Duties of Oiler And Wiper in Merchant Navy
Table of contents
Oilers and wipers are unlicensed members of the engineering department of a merchant’s vessel. An oiler is senior only to a wiper in the engine department. After completing sufficient sea time oilers can apply for certain series of courses and examinations in order to become certified engineers. The wiper is a junior engine rating, hence he is responsible for cleaning the engine spaces and machinery of a ship and assisting the ship’s engineers as directed.
Duties onboard Ship:
- They have to obtain work schedules and orders from the 2nd Engineer.
- Oilers and Wipers have to carry out tasks and work with other ship staff as per instructions received.
- They have to assist the duty engineers with watchkeeping duties.
- They need to maintain cleanliness in the engine room.
- They have to handle garbage in the engine room as per the garbage management procedures.
- They are responsible for housekeeping in engine workshops, lockers, and stores.
- They need to assist in mooring/unmooring operations if required.
- They have to carry out the assigned work in a safe and efficient manner.
Note: As per the applicable CBA, these ranks may also be known as listed below:
Oiler – Motorman, AB(Engine), Engine Watchkeeping Rating, OLR.
Wiper – Engine Rating, ERR II (OS), WPR
How to Become Oiler or Wiper in Merchant Navy:
The candidates need to enroll in the GP Rating course which is a 6-month pre-sea course in order to become an Oiler and Wiper in the merchant navy.
Following are the best colleges for pursuing the GP Rating course in India:
- Training Ship (TS) Rahaman
- National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI), Maritime Academy
- Great Eastern Institute of Maritime Studies
A candidate who successfully completes the GP Rating course and secures placement in a shipping company will join a vessel as a Trainee Wiper/ET Seaman. As Trainee Wipers, they must complete a minimum of 9 months onboard to qualify for promotion to the rank of Wiper.
At the rank of a Wiper, one has to complete at least 12 months of sea time in order to apply for the Certificate of Proficiency (COP) on the DG Shipping website. The Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) issues the COP. Once you have obtained your COP, you can contact your company to seek promotion to the rank of Oiler or Motorman.
Salary of Oiler & Wiper in Merchant Navy:
The salary of the Oilers and Wipers depends a lot on the shipping company that they are sailing with and the type of vessel that they are in. For Instance, Companies pay more to sailors sailing in Tankers rather than sailors on Bulk carriers. Furthermore, Ownership companies pay higher salaries to their employees compared to Ship Management companies. For this reason, an Oiler gets paid in the range of 1200$ – 1500$ per month, and a Wiper is paid around 750$ – 900$ per month.
In this blog, we have written about the duties and salaries of Oilers and Wipers in the merchant navy. Further, we have briefly explained how to become an oiler/wiper in the merchant navy. Hopefully, this blog will be helpful to you if you’re considering joining the engine department through GP Rating.
You know what could be more helpful to shape your career as an Oiler or Wiper in Merchant Navy, a specialized GP Rating course with the help of which you can excel on every aspect of GP Rating Exams.
Go through our blog – “How to Become an Oiler in Merchant Navy”, to know the detailed procedure of becoming an Oiler in the Merchant Navy.
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