7 Crisis Human Handout

Mauritius Maritime Training Academy
Crisis Management & Human Behaviour
Course Hand-out
MODEL Course 1.29 Prep by: DK Date: 25.04.2018 Page No : 1 / 16
Aims: This course aims at providing seafarers with Passenger Ship Safety Training in
accordance with the relevant provisions of Section A-V/3 of the STCW Code.
Objectives: The objectives of this course are to provide the student with the knowledge and
skill in organising the safe movement of passengers when embarking and disembarking,
organise shipboard emergency procedures, optimise use of resources, control response to
emergencies, control passengers and other personnel during emergencies and establish and
maintain effective communication.
1. The differences between the safe area and the normal assembly/mustering areas as
shown on the ship’s plans.
2. Safety regulations
3. Emergency plan and procedures
4. Optimization of the resources available
5. Maintaining readiness by realistic drills
6. Established emergency procedures
7. Leadership skills
8. Stress handling
Chapter Topic Page no

1 Ships design , muster point , safe area 2
2 Optimisation of resources 6
3 Response to emergency 9
4 Human behaviour and responses 12
5 Effective communication 14
6 Case study 16
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Chapter 1: Ships design, muster point, safe area
A. General design and layout of ship:

A passenger ship is a merchant ship whose primary function is to carry passengers on the
sea. The ship is divided in decks. The main deck or upper deck is continuous water tight deck.
All the decks are referred from this deck. Decks are numbered or given certain name like
bridge deck, quarter deck etc. on some vessel decks are numbered from the keel. One fire
door is normally fitted between two doors to prevent spread of fire. All the cabins have deck
number reference in its number. Cabins are having reference of port side or starboard side
of vessel.
All fire doors, watertight doors and weather doors are having a number for reference.
Similarly, the ship is divided in vertical zone for prevention of water coming if hull is holed.
Each of such area have emergency escape which open on main deck or higher deck in open
space. All these emergency escapes are numbered.
Unlike cargo ships, passenger ships have a number of muster points where passengers and
crew are expected to come during drill or emergency. All of them are numbered for easy
reference. The Lifesaving appliance plan and firefighting plan gives the location of all
equipment.
B. Safety regulations:
Ship has to comply with various regulations concerning safety of passengers. Before going to
sea, the inspector from port will come and certify that ship is fit to go to sea. Following are
some of the safety regulations on-board.
o Company regulation
o Special regulation applicable to that ship made by master and approved by company
o Code of safe working practices
o Regulation of port state and flag state.
C. Emergency plan and procedures:

The SMS system of ship have procedures to deal with various emergencies on ship. On
passenger ship it gives detail of dealing with following emergencies.
Structure failure means leakage of hull or ship side. It can be due to old age of ship or
excessive stress. It will result in water getting inside the ship. The water will make ship
unstable and she may capsize or sink.
Machinery failure means failure of main machinery like main engine or generators which
will put ship in danger. It can be due to various causes.
Collision: When two vessels hit each other or ship hits some shore object, the hull can be
breached and water may start coming in. Sometimes collision can start a fire on ship.
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Grounding / stranding: One of the major hazards on passenger ship is grounding. Grounding
means ship’s bottom going over sea bed which may be soft or rocky. The grounding will
breach the bottom and resulting flooding will capsize the ship.
Fire: It is one of most horrible emergency at sea. Fire can be in any place and spread to other
places. Sometimes ship needs to be evacuated to save life.
Piracy: All kind of theft, armed robbery and taking of ship and crew is called piracy. Piracy is
prevalent in some parts of world (Off Somalia, Nigeria and Malacca strait). Special measures
called best management practices is required to be complied while sailing in such area.
Pollution: It is due to leakage of oil in sea water. Huge quantity of oil on sea surface will
damage the environment and may catch fire. Due to potential for huge damage to
environment, IMO has made MARPOL convention mandatory on ships. Strict fine can be
imposed on ship / person causing pollution.
Master’s Authority and Responsibilities:

