immediately rig a temporary line. Don’t hang or secure any weight on a lifeline. When working near a ladder, Sailors have the bad habit of placing paint cans, buckets, or tools on the steps to minimize bending over. This practice could cause a mishap. Because water will cause a ladder to become very slippery, you should be especially careful on rainy days. Paint drippings are equally dangerous for the same reason. Never  unship  (take  down)  a  ladder  without permission. Rope off all open hatches and gangways leading to unshipped ladders. The smooth deck of a ship does not provide a good hold for scaffolding. The base of scaffolding must be properly braced and lashed down to prevent it from sliding. The use of makeshift scaffolds is prohibited. Scaffolds must be erected only when needed to do a job and dismantled as soon as the job is completed. You should not work on a scaffold in high winds or when the scaffold is covered with ice or snow. Never throw or drop objects from a scaffold; use handlines for raising  or  lowering  objects.  Do  not  paint  scaffolds, because the paint might conceal defects. Use lifelines and safety belts when working on a boatswain’s chair or on unguarded scaffolds above a height of 10 feet. HANDLING CARGO Serious, sometimes long-lasting injuries can result from improperly handling heavy objects and from the failure  to  observe  basic  safety  precautions.  By observing the following precautions, you can prevent injury to yourself or to others and prevent damage to cargo and equipment: When lifting a heavy or bulky object, crouch close to the load with feet solidly placed and slightly spread. Get a good grip on the object and lift with your arm  and  leg  muscles,  keeping  your  back  as  nearly vertical as possible. If the load is bulky or heavy, don’t feel embarrassed to ask for help. Don’t throw articles from elevated places; lower them by a line or carry them. Wear appropriate safety clothing and equipment, such as safety shoes, a hard hat, gloves, and a life preserver,  for  the  job  at  hand.  Remove  rings, wristwatches, and bracelets when handling cargo. Stow hatch covers and strongbacks in such a manner  that  they  won’t  interfere  with  traffic  or  be knocked into the hatch or over the side. When steadying loads, don’t stand between the load and a fixed object. Don’t stand under a suspended load. Never ride loads. Use the nonworking side of a ship for fore-and-aft travel. Never stand in the bight of a line. Keep clear of lines under a strain. A line (particularly nylon) can part with  a  whiplike  snapback,  which  can  cause  severe bruises, broken bones, amputations, or even death. Don’t engage in horseplay. When going up or down a ramp with a hand truck, keep the load below you. Thus you pull the load up and push it down. WORKING ALOFT OR OVER THE SIDE Before any work may be done aloft, permission must  be  obtained  from  the  OOD.  Before  granting permission, the OOD makes sure that all power on appropriate radio and radar antennas is secured and that controls  associated  with  the  antennas  are  tagged “SECURED. PERSONNEL ALOFT.” The OOD also notifies the engineer officer where the personnel will be working so that the necessary precautions can be taken to prevent operations such as the lifting of boiler safety valves or the blowing of tubes. After the work has been completed, a report is made to the OOD, who, in turn, will notify the appropriate officers. When  you  are  working  aloft,  wear  a  standard Navy-approved  safety  harness  with  a  safety  line attached.  Radio  and  radar  transmissions,  even  from another ship, can induce a charge in guy wires, stays, ladders, and other metal fittings. If you touch one, you may  receive  a  shock.  The  shock  itself  may  not  be dangerous, but a natural reaction when shocked is to jerk away. Without a safety harness you could easily fall. 19-7 Student Notes: