All personnel must be fully aware of the different types of
lifesaving equipment available onboard the ship and also within the survival
crafts. Good onboard training including regular drills will help to ensure familiarisation with this equipment.
Only by doing this will the equipment on board the ship be an aid to survival
at sea.
SOLAS TRAINING MANUAL
A requirement of SOLAS Chapter II-2, Regulation 15 is to
have an onboard Training Manual. This manual contains instructions on the use
of all life-saving appliances provided on the ship and is to be clearly written
in a language and style easily understood by all of the crew along with
illustrations and diagrams. The manual is to be compiled on board and copies
are to be placed in the crew and officers’ mess-rooms for any member of the
ship’s compliment. These manuals are ship specific and are produced in
cooperation with Ship and Shore personnel.
LIFEJACKETS
Lifejackets are to be stowed near to the normal embarkation
locations in suitable dry and unlocked containers. Where this is not practical,
lifejackets may be stowed in cabins or other locations so long that they are
readily accessible and the location clearly indicated by the correct sign.
There must also be provision for sufficient lifejackets for persons on watch
(i.e. on the bridge and in the engine control room) and for use at remotely
located survival craft stations (e.g. forward life raft).
Instructions for donning lifejackets are to be displayed
throughout the ship in conspicuous locations as well as in way of the
lifejacket stowage areas.
Lifejackets must be kept clean and a routine put in place to
ensure that they are inspected on a monthly basis to ensure that they are in
good condition, including lights, whistles, retro-reflective tape and ties.
Lifejackets stowed in containers outside
the accommodation are to be aired at least every two months.
Where inflatable lifejackets are carried, they are to be
checked every month to ensure that they remain puncture free. Once per year
they are to be sent ashore for servicing by an approved service agent.
Lifejackets are to be of suitable design so as not impede
the entry into enclosed lifeboats or get in the way of release mechanisms etc.
IMMERSION SUITS AND
THERMAL PROTECTIVE AIDS
An immersion suit will be provided for every person onboard.
The important factors regarding the use of an immersion suit are:
It is quick and easy to put on
It protects the user from rapidly losing body heat
It enables the user to remain face-up in the water (Note
that some suits also require the wearing of a lifejacket however)
It is important that all personnel required to wear the
suits carry out regular practice and training while dressed in the suit. This
will enable them to become familiar with the suits and any restrictions or
limitations found while wearing them.
Before entering the water, the suit must be correctly
fastened and undamaged. This is very important
if the suit is loose fitting. If unfastened or torn, a loose fitting
suit will become full of water and will immobilise the user and risk drowning
him/her.
Maintenance of immersion suits and anti-exposure suits by
ships staff should be in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, flag
state requirements and MSC/Circ.1047.
A Thermal Protective Aid (TPA) is basically a type of body
warming bag with a material capable of reflecting 87% of radiated body heat
(assuming the bag to be dry).
TPAs can be used to assist the recovery of persons suffering
from hypothermia or can even be used to prevent them becoming hypothermic in
the first place if used quickly. If the TPA is large enough a person suffering
from the effects of cold can be placed inside together with another warmer
person whose body heat will assist the colder person. If a TPA is worn in a
survival craft where there is a possibility of capsizing or being swept away, a
lifejacket must also be worn.
LIFEBOATS
The lifeboat is the primary means of escape from a vessel in
distress; however operations involving the lowering of lifeboats are
potentially hazardous. It is therefore essential that seafarers are familiar
with the life-saving systems onboard their ships and that they have confidence
that the systems provided for their safety will work and will be effective in
an emergency. It is V.Ships’ policy that the measures to prevent accidents with
lifeboats, described within IMO Circular MSC1206, are compulsory for all
vessels.
IMO Circular MSC1206 Annex II stresses the importance for
all crew to be well familiarised and trained in the operation of the boats and
launching equipment. Lifeboats must be launched and exercised in the water once every three months.
It is also essential that the lifeboats and associated gear
are maintained correctly in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Lifeboats must be kept clean with all equipment correctly stowed and secured at
all times and ready for immediate use. Attention is drawn to SOLAS Regulation
20.7 of Chapter III:-
“Inspection of the life-saving appliances, including
lifeboat equipment, shall be carried out monthly using the checklist required
by regulation 36.1 of SOLAS. A report of the inspection shall be entered in the
ship’s log book”.