Master have overriding authority in all cases where:
• Human life is in danger

• Damage or loss of the vessel or cargo is threatened
• Risk of damaging the environment (pollution) is imminent
In cases when it is difficult to estimate whether the situation is critical or not, the muster
will always declare situation as critical. The Master must take all proper precautions
immediately, without restraint, for the safety of the vessel and all the personnel on board.
Sample of emergency plans:
No Activity Responsible Yes No NA

1 Sound GENERAL ALARM Duty officer
2 Stop the main engine Duty officer
3 Switch to manual steering Duty officer
4 Close all watertight doors Chief eng
5 Gather the crew according to muster list, Chief off
check if there is any wounded, dead or
missing person
6 Sound all tanks and bilges, define the scope of Master
damage, check if there is any flooded
compartment and if there is any oil pollution
7 Check and assist if the other vessel needs Master
help, collect all information regarding to her
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Officers Responsibility:
 Chief Officer shall take charge of the Shipboard Emergency Team for deck related
incident and keep the Master informed. He shall ascertain cause and, if possible, rectify
the incident.
 Watch Officer, if the Chief Officer is otherwise engaged, shall take charge of the Team,
initially supply any materials needed and keep the Master informed.
 Chief Engineer shall take charge of the Shipboard Emergency Team for an engine room
related incident. He shall further ascertain cause of incident and, if possible, rectify it
and keep the Master informed.
 First assistant Engineer shall, if the Chief Engineer is otherwise engaged, take charge of
the Team.
 Watch Engineer shall supply any materials needed and keep the master informed
D. Ship board emergency drills:

Ship has to be ready for emergency at all times. Regular drills for above emergency is
carried out. The drill should be as realistic as possible. It’s better to convince passengers
to attend the drills. The frequency and type of drill is decided by flag state and company
policy.
All crew members must be assigned and familiarized with emergency duty before ship
sailing. The familiarization is done by ships safety team. Familiarization includes
operation of concerned LSA and FFA items. It is better to write down important points
like muster station, boat number, nearest fire extinguisher location. All passengers will
be briefed on safety, their muster station, procedure for wearing life jacket and their
boat number location and dos and don’ts.
E. Adhering to pre-planned emergency procedures:

The duties of all crew member is listed in muster list. Muster list is pasted on various
common area on ship. The operation of LSA and FFA can be found in SOLAS training
manual which is kept in common room.
In an emergency or during drill, all person must report to his assigned muster point. Head
count will be taken to ensure no one is missing. If someone is missing, effort will be made
to trace him using PA system or manual search.
If you find the assigned in charge is not present, the senior most person as per muster
list will assume charge and everybody will follow his orders.
F. Control of passengers in emergency:

Controlling passengers in emergency is very critical. Some of the passengers may be in
panic, some may come without life jackets. Despite having drills and briefing many
passengers will not know his emergency station and duty. They should be requiring
assistance in following areas:
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o Guide them on ladder and entrance to muster point

o Assist them to put on life jacket and board the survival craft
o Assist them while embarking and disembarking
G. Safe area: The SOLAS requirement for “Safe Return To Port” applies to passenger
ships that are a minimum of 120 meters in length or have three or more main fire zones
that allow them to return to port under their own power and provide passengers with
sufficient safe areas onboard the vessel after a flooding or fire incident.
Safe area on passenger ships are muster station, fire station and the place for launching
of life boat. However, all these areas can become unsafe anytime during emergency.
Hence it is very important to earmark alternate safe area on ship.
For fire safety ship is divided in vertical zones. Any fire in that area will make that area
unsafe and passengers must be moved to another zone. Before shifting passengers make
sure that another zone is not having smoke or fire.
If vessel is sinking, then the boat station is considered as safe zone. All passengers must
get into the boat before ship capsizes or sink. The muster area should be the area
adjacent to the boat. Remember the crew or passenger cabins, alleyway and lift shaft
are most dangerous area in case of fire or sinking. Any area closed by watertight doors
or fire doors will become unsafe.
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Chapter 2: Optimization of resources
A. Emergency resources:
All ships must carry certain emergency and life-saving equipment. This equipment must
meet minimum standards and must be properly tested and serviced. Emergency and life-
saving equipment include things like:
o lifeboats and life rafts

