7 Abandon ship drills

  7.1 After consultation with the master, the PSCO may require an abandon ship drill for one or more survival craft. The essence of this drill is that the survival craft are manned and operated by the crew members assigned to them on the muster list. If possible the PSCO should include the rescue boat(s) in this drill. SOLAS chapter III gives specific requirements on abandon ship training and drills, of which the following principles are particularly relevant.

  7.2 The drill should, as far as practicable, be conducted as if there was an actual emergency.

  7.3 The abandon ship drill should include:

• .1 summoning of (passengers and) crew to the muster station(s) with the required alarm and ensuring that they are aware of the order to abandon ship as specified in the muster list;

• .2 reporting to the stations and preparing for the duties described in the muster list;

• .3 checking that (passengers and) crew are suitably dressed;

• .4 checking that lifejackets are correctly donned;

• .5 lowering of at least one lifeboat after the necessary preparation for launching;

• .6 starting and operating the lifeboat engine;

• .7 operation of the davits used for launching liferafts;

• .8 a mock search and rescue of passenger trapped in their staterooms (if applicable);

• .9 instructions in the use of radio life-saving appliances;

• .10 testing of emergency lighting for mustering and abandonment; and

• .11 if the ship is fitted with marine evacuation systems, exercising of the procedures required for the deployment of such systems up to the point immediately preceding actual deployment.

  7.4 If the lifeboat lowered during the drill is not the rescue boat, the rescue boat should be lowered as well, taking into account that it is boarded and launched in the shortest possible time. The PSCO should ensure that crew members are familiar with the duties assigned to them during abandon ship operations and that the crew member in charge of the survival craft has complete knowledge of the operation and equipment of the survival craft. Care needs to be taken when requiring a ship to lower lifeboats. The number of persons inside the lifeboats during launching for the purpose of a drill should be at the master's discretion noting that SOLAS does not require persons in the lifeboat during lowering and recovery. The purpose of this is to reduce the risk of accidents during launching and recovery, however this must be balanced out with the risk of embarking/disembarking the boat whilst it is in the water, if the boat is to be taken away and run.

  7.5 Each survival craft should be stowed in a state of continuous readiness so that two crew members can carry out preparations for embarking and launching in less than five minutes.

  7.6 On passenger ships, it is required that lifeboats and davit-launched liferafts are capable of being launched within a period of 30 min after all persons have been assembled with lifejackets donned.

  7.7 On cargo ships, it is required that lifeboats and davit launched liferafts are capable of being launched within a period of 10 min.