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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................7
INTRODUCTION
Safety is extremely important to the seafarer. An emergency can occur when you least expect it. A
person can fall overboard, a collision, a fire, stranding or capsize can occur suddenly and without
warning. Whether Master or crew, how you prepare for such an incident will directly affect your
chances of survival.
On joining a vessel you should become familiar with its
safety equipment. Make sure that you know where to find
and how to operate the various types. If you are not sure or
canʼt remember how to use or operate any of the equipment,
revise the instructions or ask a fellow crew member as soon
as possible. When your vessel sinks beneath you it will be
too late to learn.
Make sure you know your duties in advance. If the master,
you are also responsible for making sure your crew know
their duties. There is enough chaos when an emergency arises
without the crew panicking and not knowing what to do. Be
sure to clearly display a muster list of crew and passengers
with specific duties assigned to each crew member. If crew,
make sure you know and understand your duties in the event
of an emergency.
Conduct regular emergency drills. Not only is it a requirement
of the USL code, and Marine Orders but in doing so your
crew will become an efficient emergency task force.
Respect the chain of command. Remember! Know that the
order to abandon ship is only given by the master. If the
master has died then the order is given by the mate or second
in command.
Know what actions to take when in the water and when aboard
survival craft.
Know your enemy. Be aware of the dangers that can affect you
as a survivor such as dehydration, hypothermia and sunstroke.
Know how to treat them as best as possible.
By maintaining your vessel well and navigating cautiously, it is possible to prevent emergencies from
occurring.
However, even the best maintained vessel skippered by the most cautious master can have an accident.
It is not possible to forecast if and when an emergency will occur. However, it is possible to be prepared
for one.
FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT
Every vessel is required to carry a certain amount of fire fighting equipment on board. The type and
quantity of equipment carried will vary according to the vessel’s size and survey classification. This
information can be found in the USL (Uniform Shipping Laws) code. SOLAS ships must comply
with Marine Orders Part 15, which brings into effect Chapter II-2 of SOLAS covering fire protection,
detection and extinction. For example, a vessel in 1E survey (passenger vessel operating in sheltered
waters), less than 500 tons
and greater than 25m, will
typically have to carry:
• fire buckets
• firemanʼs axe.
SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT
Depending on a vessel’s survey it will be required to carry a combination of survival equipment. This
information can be found for state surveyed vessels in the USL code which is gradually being replaced
by the National Standards for Commercial Vessels – NSCV. This will be a gradual transition as parts of
the NSCV are published and enacted. It is expected that the chapters covering survival and fire-fighting
equipment will be implemented in NSW by mid 2006. You will need to check with local authorities
in each state as to the implementation dates. For Commonwealth surveyed vessels, the requirements
for lifesaving equipment is set out in SOLAS Chapter III and in the Life Saving Appliances (LSA)
code. These are brought into effect by Marine Orders Part 25, which also sets out some additional or
variations to those requirements for application to Australian ships. The current (mid 2005) issue of
MO Pt25 is issue 4 (Amendment), published in 2004. This virtually reproduces the requirements set
out in SOLAS and the LSA code. A new issue (Issue 5) of MO Pt25 is currently being drafted and is
expected to be published Dec 2005/Jan 2006. This new issue will refer more directly to, and needs to
be read in conjunction with, the LSA Code and SOLAS Chapter III.
The USL code and NSCV can be viewed online at the website of the National Marine Safety Committee
(NMSC) www.nmsc.gov.au Marine Orders can be found at the AMSA website, www.amsa.gov.au
• liferafts
• lifeboats
• flotation aids
• lifebuoys
• flares
• EPIRBs
• lifejackets.
The effectiveness of such equipment totally depends on the expertise of the master and crew. As master,
again, it is your responsibility to make sure that all equipment is kept in good order and that your crew
have the necessary training and expertise to operate all the survival equipment.
AREA OF OPERATION:
A: Unlimited operation
B: Up to 200 miles to seaward of the coast
C: Up to 30 miles to seaward of the coast
D: Partially smooth waters
E: Smooth waters
For your reference, extracts
from the USL code stating
safety and firefighting
equipment requirements
follow.
You are not expected to know
these ʻinside outʼ but you
should have an idea of the sort
of equipment that is required
to be carried on the different
classifications of vessels.
More importantly, you do
need to know where to find
this information. That is,
SOLAS and the LSA Code
(as enacted by Marine Orders
Part 25) for Commonwealth
surveyed ships and the USL
Code or NSCV for State
Surveyed vessels.
CLASS 1D
As the USL Code is gradually replaced by the NSCV, an extract from the new code is included here
as a comparison. Look at the requirements under each code for a 20m Class 1E vessel – a passenger
vessel in smooth waters.
USL CODE
NSCV
MUSTER LIST
CREWMEMBERS
So that crew are aware of their duties in an emergency, a muster list allocating them to an emergency
station/ survival craft and stating their duties needs to be displayed in a prominent place on board.
PASSENGERS
Offshore voyages
A number should be given to each passenger on boarding and the numbers assigned to emergency
stations and liferafts.
EMERGENCY SIGNALS
There are three distinctive emergency alarm signals.
EMERGENCY INSTRUCTION
As soon as possible after joining a vessel it is important that
all crew do the following:
• Learn the meaning of emergency signals.
• Locate the muster list and know the duties assigned to them.
• Locate all the vesselʼs lifesaving and firefighting
equipment and learn how to use it.
• Know escape routes.
1 List 5 different types of emergency situation and explain how you could try to prevent each.
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2 Whoʼs responsibility is it to check that all safety equipment is in good order and replaced or
serviced as necessary?
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3 What safety equipment, under the NSCV, is required to be carried on an 11m vessel in 1E
survey with a crew of 3?
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5 On joining a vessel for the first time what would you find out with regards to emergency and
safety?
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6 You are a crew member on a 30 metre vessel and hear the emergency alarm signal: 1 short 1
long, 1 short 1 long, 1 short 1 long. What do you do?
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