o lifebuoys
o lifejackets and attachments
o buoyancy apparatus
o emergency alarm systems and public address systems
o marine evacuation systems
o two-way VHF radiotelephone sets
o fire-fighting equipment
An emergency situation on ship must be handled with confidence and calmness, for haste
decisions and “jumping to conclusions” can make the matters even worse. Efficient tackling
of emergency situations can be achieved by optimization of resources available. However, it
has been seen that in spite of adequate training, people get panic attacks and eventually do
not do what they should in an emergency situation. All crew must be aware of the different
types of emergency situations that can arise on board ship. This would help in understanding
the real scenario in a better way, and would also lead to taking correct actions to save life,
property, and environment. For tackling emergency should be done.
o Separate and label all equipment. Place them where they are indicated in safety plan and
can be easily accessed.
o Immediately move all emergency equipment from unsafe area to safe area
o Keep in mind age and capability of person dealing with emergency. Rotate personnel to
optimize his capability
o Take back up help from other ships or shore as soon as possible. A big fire or sinking
cannot be tackled easily by ship’s staff.
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B. Full use of resources

Emergency equipment must be kept in proper condition. All required maintenance and
survey should be done timely. All LSA and FFA are required to be checked weekly and
monthly. Quarterly and annual checks must be done. Any appliance found defective
must be replaced immediately.
Emergency require quick decision making. If you find the life boat is not fit for lowering,
immediately go for life raft. If the assigned person to man the emergency squad is not
available, immediately appoint other suitable person in his place.
For firefighting, if a fire door is not closing, use other things to block the entrance quickly.
In case of person falling in water, if you cannot find life buoy, throw anything which can
float. If ship is listing dangerously, and there is chance of persons getting trapped under
the hull, use the lifeboats on other side or life rafts.
C. Limitation on availability of resources :

The available technical, human or organizational resources are limited. The number of
persons may be too little to handle emergency situation due to
o Massive demands for the scenario

o The human reaction to crisis which will reduce the competence of crew members
o The possibility of crew member missing or dead or injured.
External assistance can be sought, but sea is huge and it takes time for assistance to reach
the ship. Sometimes it may take days for nearest vessel to arrive for assistance.
Many commanding officers may not like to delegate the jobs due to perceived notions like
o If you want a job to be done properly, better do it yourself

o I can do this job in half the time than others
o He may make a mistake ,
D. Realistic drills
Drills are required for training of crew to act properly during the emergency. If drills are done
in proper and realistic manner, they will do correct things during emergency. Fire drill is one
such drill which holds great importance on ships. It helps the ship’s crew to understand the
basics of fire prevention and also help with the following:
o To prepare the crew in dealing with an emergency situation that may arise because of a
fire on board ship.
o It makes each and every crew familiar with the task he or she has to perform in case of
actual emergency.
o To train the crew in using firefighting appliances such as SCBA, different types of fire
extinguishers, CO2 flooding system, Neil Robertson Stretcher, Inert Gas System, fireman’s
outfit, life jackets, sprinkler system etc.
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o Helps the crew to understand the procedure to operate a particular firefighting system
and precautions that are to be taken before operating the equipment. For e.g. there are
certain imperative steps that need to be carried out before starting the CO 2 firefighting
system for the engine room.
o To make the crew acquainted with the location of the emergency escape routes which
would be used in case of inaccessibility of a particular zone
o To familiarize the crew with company’s fire and safety regulations and recent safety
circulars.
During drill following can be done to make it more realistic:
o Don’t carry out unannounced drill on passenger vessel as it will create panic
o Make proper announcement for the scenario of drill
o Remove the key person from the emergency team and let his junior take charge for some
drills. It will train the junior to take charge in such situation
o Master or senior officer should observe the drill and all findings should be discussed
during de-briefing.
o All equipment must be cleaned and restored after the drill. All fire extinguishers and BA
sets should be recharged.
Some of the probable scenario for drill:

