Not a secretary

[Unregistered]

Has anyone else found that a new evergrowing part of their job is photocopying? i am constantly receiving "updated" manuals from shoreside which ofcourse only have one set and then need to be photocopied for other areas apart from the bridge.

Have just spent most of my day renewing a safety manual knowing at the back of my mind that when persons are in the mess/smoking room the last thing they are going to be doing is reaching for the life saving techniques or fire fighting manual.

Intrested to know if anyone else has found this, and if these photocopying jobs do have a purpose as the whole thing seems like a waste of resources to me.

I know it is a longshot but it could possably be a thought to start placing secretarys on ships, if indeed these updates are warrented. Can only get cadets to photocopy so much before feeling guilty.

[gadget123]

Has anyone else found that a new evergrowing part of their job is photocopying? i am constantly receiving "updated" manuals from shoreside which ofcourse only have one set and then need to be photocopied for other areas apart from the bridge.

Have just spent most of my day renewing a safety manual knowing at the back of my mind that when persons are in the mess/smoking room the last thing they are going to be doing is reaching for the life saving techniques or fire fighting manual.

Intrested to know if anyone else has found this, and if these photocopying jobs do have a purpose as the whole thing seems like a waste of resources to me.

I know it is a longshot but it could possably be a thought to start placing secretarys on ships, if indeed these updates are warrented. Can only get cadets to photocopy so much before feeling guilty.

Cadets are cheaper than secretaries.

[Midge]

All jobs have boring monotonous aspects. I doubt anyone would want any decent secretaries I know on a ship, you'd still be doing it. Good secretaries would not be photocopying waste of their skills. Maybe an admin support person.

[ETwhat?]

I know it is a longshot but it could possably be a thought to start placing secretarys on ships, if indeed these updates are warrented. Can only get cadets to photocopy so much before feeling guilty.

Given that if you weren't doing it, it would most likely be the 3rd officer I don't think he would ever think to start to feel guilty.

yes sometimes it is a waste normally because people don't think it out and updates aren't done in an efficient way. a world folio of charts will keep you busy with updates too.
just think at least you get nice windows to look out while you are doing it

[GuinnessMan]

Has anyone else found that a new evergrowing part of their job is photocopying? i am constantly receiving "updated" manuals from shoreside which ofcourse only have one set and then need to be photocopied for other areas apart from the bridge.

Have just spent most of my day renewing a safety manual knowing at the back of my mind that when persons are in the mess/smoking room the last thing they are going to be doing is reaching for the life saving techniques or fire fighting manual.

Intrested to know if anyone else has found this, and if these photocopying jobs do have a purpose as the whole thing seems like a waste of resources to me.

I know it is a longshot but it could possably be a thought to start placing secretarys on ships, if indeed these updates are warrented. Can only get cadets to photocopy so much before feeling guilty.

Secretary's on a cargo ship? Not really, although I was utterly shocked when AlistairUK told me they have them on the cruise ships!

Also, it's a job that has to be done and if you're not doing it then someone else would be lumped with it. I know it's not the most exciting or useful of tasks, training wise, but it does have to be done....

Although, to be honest, I can't remember the last time I saw an update for a LSA/FFA manual go out as they don't tend to change very much....

[alistairuk]

Secretary's on a cargo ship? Not really, although I was utterly shocked when AlistairUK told me they have them on the cruise ships!

Also, it's a job that has to be done and if you're not doing it then someone else would be lumped with it. I know it's not the most exciting or useful of tasks, training wise, but it does have to be done....

Although, to be honest, I can't remember the last time I saw an update for a LSA/FFA manual go out as they don't tend to change very much....

The SOLAS manuals will be changing onboard most ships (if you haven't already) as there are some new requirements for the contents (can't remember exactly what they are).

Updating of safety manuals, since it has legal implications wouldn't be left to the secretary's (not that I have any issue with it - but the company would frown on it) - it would end up being the Safety Officer that would be responsible for it (for obvious reasons) - and yes, I would delegate it immediately to one of the cadets onboard... if they weren't onboard, then yes, I would end up doing it myself unless I could guilt trip one of the bridge officers into doing it (unlikely - they all bitch about work more than me).

How long did it take you to do it? A few hours? Sorry, but you are a cadet - while you are there to learn, you don't have any other jobs you need to do, thus it is better for you to spend a few hours doing some photocopying - than one of the officers having to spend a few hours doing it in addition to all their other work.

You could of used the time to read it while you were photo copying it??

