Tales of Labor

Bells · 12-10-2012, 08:39 AM

So, now i work as a Safety Technician providing offshore support to Supply vessels for a big company that operates worldwide. Having to deal with that reality means you have to com across all sorts of unique people and situations.

Most of my day is providing legal advice in Health, Quality and Safety legislature, code, law and regulation. Both local, internal and international.

Most of the captains and officers in our vessels are foreign, British and Danish being the the most common by large. So, they are not necessarily in sync with local demands...

There is one particular aspect regarding Brazil's offshore regulation. If you were to follow it all, through and through, it would be most likely that your operations would grind to a halt. It is just that much locked down...

Given that context... today i receive an e-mail from on of our vessels.... the e-mail title... "Earthworms"

One of our dear captains is on anchor, prepping the vessel for his next trip; that usually take a few days. During those days they can't discard Food Waste (which is usually discarded overboard, after grinding, at high seas). So the Captain wants to know where he can purchase Earthworms, cause he had this fantastic idea of putting a bunch of earthworms onboard to eat away the Food Waste they can't discard overboard.

Fantastic...

So, right now, i'm locked in a back and forth with the Captain trying to explain to him that no. You really can't put a bunch of earthworms aboard the vessel to eat away your garbage!!

The best part is that while i can show him literally dozens of instructions and laws citing Vectors, pests and animals aboard, i can't find a god damn thing telling that you can't shove a couple hundred earthworms in a trashcan to eat away your garbage to make this man understand ...

My job has some peculiar days....

Shyria Dracnoir · 12-10-2012, 09:11 AM

It sounds like he heard of composting and completely misunderstood how it works.

Bells · 12-10-2012, 09:13 AM

i honestly think he believes that the worms will eat the garbage and that it will simply be gone...

And it's a small crew, about 15 people... (not like an Oil Rig that can easily reach 180), but still... imagine how many worms you would need to have to control the daily production of Food Waste for 15 people!

Magus · 12-11-2012, 04:36 PM

Isn't there some method of simply keeping the garbage from rotting/stinking while in storage like spraying it with something? While in dock then it could be stored.

Like there seems like some sort of pretty simple method for that but I don't know what the standards are with using lime on boats or whatever...

12-10-2012, 08:39 AM	#1
Bells That's so PC of you Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: In a Server-sided Dimension where time is meaningless Posts: 10,490	Tales of Labor So, now i work as a Safety Technician providing offshore support to Supply vessels for a big company that operates worldwide. Having to deal with that reality means you have to com across all sorts of unique people and situations. Most of my day is providing legal advice in Health, Quality and Safety legislature, code, law and regulation. Both local, internal and international. Most of the captains and officers in our vessels are foreign, British and Danish being the the most common by large. So, they are not necessarily in sync with local demands... There is one particular aspect regarding Brazil's offshore regulation. If you were to follow it all, through and through, it would be most likely that your operations would grind to a halt. It is just that much locked down... Given that context... today i receive an e-mail from on of our vessels.... the e-mail title... "Earthworms" One of our dear captains is on anchor, prepping the vessel for his next trip; that usually take a few days. During those days they can't discard Food Waste (which is usually discarded overboard, after grinding, at high seas). So the Captain wants to know where he can purchase Earthworms, cause he had this fantastic idea of putting a bunch of earthworms onboard to eat away the Food Waste they can't discard overboard. Fantastic... So, right now, i'm locked in a back and forth with the Captain trying to explain to him that no. You really can't put a bunch of earthworms aboard the vessel to eat away your garbage!! The best part is that while i can show him literally dozens of instructions and laws citing Vectors, pests and animals aboard, i can't find a god damn thing telling that you can't shove a couple hundred earthworms in a trashcan to eat away your garbage to make this man understand ... My job has some peculiar days.... __________________ *BELLS STORE : Clothes! You wear* them! Free US Shipping Subscription System? WTF?! Zazzle Black!**

12-10-2012, 09:11 AM	#2
Shyria Dracnoir Kawaii-ju Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Monster Island Posts: 4,240	It sounds like he heard of composting and completely misunderstood how it works. __________________ Godzilla vs. Gamera (1994)

12-10-2012, 09:13 AM	#3
Bells That's so PC of you Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: In a Server-sided Dimension where time is meaningless Posts: 10,490	i honestly think he believes that the worms will eat the garbage and that it will simply be gone... And it's a small crew, about 15 people... (not like an Oil Rig that can easily reach 180), but still... imagine how many worms you would need to have to control the daily production of Food Waste for 15 people! __________________ *BELLS STORE : Clothes! You wear* them! Free US Shipping Subscription System? WTF?! Zazzle Black!**

12-11-2012, 04:36 PM	#4
Magus Archer and Armstrong vs. the World Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 7,164	Isn't there some method of simply keeping the garbage from rotting/stinking while in storage like spraying it with something? While in dock then it could be stored. Like there seems like some sort of pretty simple method for that but I don't know what the standards are with using lime on boats or whatever...