o Rescue of person from area on fire
o Mustering of passengers and boarding of life boat
o Evacuation of passenger from some area
o Piracy attack on ship
o Person falling overboard
Briefing: It’s a good practice to conduct briefing prior to drill. This will give a better result.
Unannounced drill should be avoided on passenger ship as it may create panic among
passengers. Following should be discussed
o Scenario
o Equipment to be used
o Personal responsibility
o All safety precautions
Debriefing: All drills should be followed by a debriefing. Debriefing is used to find the
shortcoming and rectify it. Following can be discussed during debriefing:
o Team affair
o Positive as well as negative aspects
o Don’t blame individual
o Make it a positive learning experience
o Plan for next drills taking in account outcome of debriefing
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Chapter 3: Response to emergency
A. Lead and direct others in emergency

Being cool under pressure is one of the attributes of a good leader and there is nowhere this
is more valued than in an emergency crisis! While panicking may be the natural thing to do,
it will accomplish nothing, may cost you valuable time and may even complicate an already
risky situation. By maintaining your own calm composure, this can have a beneficial effect
on other around you.
In times of emergency crisis, good time management can mean the difference between life
and death. As leader, it is your responsibility to assess the situation and decide as quickly as
you can on a set of priorities. However, do not rush! Run through each decision and choice
in your head and think about the effects of it, before starting on any course of action. Rushing
can cause you to make bad decisions or panic.
Lead by example but do not leave the command place. A leader of boat lowering party
should enter the boat first to give confidence to others. In firefighting, leader should hold
the hose briefly to demonstrate the way he wants it to be done.
B. Focus decision making

Decision making is also harder in crisis scenarios than in more controlled situations due to a
number of factors. Frequent changes in the situation, time constraints (decisions must be
made quickly) and unexpected states or outcomes of these decisions are some of the
elements that challenge effective decision making. in these settings. These challenges are
compounded when you have many advisors.
All emergencies have various requirements. You need to prioritize the requirements. On a
passenger vessel emergency will have following priority:
1) Safety of crew
2) Safety of passenger
3) Safety of ship
4) Safety of passengers belonging
5) Safety of environment.
All decision making in emergency should be based on information provided. You must focus
on key objective and do not deviate from it. For example, if someone is trapped in fire your
focus should be to bring him out quickly not to over indulge if firefighting. For this:
o Listen to information gathered at scene
o Assess the situation
o Allocate task
o Plan ahead for extra equipment and personnel
o Readjust the plan as per changing situation
o Avoid taking democratic decision at it will lead to chaos. You should be autoreactive and
order firmly.
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C. Motivation of passengers and crew

Motivation is literally the desire to do things. It is the difference between waking up before
dawn to pound the pavement and lazing around the house all day. It is the crucial element
in setting and attaining goals. In crisis, many able people refuse to accept the reality and
reacts in different way. Motivating them to do the right things will require some effort.
The passenger / some crew will refuse to don the life jackets, hence he should be motivated
to don it, explain the pro and con and force him to wear it. Many people will jam the exit
point as all of them want to get out at the same time. You need to motivate them to make a
queue and come one by one. Be firm to give orders.
Some passengers will lose hope and refuse to climb ladder, some will not move without his
near and dear ones. Some will like to carry all his stuff in safe area. A huge number of
passengers may become unruly and may start stampede. Dealing with such condition
require lots of effort. Motivating crew and passengers can be done by the most suitable
means. Following may be done to control the situation:
- Talk politely but firmly.