Regulation 36 requires that:-
Instructions for onboard maintenance of life-saving
appliances shall be easily understood, illustrated, wherever possible and, as
appropriate, shall include the following for each appliance:
1. A checklist for use when carrying out the inspections
required by Regulation 20.7;
2. Maintenance
and repair instructions; (This should be available in the maker’s manual and
inserted into the SOLAS Training Manuals onboard the Planned Maintenance System
in use)
3. Schedule
of Periodic Maintenance; (This should be available in the maker’s manual and
inserted into the SOLAS Training Manual
onboard and in the Planned Maintenance System in use)
4. Diagram
of lubrication points with the recommended lubricants; (This should be
available in the maker’s manual and inserted into the Planned Maintenance
System in use along with inclusion to the vessel’s greasing schedule).
5. List of
replaceable parts; (This should be available in the maker’s manual ad in the
vessel’s “Critical Spares” inventories”).
6. List of
sources of spare parts; (This should be available in the maker’s manual and in
the vessel’s “Critical Spares” inventories).
7. Log for
records of inspections and maintenance;
Maintenance should be carried out in accordance with the
Maker’s manual .
Any maintenance carried out to the lifeboats, lifeboat
davits, braking systems and release systems by shore-bases service companies
must be witnessed by a senior officer. If there is a Superintendent present
onboard during the maintenance, he should also witness such maintenance. Once
the maintenance is completed, the lifeboats should be lowered and exercised in
the water at the earliest opportunity.
Lifeboats must be launched and exercised in the water once
every three months.
Instructions for onboard maintenance of lifesaving
appliances shall be easily understood, illustrated wherever possible and, as
appropriate, shall include the following for each appliance:-
LIFEBOAT ON-LOAD
RELEASE MECHANISMS
It is essential that these systems are properly adjusted,
regularly maintained, correctly operated and tested at all times. Failure to do
this can lead to a malfunction of the
release equipment resulting in the boat
being released prematurely or alternately not being released with potentially
disastrous results in either case.
There have been a number of serious accidents in the
industry due to the misuse or lack of maintenance of these systems.
These incidents have been caused primarily by the following:
1) Inadequate
maintenance
2) Improperly
adjusted equipment
3) Incorrectly
operated equipment
It is therefore essential that the maintenance requirements
for these systems are understood and fully complied with. This must be strictly
in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, a copy
of which must be onboard. No maintenance is to be carried out if this manual is
not onboard.
Weekly and monthly inspections, and routine maintenance, as
specified in the equipment maintenance manual(s), should be conducted under the
direct supervision of a senior ship’s officer in accordance with the
maintenance manual(s). All other inspections, servicing and repair should be
conducted by the manufacture’s representative or other person appropriately
trained and certified for the work to be done in accordance with
MSC.1/Circ.1277 and IMO Circular MSC1206.
Records of this maintenance should be maintained within the
vessel’s planned maintenance system.
The setting and maintenance of release gear are critical
operations with regard to maintaining the safe operation of the lifeboat and
the safety of personnel in the lifeboat. All inspection and maintenance
operations on this equipment should therefore be carried out with the utmost
care and subject to a formal risk assessment.
No maintenance or adjustment of the release gear should be
undertaken while the hooks are under load.
Fall Preventer Devices (FPDs) / Hanging-off pennants should
be used for this purpose where practicable and to the satisfaction of the
administration, but should not remain connected at other times, such as when
the lifeboat is normally stowed and during training exercises. FPD strops must
not be used for any other purpose
The release gear is to be examined prior to its operational
test. The release gear is to be re-examined after its operational test and
dynamic winch brake test. Special consideration should be given to ensure that no damage has occurred during the
winch brake test, especially the hook fastening.
For vessels fitted with Mills Empress and Titan type of
disengaging gears it is essential that the size of connecting rings and links
fitted are correct as accidents have occurred due to wrong size components.
