Chapter 13 - Operational guidelines

 All ships operating in Arctic ice-covered waters should carry on board at all times an operating manual and training manual for all Ice Navigators on board the ship.

 The ship should not be operated outside the worst intended conditions and design limitations.

  Operating manual

  13.3.1 The operating manual, or supplementary manual in the case of ships not normally operating in Arctic ice-covered waters, should contain at least the following information on issues directly related to operations in such waters. With respect to contingency planning in the event that the ship suffers ice damage, the manual should conform to guidelines developed by the Organization^footnote:

  Normal operation

• .1 principal particulars of the ship;

• .2 loading procedures and limitations including any applicable recommendations against carrying pollutants in tanks and compartments against the hull envelope, maximum operational weight, position of centre of gravity and distribution of load necessary for operation in Arctic ice-covered waters;

• .3 acknowledgment of changes in standard operating procedures for radio equipment and navigational aids applicable to Arctic operations;

• .4 information regarding the handling of the ship as determined in accordance with chapter 16 of these Guidelines (Environmental protection and damage control);

• .5 maximum towing speeds and towing loads where applicable;

  Risk management

• .6 procedures for checking the integrity of hull structure;

• .7 description and operation of fire detection and fire-extinguishing equipment in a Arctic environment; and

 for Polar Class ships, the operating manual should include the following supplementary information, in clearly defined chapters specified by the Administration:

• .8 operating limitations for the ship and essential systems in anticipated ice conditions and temperatures;

• .9 details arising from the standards of chapter 3 of these Guidelines (Subdivision and stability) likely to be of direct practical use to the crew in an emergency;

• .10 passage planning procedures accounting for anticipated ice conditions;

• .11 deviations in standard operating procedures associated with operation of propulsion and auxiliary machinery systems, remote control and warning systems and electronic and electrical systems made necessary by operations in Arctic ice-covered waters;

• .12 deviations in standard damage control procedures made necessary by operations in Arctic ice-covered waters; and

• .13 evacuation procedures into water, onto ice, or into a combination of the two, with due regard to chapter 11 of these Guidelines.

  13.3.2 Regarding information on machinery or system failures, guidance should take into account the results of any risk or failure analysis reports developed during the ship design.

  Training manual

  13.3.3 The training manual should cover all aspects of ship operation in Arctic ice-covered waters listed below plus other related information considered necessary by the Administration:

• .1 summary of the Guidelines for ships operating in Arctic ice-covered waters;

• .2 ice recognition;

• .3 navigation in ice; and

• .4 escorted operation.

 Instructions for drills and emergency instructions as detailed in section 13.4 should be incorporated as annexes to the manual.

  13.3.4 The Company should ensure that any additional documentation referenced in the training manual and required to provide a full understanding of its contents is on board the ship for all operations in Arctic ice-covered waters.

  13.4.1 On board instruction and operation of the ship’s evacuation, fire and damage control appliances and systems should include appropriate cross training of crew members with appropriate emphasis to changes to standard procedure made necessary by operations in Arctic ice-covered waters.

  13.4.2 Evacuation

• 13.4.2.1 Evacuation drill scenarios should be varied so that different emergency conditions are simulated, including abandonment into the water, onto the ice, or a combination of the two.

• 13.4.2.2 Each evacuation craft drill should include:

  • .1 exercises in passenger control in cold temperatures as appropriate;

  • .2 checking that all personnel are suitably dressed;

  • .3 donning of immersion suits or thermal protective clothing by appropriate crew members;

  • .4 testing of emergency lighting for assembling and abandonment; and

  • .5 giving instructions in the use of the ship’s life-saving appliances and in survival at sea, on the ice or a combination of both.

• 13.4.2.3 Rescue boat drills should be conducted as follows:

  • .1 As far as is reasonable and practicable, rescue boats should be launched each month as part of the evacuation drill with their assigned crew aboard and manoeuvred in the water, with due consideration of the dangers of launching into Arctic ice-covered waters if applicable.

  • .2 If rescue boat launching drills are carried out with the ship making headway, such drills should be practised in sheltered waters only and under the supervision of an officer experienced in such drills^footnote.

• 13.4.2.4 Individual instructions may cover different parts of the ship’s life-saving system, but all the ship’s life-saving equipment and appliances should be covered within any period of one month on passenger ship and two months on cargo ship. Each member of the crew should be given instructions which should include but not necessarily be limited to:

  • .1 problems of hypothermia, first-aid treatment of hypothermia and other appropriate first-aid procedures; and

  • .2 special instructions necessary for use of the ship’s life-saving appliances in severe weather and severe sea conditions on the ice or in a combination of water and ice cover.

  13.4.3 Fire drills

• 13.4.3.1 Fire drill scenarios should vary each week so that emergency conditions are simulated for different ship compartments, with appropriate emphasis on those changes to standard procedure made necessary by operations in Arctic ice-covered waters and low temperatures.

• 13.4.3.2 Each fire drill should include elements required by the SOLAS Convention plus additional elements made necessary by operation in an Arctic environment.

  13.4.4 Damage control

 Damage control drill scenarios should vary each week so that emergency conditions are simulated for different damage conditions with appropriate emphasis to those conditions resultant from operations in Arctic ice-covered waters.

  13.4.5 Survival kits

• 13.4.5.1 Where fitted, the master should ensure that sufficient PSKs and GSKs are available, in full working order, and ready for immediate use, to meet the standards set forth in paragraph 11.2.4.

• 13.4.5.2 The master should keep spare personal survival equipment on board for the purpose of providing replacements for missing or damaged items of equipment in those personal survival kits issued to the complement. In addition, a number of sewing kits and replacement parts (buttons, boot laces etc.) should be kept on board for the purpose of minor repair to personal survival kit items of clothing.

• 13.4.5.3 Group survival kit inspections should be carried out no less frequently than on an annual basis at the beginning of each operating season.