1.10 Emergency Response Flashcards
What is the ISM Code requirement for emergency preparedness?
The company should establish procedures to identify; describe and; respond to potential emergency shipboard operations.
The company should also establish programs for drills and exercises to prepare or emergency actions.
The safety management system should provide for measures ensuring that the company’s organisation can respond at any time to hazards, accidents and emergency situations involving its ships.
Give some examples of international distress signals.
What are the initial actions following Man Over Board (MOB)?
Wheel hard over to the side of the MOB.
Throw all lifebuoys (or even floating objects like drums etc.) near you. Anything for the person to hold on to.
MOB signal — — —
4. Keep the person in sight; post extra lookouts.
5. GPS/ECDIS marker.
6. Short turn in good visibility or Williamson’s turn in poor visibility.
7. Ready rescue boat.
8. Lower accommodation ladder, keep net, first aid kit etc., ready.
9. Get engines ready for manoeuvring.
10. Send distress alert followed by a distress message.
11. Coordinate rescue efforts as instructed by the Coast SAR authority if required.
12. Recover the person and render first aid.
13. Inform DPA.
14. Incident alert report to AMSA (Form 18) within 4 hours.
15. Detailed incident report to AMSA (Form 19) within 72 hours.
16. Make an official log entry recording the incident details.
Q. What is meant by ‘beaching a vessel’?
Beaching is an emergency measure, normally undertaken to prevent a ship from foundering (filling with water and sinking). With the ship aground, there is a chance that temporary repairs can be made and the ship refloated. In any case, salvage operations will be simpler than for a submerged ship. Additionally, the transfer of passengers and crew from a beached vessel can be organised much more safely than the abandonment of a sinking ship.
Q. What are the precautions when beaching a vessel?
Precautions when beaching a vessel are:
Although a gently shelving beach of mud, sand or gravel is ideal, in many cases, the urgency of the operation will dictate that the nearest beach is used regardless of the nature of the bottom. Similarly, the state of the tide can seldom be chosen.
The timing of dropping forward anchors, if possible, is critical. If dropped too early, they may prevent the ship from getting firmly ashore; if dropped too late, they are ineffective for hauling the ship off. The ship may end up resting on the anchors, resulting in further damage to the bottom.
An anchor or anchors leading offshore from the stern are required to prevent the ship from being driven further ashore by strong onshore winds. They will also assist in refloating the ship when repairs have been completed. A small ship could carry out a kedge or spare bower anchor, using her boats. A larger ship with a heavier anchor, particularly if equipped with totally enclosed GRP boats, would need the assistance of a tug or salvage craft.
Q. What are the required actions following stranding/grounding?
Grounding may range from running aground on a soft bottom while manoeuvring to a sheltered estuary to striking an exposed rocky coast at full sea speed. The response necessary clearly depends upon the severity of the accident. Follow the company’s emergency procedures. Most of the required actions are listed below:
Stop engines.
Changeover steering from auto to manual if needed.
Raise the general emergency alarm.
Muster the crew.
Account for all crew.
Refer to the chart and estimate the location of grounding, nature of seabed and depths.
Send distress alert and message, alert any following vessels if needed.
Assess the extent of damage by sounding the tanks.
Chief Engineer to assess damage to machinery.
Consider abandoning the ship if foundering imminent?
Damage control measures – deballasting, tug assistance.
Determine tides.
Display shapes/lights.
Take soundings forward, aft and amidships.
Look over the side. (Can you determine the type of bottom?)
Determine position.
Pollution prevention.
Try reversing off while turning the rudder back and forth.
Listing the vessel may reduce the effective draft enough to get off.
AMSA Form 18 and 19 or POLREP and other reporting as required.
Completed log entries.
Q. What do you know about emergency towing and which are the vessels which normally undertake emergency towing?
Towing a disabled vessel on high seas in order to prevent dangers to man and the environment is known as emergency towing.
The following vessels are capable of providing emergency towing assistance: salvage tug, anchor handler, harbour tug and warships.
Q. What is the Master’s obligation to render assistance under International law?
The Master has and obligation to render assistance to those in distress at sea without regard to their nationality, status or the circumstances in which they are found. This is a longstanding maritime tradition as well as an obligation enshrined in international law. Compliance with this obligation is essential to preserve the integrity of maritime search-and-rescue services. It is based, inter alia, on two essential texts:
The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provides that:
‘Every State shall require the master of a ship flying its flag, in so far as he can do so without serious danger to the ship, the crew or the passengers:
(a) to render assistance to any person found at sea in danger of being lost;
(b) to proceed with all possible speed to the rescue of persons in distress, if informed of their
need of assistance, in so far as such action may reasonably be expected of him’
(Article 98(1)).
The 1974 International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS Convention) obliges the:
‘master of a ship at sea which is in a position to be able to provide assistance, on receiving information2 from any source that persons are in distress at sea, … to proceed with all speed to their assistance, if possible informing them or the search and rescue service that the ship is doing so’ (SOLAS regulation V/33.1).
The word ‘signal’ was replaced by ‘information’ as part of the May 2004 Amendments.
In short, the master is obligated to render assistance to a vessel or persons in distress unless unable, unreasonable or unnecessary to do so. You can find the detailed text of the SOLAS obligations by following the path below on Regs4Ships:
Regs4ships - Australia > International Maritime Organization > SOLAS > Chapter V - Safety of Navigation > Regulation 33
What are the obligations of the individual Governments and RCCs to render assistance under International law?
Obligations of Governments and Rescue Coorination Centres (RCCs)
Several maritime conventions define the obligations of State Parties to ensure arrangements for distress communication and coordination in their area of responsibility and for the rescue of persons in distress at sea around their coasts:
UNCLOS imposes an obligation on every coastal State Party to:
‘… promote the establishment, operation and maintenance of an adequate and effective search and recue service regarding safety of mutual regional arrangements co-operate with neighbouring States for this purpose’ (Article 98(2)).
The SOLAS Convention requires each State Party to:
‘… ensure that necessary arrangements are made for distress communication and co-ordination in their area of responsibility and for the rescue of persons in distress at sea around its coasts. These arrangements shall include the establishment, operation and maintenance of such search and rescue facilities as are deemed practicable and necessary …” (SOLAS regulation V/7).
In addition, the 1979 International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR Convention) obliges State Parties to:
‘… ensure that assistance [is] provided to any person in distress at sea … regardless of the nationality or status of such a person or the circumstances in which that person is found’ (Chapter 2.1.10) and to ‘… provide for their initial medical or other needs, and deliver them to a place of safety’ (Chapter 1.3.2).
What are some of the key points to be kept in mind while rescuing persons from a vessel in distress or from a wreck?
- Conditions should be assessed carefully and a plan prepared before initiating rescue action.
- Try to establish communications with the survivors to obtain information about their condition and to inform them of the intended method of rescue.
- The launching of boats, lifelines, lifebuoys, ladders and nets should be ready.
- Approach the wreck with extreme caution.
- Subsequent care for the casualties should be prepared.
When should the shore fire service be called if there is a fire on board while in port?
In some ports, there is an obligation to call the local fire service as soon as any fire is discovered on board. This may also be a shipping company standing instruction. Not calling for shore assistance until it is apparent that the fire cannot be controlled by the ship’s equipment can result in a much more serious situation for the fire service and the ship.
The decision to put to sea for reasons of safety rests with the master, but the officer in charge of the watch should be aware of the circumstances in which to call the master.
In Australia, how do you as a Master report an incident?
Form 18 - Incident alert (within 4hrs)
Form 19 - Incident report (3 days)