Furthermore, a number of lifeboat release hook manufacturers have recently
issued notices to bring to Operator’s attention that “Release cables are a
critical part of the hook system and that failure of these cables may cause a
serious incident”. The notices follow on by stating that, “Release cables must
be replaced at intervals not exceeding 5 years”
The Hook Types that are affected by these notices include:
• Mills
Titan
• Tor
• LH3
• Camsafe
• NLH70
In order to simplify renewal requirements fleet-wide and
ensure that the renewal of cables is not inadvertently overlooked, the
requirements shall be that, irrespective of manufacturer, all release cables are to be renewed at intervals not exceeding
five years.
For the efficient and timely maintenance of the lifeboat
systems, sufficient stocks of the required consumable spares are to be held
onboard and documented. When ordering spare parts for such systems, the proper
categorisation for safety equipment should be used to ensure prompt supply.
During the required drills, training must be carried out to
ensure that all officers and crewmembers are familiar with the correct
operation of this type of equipment.
In summary and before lowering any boat into the water the
following conditions must have been met:
• Maintenance
of the release system is carried out in accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions.
• Maintenance
records are being accurately and properly maintained, including dates of last
inspections and tests.
• There
are no known or suspected defects with the release system
• The
operation and maintenance manual for the release system is on board.
• Risk
Assessment for lowering and recovery completed and control measures implemented
where appropriate.
• Officers
and crew have received full instructions in the operation of lowering the
lifeboats including the operation and resetting of on-load release systems.
• Fall
Preventer Devices are utilised, at the discretion of the Master, to mitigate
the risks of failure of the on-load hook
or its release mechanism, or by accidental release of the on-load hook.
Although the IMO Circular MSC1206 presently remains
advisory, many Flag States put the responsibility for the “assessing and
selecting a competent person”, should the Manufacturer representative be
unavailable, upon the Managing Company. In cases where the responsibility for assessing
and selecting a competent person,the following criteria should be
considered as a minimum and stated in the notes section of the purchase order:
• ISO
Certification
• More
than two years experience in servicing of Lifeboats and launching equipment
• Servicing
carried out by trained staff
• Records
to verify traceability of parts are supplied
• Existence
of documented procedures and instructions
The Master or attending Superintendent should collect as
much documented evidence of compliance with the above criteria as possible.
LIFEBOAT FALLS
It is important that lifeboat falls are well maintained and
looked after. They are to be examined for damage and broken strands and greased
at regular intervals in accordance with the PMP. The correct type of grease is
to be used, remembering to grease the parts of the falls that lie within the
blocks by slacking them off.
The falls are to be renewed when necessary due to deterioration
of the falls or at intervals not exceeding 5 years, whichever is the earlier.
Dates of renewal are to be stencilled on the davits or another suitable close
and visible location. Certificates are to be maintained onboard for the falls.
Previous requirements to end-for-end at intervals of not more than 30 months
into the 60 month life cycle have been superseded in favour of periodical
examination of the fall wires.
Lifeboat falls must be subject to annual inspection,
performed by the ship’s crew in the presence of the manufacturer’s
representative or other person appropriately trained and certified for the work
to be done in accordance with MSC.1/Circ.1277 and IMO Circular MSC1206. The
periodical inspection of each wire is to include:-
• The
survival craft must be lowered to the water, or the wire, otherwise paid out,
such that the wire bears no weight and there is no more than one layer left on
the drum. The wire shall then be cleaned to facilitate a general inspection of
its condition.
• The
stationary parts of the wire, i.e. parts resting on or within sheaves and
locking devices, must be given particularly close attention during that
inspection.
• Once
the wire is clean, it must be verified as free from corrosion and that grease
had penetrated the whole wire.
• Grips
are acceptable although not the preferred method and if used, a minimum of six
must be in place. They must all be fitted in the same direction with the u-bolt
over the tail end of the rope and the bridge in the standing part. Any grips
used are to be checked for tightness and wear. Click here to see a diagram
where grips are used.
• After
satisfactory inspection an approved type of grease shall be reapplied and the
wire re- wound on the drum as recommended by the manufacturer.
