7.17 Emergency Procedures, Training and Drills:

Duties, Musters and Briefings

(1) Every crew member with assigned emergency duties shall be familiar with these duties before the voyage begins.

(2) On a ship engaged on a voyage where passengers are scheduled to be on board for more than 24 hours, musters of the passengers shall take place within 24 hours after their embarkation and passengers shall be instructed in the use of the lifejackets and the action to take in an emergency.

(3) Subject to subsection (4), whenever new passengers embark, a passenger safety briefing shall be given to the new passengers immediately before sailing, or immediately after sailing, which shall include the following provisions-

(a) the briefing shall include the instructions required by sections 7.11 (1) and (3), and shall be made personally by a trained member of the crew or by means of an announcement, in one or more languages likely to be understood by the passenger;
(b) the announcement shall be made on the ship's public address system, or by other equivalent means likely to be heard at least by the passengers who have not yet heard it during the voyage;
(c) the briefing may be included in the muster required by section 7.17(2) if the muster is held immediately upon departure; and
(d) information cards or posters or video programmes displayed on the ship’s video displays may be used to supplement the briefing, but may not be used to replace the announcement.

(4) The briefings referred to in subsection (3) may be delivered using alternative communication methods of conveying the required information provided that such alternative is at least as effective.

Emergency Drills

(5) Drills shall, as far as practicable, be conducted as if there were an actual emergency.

(6) Every crew member shall participate in at least one abandon ship drill and one fire drill every month and-

(a) where more than 25% of the crew have not participated in abandon ship and fire drills on board that particular ship in the previous month the drills of the crew shall take place within 24 hours of the ship leaving a port;
(b) where a ship enters service for the first time, after modification of a major character or when a new crew is engaged, the drills shall be held before the vessel sails,

provided that the Administration may accept other arrangements that are at least equivalent where this is impracticable.

(7) Each abandon ship drill shall include-

(a) summoning of passengers and crew to muster stations with the general emergency alarm followed by drill announcement on the public address or other communication system and ensuring that they are made aware of the order to abandon ship;
(b) reporting to stations and preparing for the duties described in the muster list;
(c) checking that passengers and crew are suitably dressed;
(d) checking that lifejackets are correctly donned;
(e) lowering of at least one lifeboat after any necessary preparation for launching;
(f) starting and operating the lifeboat engine;
(g) operation of davits used for launching liferafts;
(h) a mock search and rescue of passengers trapped in their staterooms; and
(i) instruction in the use of radio life-saving appliances.

(8) Different lifeboats shall, as far as practicable, be lowered in compliance with the requirements of subsection(7), paragraph (e), at successive drills.

(9) Except as provided in subsections (10), each lifeboat shall be launched, and manoeuvred in the water by its assigned operating crew, at least once every three months during an abandon ship drill.

(10) The Administration may allow ships operating on short international voyages not to launch the lifeboats on one side if their berthing arrangements in port and their trading patterns do not permit launching of lifeboats on that side provided that all such lifeboats shall be lowered at least once every three months and launched at least annually.

(11) As far as is reasonable and practicable, 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 and in any case this requirement shall be complied with at least once every three months.

(12) If lifeboat and rescue boat launching drills are carried out with the ship making headway, such drills shall, because of the dangers involved, be practiced in sheltered waters only and under the supervision of an officer experienced in such drills^footnote.

(13) If a ship is fitted with marine evacuation systems-

(a) drills shall include exercising of the procedures required for the deployment of such a system up to the point immediately preceding actual deployment;
(b) this aspect of drills should be augmented by regular instruction using the on-board training aids in the use of the system; and
(c) every system party member shall, as far as practicable, be further trained by participation in a full deployment of a similar system into water, either on board a ship or ashore, at intervals of not longer than three years; provided that this training can be associated with the rotational deployments required by section 7.20(17).

(14) Emergency lighting for mustering and abandonment shall be tested at each abandon ship drill.

Fire Drills

(15) Fire drills should be planned in such a way that due consideration is given to regular practice in the various emergencies that may occur.

(16) Each fire drill shall include-

(a) reporting to stations and preparing for the duties described in the muster list required by section 7.11;
(b) starting of a fire pump, using at least the two required jets of water to show that the system is in proper working order;
(c) checking of fireman's outfit and other personal rescue equipment;
(d) checking of relevant communication equipment;
(e) checking the operation of watertight doors, fire doors, fire dampers and main inlets and outlets of ventilation systems in the drill area; and
(f) checking the necessary arrangements for subsequent abandoning of the ship.

(17) The equipment used during drills shall immediately be brought back to its fully operational condition and any faults and defects discovered during the drills shall be remedied as soon as possible.

On-board Training and Instructions

(18) On-board training in the use of the ship's life-saving appliances, including survival craft equipment, and in the use of the ship's fire-extinguishing appliances shall-

(a) subject to paragraph (b), be given as soon as possible but not later than two weeks after a crew member joins the ship;
(b) if the crew member is on a regularly scheduled rotating assignment to the ship, such training shall be given not later than two weeks after the time of first joining the ship;
(c) include instructions in the use of the ship's fire-extinguishing appliances, life-saving appliances, and in survival at sea, which shall be given at the same interval as the drills;
(d) Incorporate individual instruction covering different parts of the ship's life-saving and fire-extinguishing appliances, such that all the ship's life-saving and fire-extinguishing appliances shall be covered within any period of two months.

(19) Every crew member shall be given instructions which shall include but not necessarily be limited to-

(a) the operation and use of the ship's inflatable liferafts;
(b) the problems of hypothermia, first-aid treatment for hypothermia and other appropriate first-aid procedures;
(c) any special instructions necessary for use of the ship's life-saving appliances in severe weather and severe sea conditions; and
(d) the operation and use of fire-extinguishing appliances.

(20) On-board training in the use of davit-launched liferafts shall take place at intervals of not more than Four months on every ship fitted with such appliances. Whenever practicable this shall include the inflation and lowering of a liferaft. This liferaft may be a special liferaft intended for training purposes only, which is not part of the ship's life-saving equipment; such a special liferaft shall be conspicuously marked.

Records

(21) The date when musters are held, details of abandon ship drills and fire drills, drills of other life-saving appliances and on board training shall be recorded in such log-book as may be prescribed by the Administration; provided that if a full muster, drill or training session is not held at the appointed time, an entry shall be made in the log-book stating the circumstances and the extent of the muster, drill or training session held.