8 Assessment of drills

  8.1 When witnessing a drill, the PSCO should seek:

  .1 confirmation that the crew follow what is required of them by the muster list;

  .2 confirmation that there are sufficient personnel assigned to the various parties to cope with the duties given to them;

  .3 confirmation that there is an effective means of communication between the party, the party leader and the bridge and that relevant information is being passed bi-directionally;

  .4 confirmation of the efficiency of the crew working as a team. This would be based on questioning of personnel and observation of their actions. The response times should be noted of the various parties in assembling at their stations. The reaction of the parties to unplanned events should also be noted;

  .5 confirmation that key members of the crew are able to understand each other;

  .6 confirmation of the efficiency of the equipment used, for example:

• .1 that the fire alarms are audible and efficient;

• .2 that the fire doors close as required; and

• .3 that items of personal fire-fighting equipment appear well maintained; and

  .7 confirmation that the response time was considered fast enough (taking into account safety of the drill as indicated in paragraph 5.4 of this appendix), considering the size of the ship and the locations of fire, personnel and fire-fighting equipment.

  8.2 If the PSCO determines that the crew are unfamiliar with their duties or incapable of safely operating the life-saving and fire-fighting equipment, the PSCO should halt the drill, notify the master that the drill was unsuccessful and use their professional judgement to establish the next steps, noting the likelihood that this will establish "clear grounds" for a more detailed inspection.