Wires found with corrosion or deterioration to the extent
that their strength is compromised, must be replaced.
Records maintained onboard must clearly state that the
annual periodical inspection has been carried out and the results of the
examination. If renewal or end-for-end turning of wires has been carried out,
this should also be recorded. These records must be verified by the Class
Surveyor attending for periodical safety equipment surveys.
LIFEBOAT DAVITS
Maintenance is to be carried out on lifeboat davits as per
the manufacturer’s instructions and the vessel’s planned maintenance system,
however, the following items are to be regularly examined for satisfactory
condition and operation.
• Davit
structure, in particular with regard to corrosion, misalignments, deformations
and excessive free play;
• Wires
and sheaves, possible damages such as kinks and corrosion;
• Track-ways
are to be free of rust lubrication of moving parts carried;
• Functioning
of limit switches – tested every boat drill;
• Hydraulic
systems.
A thorough maintenance and greasing schedule should be
maintained within the vessel’s planned maintenance system however care is to be
exercised when applying grease to the various greasing points in the brake
mechanisms on lifeboat davits, to avoid overcharging and contamination of the
brake linings. The brake assemblies are to be opened u p and inspected at
regular intervals. The brake linings must be inspected for contamination with
grease. Should the linings be contaminated, then the Management Office must be
informed and operation of the davit prohibited unless in an extreme emergency
situation.
In addition to the routine maintenance required by the
maker’s manuals, the winch arrangement must be subject to annual inspection
performed by the ship’s crew in the presence of the manufacturer’s
representative or other person appropriately trained and certified for the work
to be done in accordance with IMO MSC Circular.1277 and IMO MSC Circular 1206.
Inspection of the davit winch arrangement should include:
• Open
and inspect brake mechanism;
• Replace
brake pads, if necessary;
• Remote
control system;
• Power
supply system;
• Winch
foundation – checking for signs of cracking and damage to the securing bolts.
The davit winch brake system must be subject to dynamic
testing in accordance with the IMO MSC Circular 1206 and any additional
requirements of the flat administration. Annual testing should be done by
lowering the empty boat. When the boat has reached its maximum lowering speed
and before the boat enters the water, the brake should be abruptly applied.
The five-year operational test should be done by lowering
the boat loaded to a proof load equal to 1.1 times the weight of the survival
craft or rescue boat and its full complement of persons and equipment, or
equivalent load. When the boat has reached its maximum lowering speed, and
before the boat enters the water, the brake should be abruptly applied.
Following these tests, the brake pads and stressed
structural parts should be re-inspected.
LOWERING OF LIFEBOATS
Except in emergency situations, all routine lowering and
recovery of lifeboats should be subject to the risk assessment.
When performing drills with persons onboard a lifeboat, it
is recommended that the boat first be lowered and recovered without persons
onboard to ascertain that the arrangements functions correctly. In this case,
the boat should then be lowered into the water with only the number of persons
onboard necessary to operate the boat, provided Fall Preventer Devices (FPDs)
are being used. The correct PPE is to be used when lowering lifeboats including
harnesses, hard hats and lifejackets, or safe working vests (able to keep a
person afloat but smaller than a lifejacket), must be worn by persons embarking
on the lifeboat.
The following should be considered when it is impracticable
to fit FPDs.
• Where
the lifeboat is lowered to the water without persons onboard for drills,
testing inspections or maintenance, the lifeboat should not be boarded by the
shipside embarkation ladder. In exceptional circumstances where this cannot be
avoided, adequate measures must be taken to ensure that persons boarding the
lifeboat cannot fall from the ladder.
• If
there is any doubt as to the safety of boarding by a ship-side ladder, then the
drill or inspection should continue as far as practicable so that the davit
sheaves, winches and brakes can be examined to verify that the equipment is
operating correctly. If the drill cannot be completed the ship’s Master should
make an appropriate entry in the official logbook.
• Where
a FPD is not fitted, consideration should be given to the use of shore side
facilities such as a hired boat to board the lifeboat safely once it is afloat.
Lowering of lifeboats in normal circumstances must not be
carried out over quaysides, obstructions in the water, small boats alongside etc.
