ProcessReported inspection question
QUESTION 4.3.1
Minimum bridge-team composition
Oil, Chemical, LPG, LNGBridge
What is being checked
The inspector is checking whether bridge manning matches each voyage phase, traffic, visibility, pilotage, anchor, STS and drifting risk, with machinery status coordinated, and whether plans, records and interviews demonstrate that the procedure is applied during real voyages rather than completed only as paperwork.
Ready onboard
0/6 completePractice questions
Answer aloud, then open the preparation point.
1What is the operational purpose of minimum bridge-team composition?
Bridge manning matches each voyage phase, traffic, visibility, pilotage, anchor, sts and drifting risk, with machinery status coordinated.
2Show how the procedure was applied on the last voyage.
Use recent logs, passage plans, work and rest records and watch schedules to reconstruct actual team composition during the highest-risk leg.
3Which decision requires the Master's judgement?
The Master increases the team before workload or risk exceeds the capacity of the OOW and lookout and must account for fatigue and competing duties.
4What happens if the planned control becomes invalid?
Call additional personnel early, redistribute non-navigation work, change machinery status and, if resources remain insufficient, delay or alter the operation.
5How are changes communicated and recorded?
Brief the affected bridge and machinery personnel, amend the controlled plan or record, obtain required approval and retain the reason and revised limits.
Where an observation may arise
PAPER COMPLIANCE
Records exist but the bridge team cannot relate them to the actual voyage or operation.
CHANGE UNCONTROLLED
A material change is not reassessed, approved, briefed or recorded.
OOW OVERLOAD
One person is expected to navigate, communicate, record and supervise simultaneously in a high-risk phase.
LOOKOUT USED ELSEWHERE
The assigned lookout performs duties that prevent continuous lookout.
MANNING RECORD
Logs and rest records do not support the declared team composition.
Past observations for practice
Process
Bridge Manning Level procedure is incomplete. The bridge manning level did not indicate the Operation Mode "Solely Lookout", when only the officer of watch attended the wheelhouse. During the passage from the last port to the port of inspection, there were many navigational watches during daylight when the bridge was attended by only OOW and the watch rating was assigned jobs outside. The recorded bridge manning level was BWL-A, which included two operational levels: OOW and Watch Rating / OOW as sole lookout. No specification in the deck logbook for the type of watch level.
Process
The engine room manning was not included in the passage plan at each leg of the voyage.
Master's practical note
Reconstruct the busiest hour of the last arrival. The manning table is credible only if each person was rested, present and free to perform the assigned role.
Questions reported during inspections
Anonymised user reports, not official OCIMF questions or a prediction of what an inspector will ask.
Equipment boundary and references
Equipment boundary: Minimum company composition is a floor, not an upper limit. The Master must increase resources for actual risk, while emergency circumstances and rest deviations require proper records and recovery.
References
- OCIMF SIRE 2.0 Question Library Part 1, Version 1.0, Question 4.3.1
- COLREG rule 5
- STCW Code section A-VIII/2
- ICS Bridge Procedures Guide
- IMO Resolution A.960(23)
Last reviewed: 2026-09-11
