an increase in reported near misses is actually a positive indicator of a healthy Safety Management System (SMS). It usually means the engine room crew feels safe, motivated, and trust your leadership enough to report hazards that were previously swept under the carpet.
However, you must systematically analyze the situation to ensure it is a rise in reporting and not an actual degradation of safety standards. Here is your structured action plan for the surveyor:
Phase 1: Analyze the Data (The "Why")
Before jumping to conclusions, look at the nature of the near-miss reports:
Differentiate Between Reporting vs. Real Risk: Check if the reports are proactive (e.g., "Found a loose grating and fixed it", "Leaking fuel pipe flange noticed before ignition") or reactive/concerning (e.g., "Tools dropped near moving machinery multiple times").
Identify Trends: Categorize the reports. Are they related to a specific system (e.g., hot work, electrical isolations), a specific watch/crew member, or a sudden influx of new, inexperienced crew members who joined around the same time you did?
Review Recent Changes: Check if there have been any major operational shifts, such as a change in fuel quality, a tight trading schedule causing crew fatigue, or recent heavy machinery overhauls.
Phase 2: Crew Engagement & Establishing a "Just Culture"
Your leadership style sets the tone for the entire department. You must reinforce safety behavior immediately.
Call an Extraordinary Engine Safety Meeting
Set expectations openly
Gather the entire engine department. Praise the crew for reporting the near misses. Explicitly state that you appreciate their vigilance and that near-miss reporting will never lead to blame or punishment (reinforcing an ISM "Just Culture").
Conduct Intensive Engine Room Walkthroughs
Verify the floor-level reality
Personally inspect the workshops, steering gear room, purifier room, and tank tops. Look for physical catalysts for near misses: poor housekeeping, missing machinery guards, bypassed safety interlocks, or oil puddles.
Review Toolbox Talks and Risk Assessments
Address the human element
Monitor how the Second Engineer and watchkeepers conduct Tool Box Talks (TBT) and Risk Assessments before jobs. Ensure they aren't just treating them as paperwork ("tick-box exercise") but are actually discussing real hazards.
Phase 3: Operational & Technical Interventions
If the analysis in Phase 1 reveals that the near misses are due to a genuine drop in operational standards or technical failures, execute target corrections:
Enforce Strict Permit to Work (PTW) Compliance: Ensure no critical or hazardous jobs (Hot work, Enclosed space entry, Working aloft, Isolation of electrical breakers) are started without your direct counter-signature and a thorough physical check.
Address Crew Fatigue: If the ship is on a demanding coastal run with frequent ports, review the Work and Rest Hour logs. Fatigue is the number one driver of sudden operational near misses. Adjust watch schedules or delay non-essential maintenance if necessary.
Targeted Training: If near misses point to a specific gap (e.g., improper use of lifting gear), conduct a brief, practical training session on the spot for the engine rating and junior officers.
Phase 4: SMS Integration & Reporting
Under ISM Code Element 9 (Reports and analysis of non-conformities, accidents, and hazardous occurrences), you must close the loop with the office:
"A near miss is a free lesson. Investigating a near miss costs nothing; investigating an accident costs a career or a life."
Implement CAPA: For every verified near miss, implement a clear Corrective and Preventive Action. If a valve was misidentified, label it clearly. If a tool was defective, discard it and order a replacement.
Keep the DPA Informed: Forward the compiled near-miss reports and your actions to the Designated Person Ashore (DPA) as required by your company’s SMS. This ensures company-wide safety flashes can be generated if the issue is systemic across the fleet.