Emergency Response

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

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The aim of the Emergency Response Plan is to detail the emergency management arrangements relating to the prevention of, preparation for, response to and recovery from Emergencies that occur on board ships.

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A Marine Transport Emergency is an actual or impending event involving a ship(s) that is capable of causing: loss of life, injury to a person or damage to the health of a person; serious degradation of the marine and coastal environment; loss of property; or danger to safe navigation or significant damage to marineinfrastructure to the extent that maritime commerce is, or may be disrupted.

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The Master has the final and overriding authority and responsibility to make decisions in respect to safety and security of the ship, her crew and the environmental protection, regardless of any commercial considerations and to request the company’s assistance as may be necessary.  In case of an emergency, the Master must decide as a matter of urgency whether assistance, including salvage assistance, is needed or if the situation can be handled using the ship’s own resources.

MUSTER LIST AND EMERGENCY INSTRUCTIONS. 

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(A) General. Clear instructions must be provided on the vessel that detail the actions each person on board should follow in the event of an emergency. (B) Muster list. Copies of the muster list must be posted in conspicuous places throughout the vessel including on the navigating bridge, in the engine room, and in crew accommodation spaces. The muster list must be posted before the vessel begins its voyage. After the muster list has been prepared, if any change takes place that necessitates an alteration in the muster list, the master must either revise the existing muster list or prepare a new one. Each muster lists must at least specify—

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(1) The instructions for operating the general emergency alarm system and public address system; (2) The emergency signals; (3) The actions to be taken by the persons on board when each signal is sounded; (4) How the order to abandon the vessel will be given. (5) The officers that are assigned to make sure that lifesaving and firefighting appliances are maintained in good condition and ready for immediate use;

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(6) The duties assigned to the different members of the crew. Duties to be specified include— (i) Closing the watertight doors, fire doors, valves, scuppers, sidescuttles, skylights, portholes, and other similar openings in the vessel's hull; (ii) Equipping the survival craft and other lifesaving appliances; (iii) Preparing and launching the survival craft; (iv) Preparing other lifesaving appliances; (v) Mustering the passengers and other persons on board; (vi) Using communication equipment; (vii) Manning the emergency squad assigned to deal with fires and other emergencies; and (viii) Using firefighting equipment and installations.

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(7) The duties assigned to members of the crew in relation to passengers and other persons on board in case of an emergency. Assigned duties to be specified include— (i) Warning the passengers and other persons on board; (ii) Seeing that passengers and other persons on board are suitably dressed and have donned their lifejackets or immersion suits correctly; (iii) Assembling passengers and other persons on board at muster stations; (iv) Keeping order in the passageways and on the stairways and generally controlling the movements of the passengers and other persons on board; and (v) Making sure that a supply of blankets is taken to the survival craft; and

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(8) The substitutes for key persons if they are disabled, taking into account that different emergencies require different actions. (C) Emergency instructions. Illustrations and instructions in English, and any other appropriate language as determined, must be posted in each passenger cabin and in spaces occupied by persons other than crew, and must be conspicuously displayed at each muster station. The illustrations and instructions must include information on— (1) The fire and emergency signal; (2) Their muster station; (3) The essential actions they must take in an emergency; (4) The location of lifejackets, including child-size lifejackets; and (5) The method of donning lifejackets.

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1 Prepare contingency plans for emergency response 1.1 Potential emergency situations are identified in conjunction with relevant shipboard personnel 1.2 Plans of action are developed by the master and chief engineer with appropriate assistance from other personnel detailing procedures for responding to potential emergency situations as per regulatory requirements and company procedures 1.3 Resources are organised in readiness for potential implementation of emergency and security contingency plans 1.4 Contingency plans for dealing with emergency response are documented in accordance with company procedures and regulatory requirements 1.5 Shipboard officers and crew are made aware of contingency plans for emergency response 1.6 Drills are carried out at appropriate times to test the readiness of shipboard personnel to implement emergency and security contingency plans

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2 Develop plans for damage control following a shipboard emergency 2.1 Possible damage scenarios are identified and methods of damage control are devised by the vessel’s management team as per standard operating procedures 2.2 Plans of action for dealing with shipboard damage, particularly that involving the integrity of the vessel’s hull, are developed by the vessel’s management team in accordance with regulatory requirements and company procedures 2.3 Planned damage control procedures for dealing with damage to the vessel and its hull are documented as per company and regulatory requirements 2.4 Appropriate resources are organised in readiness for possible deployment should there be damage to the vessel during an emergency

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3 Develop plans for fire protection, detection and extinguishment 3.1 Plans of action for fire protection, detection and extinguishment are developed by the vessel’s management team as per regulations, and fire control  procedures 3.2 Plans for fire protection, detection and extinguishment are documented in accordance with company procedures and regulatory requirements 3.3 Appropriate resources are organised in readiness for possible deployment should there be a fire on board the vessel during an emergency 3.4 Fire control drills are carried out at appropriate times to test the readiness of shipboard personnel to implement plans for fire protection, detection and extinguishment

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4 Develop procedures for the use of various lifesaving appliances 4.1 Procedures for the use of various shipboard lifesaving appliances are developed by the vessel’s management team in accordance with regulatory requirements, manufacturer’s instructions and company procedures 4.2 Procedures for the use of various lifesaving appliances are documented in accordance with company procedures and regulatory requirements 4.3 Instruction is organised for shipboard personnel in the correct use of lifesaving appliances 4.4 Lifesaving drills are carried out at appropriate times to test the readiness of shipboard personnel to correctly carry out lifesaving procedures and use lifesaving appliances

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5 Coordinate the implementation of emergency response plans 5.1 Information on emergency response plans is distributed and made available to shipboard personnel via noticeboards, pamphlets and documented instructions 5.2 Appropriate instruction is organised for shipboard personnel in their roles and responsibilities during various types of shipboard emergencies 5.3 Appropriate emergency drills are carried out at appropriate times to test the readiness of shipboard personnel to correctly carry out various emergency response plans 5.4 Appropriate alarms and directions are given when an emergency is detected 5.5 Action in dealing with an emergency is coordinated in accordance with the emergency response plan, regulatory requirements and company procedures 5.6 Details of a shipboard emergency and the action taken is documented in accordance with regulatory requirements and company procedures

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ACCIDENT SCENARIOS Based on an Environmental Risk Analysis for situations commonly related to general marine operations, the following accident scenarios were selected.

Scenario 1 – Failure during refueling operations at sea, with the rupture of the supply vessel’s transfer hose to the ship, resulting in a spill of diesel oil. Scenario 2 – Taking in water from holed shipside. Scenario 3 – Collision of a cargo vessel with the ship. Scenario 4 – Running aground. Scenario 5 - Fire followed by explosion, rupturing the hull and sinking the vessel.

Scenario 6 - Hull failures. Abandon ship by lifeboat Scenario 7 – Fire. Abandon ship by liferaft Scenario 8 – Medical emergency. Cook found unconscious in cold room. Scenario 9 – Man Overboard Scenario 10 – Crew member falls into tank. Scenario 11 –At Sea Medical emergency. Engineer seriously injured while working, hand severed.

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Scenario 12 Vessel sustains damage to steering gear. Scenario 13 Failure of gyrocompass/other navigational equipment in restricted waters.

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State of readiness:

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Sufficient staff should always be rested and capable of handling emergencies. Equipment should always be in a state of readiness viz.- Hand held radios charged, Flashlights with fresh batteries, CABA sets should always be charged to capacity, accessways should be clear,

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