- Don’t allow passengers to talk unnecessary things, cut his talk short.
- Use role model by doing the things first yourself.
D. Stress and its effect
Stress: In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional factor that
causes bodily or mental tension. Stresses can be external (from the environment,
psychological, or social situations) or internal (illness, or from a medical procedure). Stress
can initiate the "fight or flight" response. The hormones, facilitate immediate physical
reactions associated with a preparation for violent muscular action. Symptom of stress high
heart beat and increased rate of breathing.
Effect of stress: When people panic or become highly anxious, their fear replaces clear
thinking. This can lead to inaction (a kind of emotional paralysis), emotional and problematic
decision-making, and unnecessary distress. This interferes with effective responding; such
as carefully gathering needed emergency supplies.
o The attention is focused on one area neglecting other things

o Lack of concentration
o Over reliance on trial and error instead of following procedures
o Constructive suggestions are ignored.
o Reduced ability to solve complex problem due to narrowing of attention
o Not considering other alternatives
o Over delegation of duty
o Loss of control.
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How to control stress:
Stay calm: If you feel flooded by your fears, it is essential that you calm yourself. One way to
do this is to take some slow, deep breaths. Place one hand on your chest and your other
hand on your belly. As you breathe, the hand on your stomach should go up and down while
the hand on your chest should not move. This is called diaphragmatic breathing and is
designed to help calm your body.
Learn the facts: Rather than allow yourself to become overwhelmed by all information, try
to verify it and think positive.
Resist becoming overwhelmed by the fears of others: During emergencies, many people
panic. Resist getting carried away by those fears. Remind yourself of the facts. Also, take
the time to calmly explain the situation to children (in an age appropriate way), including
what you expect to happen and what you will do to stay safe.
Do what you can to prepare for or manage problems: Feeling helpless in the face of danger
is a way to become panicked. So, learn what you need to do to manage the crisis at hand.
You can easily get this information, such as by listening to the announcements.
Seriously think about your conclusions: Ask yourself whether your thoughts and concerns
fit the situation or whether they are an over-reaction. Base your actions on conclusions
grounded in facts about the situation.
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Chapter 4: Human behaviour and responses
Refusal to accept danger: Most of the passengers have come on board for merry making.
Their attention span is short and they think nothing can go wrong hence they do not pay
attention during safety drills and muster. In emergency they may behave in following ways:
o Not pay attention to announcements made on PA system or told verbally or ringing of

alarm
o Strong feeling that all alarms are false and PA announcement is for crew.
o Do not belief in any sign of danger least they be taken as a fool
o Passengers are reluctant to issue warning for fear of starting a panic
o Passengers will tend to find by some other way to confirm warning instead to escaping.
Panic: One of the most disastrous forms of collective human behaviour is the kind of crowd
stampede induced by panic, often leading to fatalities as people are crushed or trampled. In
emergency on board this behaviour will be triggered by imminent danger real or false. Panic
involves not only anxiety but genuine well-founded fear. in panic everybody wants to move
as quickly as possible. They may jam the escape routes. They sometimes become insensitive
to others and may push or step on others creating stampede
Some passengers will panic and behave in abnormal way. They may not be able to
understand the gravity of situation and may not response as properly as in normal situation.
As their mind is focused only on escape, often in unfamiliar surroundings, they will tend to
ignore direction given on PA or person in charge.
Living together: In emergency everybody wants to have their near and dear ones together.
On announcement of emergency, the natural instinct is to look for family members specially
children, elderly and disabled. In normal circumstance, passengers are content that children
will be safe on ship as trained staff will take care of them. Persons in a family group may have
different interest and they will be at various places doing things of their interest. They may
spread in various parts of the ship.
In emergency everybody is required to go to his muster station. However, some passengers