However, if it is necessary to lower boats in such conditions (e.g. by the
demand of a Port State Inspector) then Fall Preventer Devices (FPDs) should be
used as a precaution in the event of davit brake or wire failure.
The launching of boats, while underway, must not be carried
out unless in the case of emergency. In addition, drills must only be where
there is a minimum of vessel movement.
FREE-FALL LIFEBOATS
If your vessel is equipped with free fall lifeboats,
operation manuals are to be referenced by the entire crew and they must be
familiar with the launching operation as well as the recovery procedure.
When the crew has to abandon the ship in an emergency, the
free fall lifeboat is a superior life saving device, even in rough/heavy seas,
however, for training exercises the free fall lifeboat is only to be launched
in very calm seas, in order to facilitate safe recovery on board without
damaging the boat due to uncontrolled movements/swinging.
In addition, it is imperative that when at sea the free fall
lifeboat's heaving brackets are to be unscrewed and lashed onto the davits,
thus placing the lifeboats in readiness for free fall at any time. It is essential that release gear is
correctly set. When maintenance is being carried out great caution must be paid
not to accidentally set off the release mechanism.
If the free fall lifeboat is equipped with an emergency air
system, this generally consists of air cylinders located inside the lifeboat.
The air system supplies air to the lifeboat crew and engine, and must be
activated in circumstances, which involve an external fire or hazardous gases.
The cylinder contents are to be checked
during the routine safety inspections. If the vessel is supplied with a special
air compressor and requisite hoses to fill air cylinders when empty, they are
to be tested at monthly intervals.
The lifeboat is to be sent away and tested every three
months. This can be done by lowering the boat using the davits and hydraulic
system. However the boat must be tested in free-fall mode every six months.
Note however, that a simulated launch may be carried out in lieu of an actual
free-fall launch where suitable approved equipment has been fitted to the
launching appliance and boat. Simulated launching should only take place once
in a twelve month period and the log book entry should make clear that the
launching has been either free-fall or simulated. It is essential that the
manufacturer’s instructions are followed explicitly.
Reference is to be made to the SOLAS, Chapter III,
regulation 19 regarding operations readiness, maintenance and inspections.
For free-fall launches it is important that there is
sufficient room astern of the ship for the launch to be carried out. There
should be open water area of at least one and one half times the expected
distance in which the lifeboat will be brought to a standstill in the water
after launching.
When carrying out a free-fall launching the lifeboat should
be lowered into the water first and motor etc. tested occasionally. It can then
be hooked on again, re-stowed and then launched by free-fall method.
Prior to any free-fall launching, the Rescue Boat should be
waterborne to act as a stand-by boat in case of emergencies and to assist in
re-securing the free-fall lifeboat after launching.
Administrations now accept launching of free-fall lifeboats
by falls (secondary means of launching) in lieu of free-fall launching on ships
where the free-fall height is greater than 20m, provided that a simulated
free-fall launch is conducted at least every six months.
LIFEBOAT ENGINES
It is important that lifeboat engines are properly tested
according to the following guidelines and maintained according to the
manufacturer’s instructions. Failure to do so will result in the engine
functioning incorrectly or stopping after a matter of minutes.
During in-water tests the engines are to be run for periods
of 15 to 30 minutes on high load/revolutions.
The lifeboat engine is to be operated for 4-5 minutes on
idle speed for the weekly onboard tests during which time the temperature of
the cooling water is to be closely monitored.
Fuel oil, lubricating oil and air filters are to be
regularly inspected and cleaned as required.
Note that the 4- 5 minute test above applies to the engine
only. The test on the propeller/tailshaft is to be for only brief periods (e.g.
5 seconds) in order to prove that the clutch and gearbox are operational.
Extended runs with the engine clutched-in must only be carried out with the
lifeboat in the water.
For boats with air cooled engines reference must be made to
the manufacturer’s instructions for full details of testing.
Fuel tanks must be topped up after testing.
In totally enclosed boats there is a risk that an exhaust
leak may lead to the build up of Carbon Monoxide inside the boat therefore
exhaust pipes are to be checked for any damage. Small exhaust leaks may not be
readily apparent; therefore CO readings are to be taken during engine tests.