[GuinnessMan]

they all bitch about work more than me

[gadget123]

I do think that there is more and more paperwork required to be done now on ships and less crew to do it. I the past ships had pursers and radio officers but now it gets left to third mates and therefore cadets.

I know how the OP feels, as a cadet I had one ship where I was most of the third mates paperwork, all of the 2nd mates chart corrections, and keeping a watch, while trying to keep up with my TRB and workbook, its not easy to keep on top of it all.

[Martyboy]

Meh, as long as the wages go into the bank each month i'll hapilly photocopy, cut out and stick in all day long

[YoungMariner]

I've sailed on one vessel with a fully paperless Safety Management System and only electronic copies of all statutory codes, conventions and regulations. It's the way forwards.
I have all of our company manuals on my iPad and in various meetings I attend find it far easier to reference back on the digital document.

[Silvertop]

Fully electronic is a good way to go, but sometimes are harder to update than paper if not set up properly. My biggest issue with this is everyone thinks they need their own copy on the ships network which then makes the backup take forever!!

we we all have to comply with regulations, whether we like them or not, what we need to do is find the best way to lead by example. If I am copying documents it soon motivates the juniors to help or at least realise that everyone has to do it!

On some of our ships we now have Admin Officers, who are good for maintaining paperwork and filing up to date!! But they can be abused, I've heard a PA announcement for one to go the Captains office, when he got there it was to take some paper off his desk and file it across the room!!!

[Clanky]

A cadet once bitched at me about exactly this, having spent the entire day photocopying the SOLAS manuals, when I asked her what info was in the manuals she had no idea.

If you are given a job like this then have a think about how to apply it to your training, if you have been photocopying SOLAS manuals all day as a cadet (or a junior officer) then I would expect you to have taken the time to have read the manual and know what it contains.

I'm not sure if the OP is a cadet or not, but who do you think should be spending their time doing jobs like this? There will always be monotonous jobs, but when you are doing them look a bit deeper and think about what you are doing, if you are painting then figure out why you are using that particular type of paint in that particular area, if you are updating manuals or filing certificates then find out about what the manuals contain or who issues the certificates, what they are issued for and the process that has to be gone through before they are issued.

Having cadets onboard puts an extra strain on officers who are generally already working long hours, doing a few menial tasks to help out is not really too much to ask in return. Obviously cadets should not only be used for filing and photocopying, but doing a little is not the end of the World.

I recently had an engineering cadet organising and indexing the engine room manuals, I actually apologised for having him do such a crappy job and his reply was that he was learning loads by looking through the manuals and learning what sort of information he was likely to find in manuals.

[Pinkscampi]

A cadet once bitched at me about exactly this, having spent the entire day photocopying the SOLAS manuals, when I asked her what info was in the manuals she had no idea.

If you are given a job like this then have a think about how to apply it to your training, if you have been photocopying SOLAS manuals all day as a cadet (or a junior officer) then I would expect you to have taken the time to have read the manual and know what it contains.

I'm not sure if the OP is a cadet or not, but who do you think should be spending their time doing jobs like this? There will always be monotonous jobs, but when you are doing them look a bit deeper and think about what you are doing, if you are painting then figure out why you are using that particular type of paint in that particular area, if you are updating manuals or filing certificates then find out about what the manuals contain or who issues the certificates, what they are issued for and the process that has to be gone through before they are issued.

Having cadets onboard puts an extra strain on officers who are generally already working long hours, doing a few menial tasks to help out is not really too much to ask in return. Obviously cadets should not only be used for filing and photocopying, but doing a little is not the end of the World.

I recently had an engineering cadet organising and indexing the engine room manuals, I actually apologised for having him do such a crappy job and his reply was that he was learning loads by looking through the manuals and learning what sort of information he was likely to find in manuals.

I work in an office, we have auditors in at the moment. Give me a manual to photocopy and read anyday!

[Dosedmonkey]

I've sailed on one vessel with a fully paperless Safety Management System and only electronic copies of all statutory codes, conventions and regulations. It's the way forwards.
I have all of our company manuals on my iPad and in various meetings I attend find it far easier to reference back on the digital document.

I would only like that, if they had a kindle I could read from. Don't enjoy reading pages upon pages from backlit screens personnelly.

If it was just for referance purposes that'd be alright though.

[laura]

Digital is defintely the way forward... sympathise strongly having spent every minute of today's watch not on a winch trying to sort out paperwork, whether it's hours of rest, permit to works or updating crew certs... and trying to run CBT courses for a crew of nearly 40, to be completed before Jan. Arg!

It's one of those ones, documentation is needed for everything, you just got to suck it up unfortunately.