may refuse to proceed without their family members. They should be reassured by crew that
every effort will be made to find them or assign them different muster point. An
announcement can be made on PA or using radio to find the family members. Some escort
may be sent to get the family member together.
If more passengers have come to one muster station / boat station, all extra passengers
should be sent to their respective muster station to avoid crowding. Many may refuse and
should be dealt politely. Never use harsh language unless the person is in panic. Once
passengers have come to muster station, do not allow them to leave. they may like to visit
their cabin to get their important belonging, which may prove fatal to them. Till the time ship
is asked to be abandoned, keep the passengers moral high by reassuring them that ship’s
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staff is taking proper action. Do not talk negative or highly positive. if you know the answer
as conveyed by master or in charge. say ‘I don’t know but I will find out’
Escapist mentality: Many passenger start considering their cabin as their house and try to
take shelter in it during emergency. They will refuse to come out or hide in their cabin. Some
passengers may be sleeping or highly drunk to respond to alarm. For this;
o All cabins, public areas and other spaces must be thoroughly searched. Anybody found
should be convinced and sent to muster point. Be careful not to put the passenger in
panic.
o Anyone refusing to move or insisting of moving only if their family is with them, should
be assured that family will come directly to muster station
o Some person may insist on taking their languages / important things, be firm and do not
allow any hand baggage to be carried.
o After completion of search, inform command station
o For searching dangerous area, group leader should take the lead and go there.
o Searching should be done at same time as per procedure set in the company policy.
Movement of passenger: Passengers may like to go near the shipside or place on fire as they
are curious. Otherwise they will like to be away from water by shifting to upper side of ship.
If vessel is listing, they will go to higher side of list. You must do following:
o Be firm and reassure the passengers that they are safest at this muster point only
o Take head count and inform command team. If someone has gone to another muster
area confirm it.
o If that person is not found send search party. look for missing persons.
o If some member of family has gone to different muster station, inform all family
members.
o In panic passengers may tend to ignore the orders, hence be firm and talk in calm clear
and informative voice.
Controlling passengers:
1. All automatic activation of alarm must be followed for announcement by PA system.
Repeat the announcement several times for everyone to understand.
2. Do not give negative details of emergency, simply say like ‘we have a fire in engine room
and we are dealing with it. You all should proceed to muster station for further details.
Please take your life jackets with it.’
3. Post crew to guide the passengers to proceed to muster station. The person guiding
should not give any sign of distress.
4. Do not allow passengers to wait for their family. Tell them that family will join them at
muster station.
5. At muster station keep them busy by small talks regarding procedure for abandonment.
6. If abandoning, look for sign of panic and control it with firm order.
7. Assist the passengers as much as possible.
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Chapter 5: Effective communication
During an incident, communication becomes especially critical. Emergency communications

