5-12 Safety Precautions As mentioned earlier, your duties as the POOW are many and varied. One of your most important jobs is safety. Safety is not yours alone, but a responsibility of all hands. The greatest killer of our people is a disregard for safety when doing a task. As you perform your duties, you should watch for violations of safety rules. When you notice a safety violation being committed, you should remain calm and explain to the violator what is being done wrong and how to correct the situation. Next you want to discuss the matter with the supervisor of the working party. It is that person’s responsibility to ensure that all safety standards are being adhered to on the job, no matter how large or small the job may be. Every ship in the Navy has certain safety devices to protect you and your shipmates. Two examples are the small grounding strap on a piece of electrical equipment on the quarterdeck and the lifelines that surround the main deck area. While  on  watch  if  you  notice  frayed  wires  on equipment, painted grounding straps on gear, or any other unsafe area, notify someone immediately so that the situation can be corrected and the hazard removed. Even routine jobs, such as loading stores with a crane, require a great deal of attention to safety. The store’s loading party on the main deck, as well as the party on the pier, must wear safety helmets at all times. Another area subject to high risk is the eyes. If you see Sailors scaling paint without eye protection, stop and have them put on safety glasses or a face shield. It is for their own protection. As was mentioned earlier, safety is an all hands responsibility. Be safety minded at all times. If you see a problem, correct it immediately before it is too late. Honors and Ceremonies The U.S. Navy is rich in tradition and pride. While standing POOW, you are a part of that tradition. This section will help you to better understand the many honors and ceremonies in  which  you  will  be involved. You will need to know about various flags, pennants and side honors. FLAGS AND PENNANTS.—While on watch as POOW, you should be alert for the display of significant flags and pennants from other ships and flag displays on boats. The Navy uses many different flags and pennants to   identify   persons,   ships,   and   events   and   to communicate information to others. You are probably familiar with many of them. Do you know the conditions under which our flag is displayed in a small boat? Is any flag or pennant flown superior to the national ensign? How do you know when an officer of flag rank is embarked in a boat? If you do not know the answers to these questions, you should review the material in Basic Military Requirements, NAVEDTRA 12018. SIDE   HONORS.—Side   honors,   rendered   to officers and officials boarding and departing the ship, are part of the honors stipulated for an official visit. The honors consist of parading the proper number of side boys and piping the side by the honors boatswain's mate. Officers appropriate to the occasion also attend the side. Side boys are not paraded on Sunday or on other days between sunset and 0800 or during meal hours of the crew, general drills and evolutions, and periods of regular overhaul, except in honor of civil officials and foreign officers. Then side boys may be paraded at any time during daylight hours. Side boys are paraded only for scheduled (official) visits. The term official means a formal visit of courtesy requiring special honors and ceremonies. An informal visit of courtesy requiring no special ceremonies is a call. Honors for Official Visits.—The honors specified for an official visit are rendered on arrival as follows: 1. When the rail is manned, personnel are spaced uniformly at the rail on each weather deck, facing outboard. 2. The command “Attention” is sounded as the visitor's boat or vehicle approaches the ship. 3. If a gun salute is prescribed on arrival, it is fired as the visitor approaches and is still clear of the side. The proper flag or pennant is broken on the first gun and hauled down on the last gun except when it is to be flown for the duration of the visit. Other ships firing a