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
