EMERGENCY TRAINING AND DRILLS

Trainee officers and 3rd mates who recently acquired their certificate of competency (COC) often find it difficult to familiarize themselves with the International Convention for the safety of Life at Sea 1974 (SOLAS-74) due to its bulkiness. EMERGENCY TRAINING AND DRILLS is an integral part of the SOLAS-74 convention.

The purpose of carrying out drill on the ships is to make the crew acquainted with various procedures to be followed during emergency situations. It is a way to make the ship personnel are familiar and understand the usage with the equipment and methods used during a crises situation.

Nevertheless, it’s content is of utmost importance in the maritime industry as it describes the requirement for all merchant ship of any flag state to comply with all safety standards.

This article summarizes an extract of the SOLAS-74 convention as a quick reference for Junior Officers.

SOLAS 74

Chapter III – Life Saving Appliances and arrangements

Regulation 19 – Emergency training and drills

This regulation applies to all ships. It is expected that all crew members with assigned emergency duties shall be familiar with these duties before a voyage begins.

For Ships on voyages with passengers scheduled to be onboard for more than 24hours, muster shall take place within 24hours of embarkation and passengers instructed in the use of lifejackets & actions to take in an emergency.

Also, safety briefings shall be given immediately before or after sailing for new passengers. The announcement should be made through the ship’s public address system.

Drills shall be conducted as if there were actual emergency and every crew shall participate in at least one abandon ship drill and one fire drill every month.

Drills shall be 24hours of leaving the port if more than 25% of crew are new to the ship but for a new ship or a ship with modification of a major character or with new crew, these drills shall be held before sailing.

Abandon Ship Drill:

This drill shall include;

1. Mustering of crew & passengers using the general emergency alarm (7 short and 1 long blast).
2. Crew report to stations and preparing for their duties.
3. Passengers & Crew suitably dressed and Lifejackets donned correctly.
4. Lowering at least 1 lifeboat after necessary preparation for launching carried out. Also, start and operate the engines.
5. Operation of davits used for launching life rafts.
6. A mock Search and Rescue of passengers trapped in their staterooms Instructions in the use of radio lifesaving appliances.

Note:

• Life boats other than free-fall shall be launched and maneuvered in the water by the assigned crew at least once every three months during an abandon ship drill
• Free-fall lifeboats, at least once every three months during an abandon ship drill, the crew shall board the lifeboat, properly secure themselves in their seats and commence launch procedures up to, but not including, the actual release of the lifeboat (i.e the release hook shall not be released). The lifeboat shall then be free-fall launched with only the required operating crew onboard or lowered into the water by means of secondary means of launching with or without the operating crew.
• In both cases, lifeboats shall be maneuvered in the water.
• Rescue boats other than lifeboats shall be launched each month with the assigned crew onboard and be maneuvered in the water. In all cases, this requirement shall be complied with at least once every three months.

Fire Drill

Fire drills should be planned in such a way that due consideration is given to regular practice in the various emergencies that may occur depending on the type of ship and the cargo.

Each fire drill shall include:

1. Sounding the fire alarm (Continuous ringing of the ship’s whistle or bell)
2. Crew reporting to stations and preparing for the duties described in the muster list
3. Starting of fire pump, using at least the two required jets of water to show the system is working
4. Checking of fireman outfit and other personal rescue equipment
5. Checking of relevant communication equipment
6. Checking the operation of watertight doors, fire doors, fire dampers and main inlet/outlet of ventilation systems in the drill area
7. Checking the necessary arrangements for subsequent abandoning of the ship