may include alerts and warnings; directives about evacuation, available assistance, and other
matters that impact response and recovery. The extent to which people respond to a
warning message is influenced by many factors, including individual characteristics and
perceptions, whether the message comes from a credible source, how the message is
delivered, and the message itself. Be sure your emergency communications are clear,
contain specific and adequate information, are in sync with other information being
disseminated, and are accessible to all on board. Emergency communications differ from
routine communications in several ways:
o Barriers: It is more difficult for people to hear messages during an emergency. Stress,
change of routine, and lack of sleep all can be hurdles to overcome when communicating
during emergencies.
o Timeliness: If official answers are not available, rumors and speculation quickly fill the
information vacuum. Then, not only must you disseminate correct information, but you
also need to counter any misinformation that is circulated.
o Required Response: Emergency warnings differ from other kinds of messages because
their purpose is to elicit a specific response from the public, rather than merely raise
awareness or provide knowledge.
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Communicating technics:
1. Speak slowly and clearly
2. Do not attempt to give too much information
3. Do not invent information or give personal comment.
4. Encourage exchange of information / feedback from passengers
5. Be attentive to their need and delegate someone to give assistance
6. If they request for relevant topic, tell them that you will revert after checking with
command station
7. The passengers will be continuously asking questions, hence keep them occupied.
8. Use the common language used on board otherwise English. If someone is asking in
different language, ask his friend to translate it for him.
9. If you have person who knows the different language similar to some passenger’s
language, ask him to work as interpreter.
10. Identify possibility to use other means, like sign language. Using placards, signs etc.
11. Be prominent, stand on platform, chair or table to have commanding view.
12. Use some baton or use hand to make the communication effective (Body language)
Communication planning:
1. Identify crew who can make announcement in various language.
2. Write down and practice emergency announcement in different language if required.
3. Ensure all announcements are understood properly during the drill.
Routine communication:
Routine communication technics plays a vital role during drill and other shipboard operation.
The hesitation / communication barrier is broken during non-emergency operation.
Following tips can be used for it:
- Each crew member should wear his name tag so that passenger can connect easily.
- Try to remember names of passengers and his family member if possible.
- During normal talk, inform the safety equipment use to passengers so that they can use
it properly during emergency.
- Encourage passengers to attend safety briefing for evacuation
- Try to identify persons who are panicky by nature and highly talkative kinds.
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Chapter 6: Case study
Case study 1:
In 1995, the high-speed catamaran passenger ship St. Malo hit a rock one mile off shore and
immediately started taking in water. The Master of the ship gave the order to evacuate, and
the 301 passengers were evacuated as the ship was listing and in motion. The sea conditions
were favourable, it was daylight, and most passengers were in the saloon. Although the
evacuation situation was comparatively good, the evacuation time for the 308 passengers
was recorded as 1 h and 17 min (Lackey et al., 1997). The evacuation time recorded during
the drill in static conditions was 8 min.
Case study 2:
The Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia capsized after striking an underwater rock off Isola
del Giglio, Tuscany, on 13 January 2012, resulting in 32 deaths. The eight-year-old Costa
Cruises vessel was on the first leg of a cruise around the Mediterranean Sea when she
deviated from her planned route at the Isola del Giglio, sailed closer to the island, and struck
a rock formation on the sea floor. A six-hour rescue effort resulted in most of the passengers
being brought ashore.
Passengers were in the dining hall when there was a sudden, loud bang, which a crew
member (speaking over the intercom) ascribed to an "electrical failure". "We told the guests
everything was [okay] and under control and we tried to stop them panicking", a cabin
steward recalled. The ship lost cabin electrical power shortly after the initial collision. “The
boat started shaking. There was panic, like in a film, dishes crashing to the floor, people
running, people falling down the stairs," said a survivor. Those on board said the ship
suddenly tilted to the port side. Passengers were later advised to put on their life jackets.
Half an hour before the abandon-ship order, one crew member was recorded on video telling
passengers at a muster station, "We have solved the problems we had and invite everyone
to return to their cabins. When the ship later turned around, she began to list approximately
20° to the starboard side, creating problems in launching the lifeboats.
While the vast majority of the ship's multinational personnel held positions that did not
require a seaman's qualifications (as they handled services like laundry, cooking,
entertainment, cleaning, minding children, and waiting tables), according to a senior
shipping official, they had received mandatory training in basic safety to be able to help in
situations like this. Although all of them spoke at least basic English, most spoke no Italian.
"The crew members, whether Filipino or Colombians or Indians, tried to the best of our
ability to help passengers survive the shipwreck. Comments by some of the passengers that
we were unhelpful have hurt us. A third engineer officer from the ship's engine room also
pointed out that "Unlike the captain, we were there until the end. We did all we could to
avoid catastrophe.

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Mauritius Maritime Training Academy

Crisis Management & Human Behaviour

Chapter Topic Page no

Chapter 1: Ships design, muster point, safe area

A. General design and layout of ship:

C. Emergency plan and procedures:

Master’s Authority and Responsibilities:

• Human life is in danger

Sample of emergency plans:

No Activity Responsible Yes No NA

D. Ship board emergency drills:

E. Adhering to pre-planned emergency procedures:

F. Control of passengers in emergency:

o Guide them on ladder and entrance to muster point

Chapter 2: Optimization of resources

o lifeboats and life rafts

B. Full use of resources

C. Limitation on availability of resources :

o Massive demands for the scenario

o If you want a job to be done properly, better do it yourself

During drill following can be done to make it more realistic:

Some of the probable scenario for drill:

Chapter 3: Response to emergency

A. Lead and direct others in emergency

B. Focus decision making

C. Motivation of passengers and crew

- Talk politely but firmly.

D. Stress and its effect

o The attention is focused on one area neglecting other things

How to control stress:

Chapter 4: Human behaviour and responses

o Not pay attention to announcements made on PA system or told verbally or ringing of

In emergency everybody is required to go to his muster station. However, some passengers

Chapter 5: Effective communication

During an incident, communication becomes especially critical. Emergency communications

Chapter 6: Case study

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