GENERAL SAFETY
PRECAUTIONS CONCERNING LIFEBOATS
As well as the instructions in the foregoing parts of this
section the following precautions are to be taken. When servicing davits in the
stowed position, the HARBOUR SAFETY PINS or other similar safety devices must
be in place to ensure that davits cannot be accidentally moved. Gripes and
strong-backs should be strong enough and sized correctly.
When personnel are in the stowed lifeboats, the hanging-off
pendants should be used to prevent the boat from being accidentally released
and dropped from the releasing mechanism.
All launching equipment should receive regular maintenance
in accordance with the manufacturers’ recommendations.
Ensure that release lever is properly secured and guards /
pins in place when re-attaching falls.
Critical operation checklists should be developed to ensure
that all safety precautions are in place before personnel perform maintenance
or inspections.
Checklists should be used to ensure standard safe operating
procedures are followed, including proper stowing/securing of the boats after
use.
No additional securing arrangements should be utilised which
are not included in the lowering/free-fall instructions except for additional
securing during extreme weather conditions, which MUST be removed as soon as
weather moderates.
The Master and Chief Engineer are responsible for ensuring
that all crew are trained in the use of lifeboats, davits and release gear as
provided on the vessel.
FAST RESCUE BOATS
Some vessels will be supplied with designated fast rescue /
recovery boats over and above the lifeboats. These boats may be of rigid or
inflatable construction and are principally designed for the fast recovery of persons in the water.
Training
Due to their unique nature and required speed of operation,
it is important that proper training, as weather permits, is given onboard for
those persons involved in launching, recovery and crewing of these craft. In
order that the launch team and boat crew are kept effective and remain
confident in the use of equipment, rescue boats (other than lifeboats which are
also rescue boats) shall be launched each month with their assigned crew aboard
and manoeuvred in the water.
Records are to be kept with respect to any drills conducted
including sea and weather conditions, together with the names and duties of
those participating in the drill.
Initial training is to include the understanding and
operation of the following tasks:
• Assessment
of the boat and launching equipment for immediate launch and operation.
• Understanding
the safe operation of the winch, brakes, falls, painters, motion compensators
and other equipment as fitted.
• Understanding
the safety precautions during launching and recovery.
• Knowledge
of procedures for launching and recovery in various weather conditions.
The correct PPE is to be used at all times when inside
rescue boats, including harnesses, hard hats and lifejackets. Lifejackets or safe
working vests (able to keep a person afloat but smaller than a lifejacket) must
be worn by persons embarking the rescue boat.
A Risk Assessment must be produced for the operation of the
rescue boat and should take the
following into account:-
• Reliability,
type and complexity of equipment
• The
proven level of expertise of the rescue boat crew as demonstrated during
drills; and
• The
prevailing weather conditions.
• Communications
LIFERAFTS
STOWAGE
Launching instructions are to be posted at the raft stowage
position.
SECURING AND HYDROSTATIC RELEASE UNITS (HRU)
Painters are to be secured to the ship via a float free
arrangement such as a hydrostatic release unit. If for any reason a painter has to be
unfastened before a life raft is launched it must be made fast again before
launching the raft into the water. Failure to do this may result in an
inability to inflate the raft when in the water and will ultimately place lives
at great risk.
HRUs are to be installed strictly in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions. This is very important as designs vary.
A weak link is to be incorporated into the HRU to ensure
that a life raft which has been released hydrostatically is not dragged under
by the sinking ship. The weak link is to be of sufficient strength to pull the
painter from the container in order to activate the inflation system. However
it must also be able to break allowing the raft to float free.
A senhouse slip lashed to the holding down strops will be
provided between the HRU and the strops to enable manual release of the life
raft.
A suitable correctly illustrated diagram of the release unit
rigging should be attached to the life raft canister or adjacent to the stowage
position.
EMBARKATION LADDERS
Embarkation ladders, with sufficient length to reach the
waterline when the ship is in her lightest condition, are to be stowed beside
the life rafts in order to allow boarding of the craft. These ladders are to be
regularly inspected and repairs carried out as required.
