Maritime English Lesson 1 — The Role of the Chief Officer

Core Vocabulary — Chief Officer’s Duties & Operations

Term

Explanation

Common Collocations

cargo operations

planning, loading, discharging, and monitoring cargo

plan cargo operations; supervise cargo operations; monitor cargo operations; suspend cargo operations

ship stability

vessel’s ability to remain safe and upright

maintain ship stability; calculate ship stability; monitor ship stability; affect ship stability

ballast operations

management of ballast water

conduct ballast operations; adjust ballast operations; control ballast operations; record ballast operations

safety management system (SMS)

procedures ensuring safety and compliance

follow the SMS; comply with the SMS; implement the SMS; review the SMS

maintenance schedule

planned maintenance tasks

follow a maintenance schedule; update a maintenance schedule; carry out maintenance according to schedule

inspection

formal examination of equipment or areas

carry out an inspection; conduct an inspection; pass an inspection; fail an inspection

deck crew

sailors working under the Chief Officer

supervise the deck crew; assign duties to the deck crew; brief the deck crew

compliance

meeting rules and regulations

ensure compliance; be in compliance with; non-compliance with; compliance with regulations

risk assessment

identifying and reducing operational risks

conduct a risk assessment; carry out a risk assessment; review a risk assessment

incident report

official report of an accident or near miss

file an incident report; submit an incident report; complete an incident report