SERVICING
Inflatable life rafts and HRUs are to be serviced annually
by an approved service station. The dates of inspection are to be clearly
marked on the life raft container. A service report is to be requested from the
service company and filed on board.
It is essential that when liferafts are landed ashore for
service or maintenance, they are returned in ample time to allow the vessel to
sail or arrangements made to hire liferafts. On no account must a vessel
proceed to sea without the required number of liferafts or any other life
saving appliances unless written permission has been granted by flag state.
LIFEBUOYS
Lifebuoys are to be inspected and checked at monthly
intervals. Their general condition is to be checked including signs of
cracking. If any cracks are found then the lifebuoy is to be replaced. The
ship’s name and port of registry must be clearly painted and retro-reflective
tape in good condition.
Any buoyant lines attached to lifebuoys are to be inspected
for wear and untangled if necessary. Self actuating lights are to be correctly
stowed and tested by the correct method.
It is important that the bridge mounted man-overboard
lifebuoys are at all times operational. Ensure that the release pins are well
greased and not seized. The lines between the buoy and the smoke float must be
clear of any obstructions and in good condition.
Note that on tankers and other types of ships carrying
dangerous cargo, lifebuoy lights should be intrinsically safe.
PYROTECHNICS
Pyrotechnic signals are to be inspected regularly and their
condition checked especially for signs of moisture or leakage.
Pyrotechnics are to be stowed in suitable containers on or
near the bridge. Locations are to be suitable marked with the correct IMO sign.
Out-of-date pyrotechnics are to be safely disposed of
ashore.
On no account are expired pyrotechnics to be used for
testing or practice. The chemicals may have deteriorated to cause an
unpredictable reaction upon ignition which will put lives at risk.
EMERGENCY POSITION
INDICATING RADIO BEACONS (EPIRB) AND RADAR TRANSPONDERS (SARTS)
These items of emergency equipment are required to be
inspected monthly. The checks will include ensuring that the units are mounted
correctly, batteries are within date, the instructions are clearly visible and
a function test is carried out in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions.
Checks and tests are to be recorded in the GMDSS log book.
Should it be suspected that an EPIRB has accidentally been
activated, then the appropriate nearest coastal state rescue co-ordination
centre is to be advised immediately as well as the relevant Management Office.
EMERGENCY LIFE
SUPPORT APPARATUS (ELSA)
This equipment comprises a small air cylinder, which is
contained in a specially designed vest of a high visibility material. On
opening the cylinder valve, air is supplied to a clear plastic hood, which the
wearer puts over his head. Air is supplied at a constant flow of 40
litres/minute thus giving a total duration of 5 minutes. When not in use, the hood
is stowed in a pouch in front of the vest.
The equipment is designed for use in enclosed spaces, which
have been tested and are believed to be gas-free and containing 21% oxygen.
Such testing cannot, however, guarantee the atmosphere in some remote parts of
the space will remain safe and the E.L.S.A. helps to safeguard against the
discovery of gassy or oxygen deficient pockets. A pouch for a personal oxygen
alarm is incorporated in the vest.
An ELSA set should only be worn in the “Ready to Use” mode,
and only used when the space becomes unsafe due to the units inherent lack of
long term durability.
ELSA sets are to be maintained in accordance with
manufacturer’s instructions and checked monthly for condition, leaks and bottle
pressure. Any defects are to be rectified. Maintenance and testing of air
cylinders is to be carried out as for other breathing apparatus
RESUSCITATION
EQUIPMENT
Resuscitation equipment is available in various forms ranging
from a simple, hand operated bellows pump to sophisticated equipment that will
give automatic resuscitation for periods of 30 minutes and upwards and which
will function even when a victim is in the process of being hoisted out of a
compartment.
The media used for resuscitation is either oxygen or air. If
oxygen is used, resuscitation equipment must not be taken into a potentially
flammable atmosphere unless it is approved for that purpose - oxygen escaping
under pressure can cause a spontaneous explosion in such conditions. Air has
the advantage of being readily available and where the equipment is fed by
cylinders these can be recharged if there is a medical air compressor on board.
Alternatively they can be charged by
decanting from a larger cylinder.
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