Actions in Emergencies

An emergency situation on ship must be handled with confidence and calmness, for haste decisions and “jumping to conclusions” can make the matters even worse. Efficient tackling of emergency situations can be achieved by continuous training and by practical drills onboard vessel. However, it has been seen that in spite of adequate training, people get panic attacks and eventually do not do what they should in an emergency situation.

As far as the seafarer is concerned, first and foremost, he or she must be aware of the different types of emergency situations that can arise on board ship. This would help in understanding the real scenario in a better way, and would also lead to taking correct actions to save life, property, and environment.

Officers and crew should familiarize themselves thoroughly with the Fire Training Manual and the training manual on Life Saving Appliances of the ship.

A ship crew must be prepared all the time to tackle and fight against any kind of emergencies which can arise due to reasons such as rough weather, machinery malfunction, pirate attack, human error etc. Such emergencies can lead to fire, collision, flooding, grounding, environmental pollution, and loss of life. To stress the importance of training for different emergency procedures and duties of personnel, muster list is provided onboard ship.

It should be mentioned that different teams are made to tackle emergencies like fire, flooding etc. these are command team that is operated from bridge, emergency team 1 that operates at the point of scenario, while emergency team 2 is a standby team and helping hand for emergency team 1. And also there are two more special groups such as roving commission that is a team working along with all other team and engine room team that stands by in engine control room (ECR).

The muster list is posted to keep the crew aware of the different emergency situations and duties to be performed if such situations occur in reality. Some of the important areas where the muster list is posted are bridge, engine, and accommodation alleyways etc., areas where ship’s crew spends the maximum of their time.

Exercise 3. Give brief answers to the following questions:

1. What emergency situations do you know? 2. Where can the crewmembers find out about their duties in emergency and types of alarms? 3. What is “emergency team”? 4. Where is the muster list posted? 5. What manuals should any crewmember look through regularly? 6. What kinds of trainings can be carried out? 7. What are the possible reasons of emergencies?

Exercise 4. Give equivalents:

· in Russian: emergency team, to tackle emergency, alleyway, life saving appliances, search and rescue manual, to inform the bridge, officer on watch, to give the alarm, muster list, prescribed actions, accommodations, engine control room, equipment malfunction, collision, proper actions to be taken, dedicated alarm, to throw life buoy, to hoist and launch lifeboat;

· in English: штатное расписание, механизмы в исправном состоянии, выполнять распоряжения, спускать спасательную шлюпку, сообщить на мостик, одеть спасательные жилеты, содержать судовое оборудование в рабочем состоянии, нападение пиратов, бросить спасательный круг, расположение огнетушителей, предотвращать загрязнение окружающей среды, не создавать паники, человек за бортом, различать сигналы тревог, короткий сигнал, длинный гудок.

Exercise 5. Read the dialogue and then make up your own one.

A: What should be done on receiving a distress report from a ship?

B: The ships management is to establish at once whether assistance can be provided. Then the course of the ship will be laid for the distress position and the ship heads with all possible speed to the place of the disaster.

A: What precautions can be considered and made aboard the salvage vessel in regard to the shipwrecked?

B: Compartments are prepared for accommodating the shipwrecked, blankets and dry clothing are placed ready. The galley prepares warming food. The sickbay is prepared for looking after injured or sick persons.

A: Where are the details of the procedures to be used described?

B: In the “Search and Rescue” manual which is on the bridge.

Use the words and expressions:

1) a man has fallen overboard (to throw a life buoy, to take care not to hit him, to sound the alarm signal, to lower lifeboat, to inform the Master, to send for a doctor, to render first aid)

2) unknown vessel is asking for help after the collision (to respond to SOS distress call, to break off the voyage, to proceed to the place of the disaster, to take command of search and rescue)

Exercise 6. Choose the right variant.

Exercise 7. Look through the text and then decide which statement is TRUE/FALSE.

1. The special signal should be given in such an emergency.

2. Once a crewmember informs the bridge about the fallen person, he can be free.

3. The main concern is the location of a person overboard.

4. The ship should stop and not to move, because the fallen man will swim to it.

5. No flag should be hoisted in order not to distract another ship.

Man Overboard

Man overboard is a situation where in a ship’s crew member falls out at sea from the ship, no matter where the ship is sailing, in open seas or in still waters in port. A seafarer has to be very careful while performing his duties onboard vessel as a person can fall off the ship due to bad weather, swell in the sea, accidents, and due to negligence during. A man overboard is an emergency situation and it is very important to locate and recover the person as soon as possible as due to bad weather or rough sea, the crew member can drown or else due to temperature of the cold water the person can get hypothermia. A person will get unconscious after 15 minutes in water with temperature of 5 °C.

There is a dedicated alarm signal used onboard vessels and is same for all entire vessels sailing in international waters. Three prolong blast on the ship’s electrical bell and ship’s whistle is an alarm signal used for man overboard emergency situation. The first and foremost thing is Never to lose the sight of fallen person and inform others onboard by shouting “Man overboard” along with side of the ship i.e. port or starboard side until someone informs the bridge and raises an alarm.

As soon as bridge officer knows the situation, raise the ‘man overboard alarm’ and hoist signal flag “O” to inform all the ship staff and other ships about the vicinity. Throw a lifebuoy with smoke float, light (and SART if available) near to the fallen person. Ship’s engine must be slowed down and ship should be turned toward the fallen crew for recovery manoeuvre. Engine is to be on stand by all the time.

Exercise 8. Translate the sentences into Russian.

1. Regular training and drill must be conducted by the master of the ship to ensure that all crew members are familiar with life saving and fire fighting appliances.

2. A muster list is basically a list which is displayed in prominent areas of the vessel so that every crew member on onboard can read it on a go.

3. If someone falls overboard, you should shout “Man Overboard” and throw him a life buoy.

4. To tackle any emergency efficiently and fast, it’s necessary to inform the bridge and the watchkeeping officer as soon as possible.

5. If you get overboard get clear of the ship and continue shouting and splashing water as long as there is a chance that you will be heard and seen, then swim on your back to keep your body warm.

6. Life jackets and where appropriate, immersion suits, should be worn by the rescue boat crew.

7. If for some reason a ship is going to sink the crew must abandon it, but only the master can decide when and if the ship will be abandoned.

8. The muster list is posted to keep the crew aware of the different emergency situations and duties to be performed if such situations occur in reality.

9. Efficient tackling of emergency situations can be achieved by continuous training and by practical drills onboard vessel.

10. Officers and crew should familiarize themselves thoroughly with the Fire Training Manual and the training manual on Life Saving Appliances of the ship.

Exercise 10. Translate the sentences into English.

1. Предотвратить аварийную ситуацию является самой важной задачей экипажа судна, поэтому экипажу следует соблюдать меры предупреждения, содержать судно, его устройства и оборудование в рабочем состоянии и проводить тренировки.

2. У каждой тревоги есть свой сигнал, сигналы тревог повторяются 3-4 раза, а капитан или вахтенный помощник отдают приказ.

3. Существует несколько видов тревог – Человек за бортом, шлюпочная тревога, нападение пиратов, но самой основной является общесудовая тревога.

4. В аварийных ситуациях действия членов экипажа, находящихся на вахте, определяются судовыми расписаниями и распоряжениями капитана.

5. В судовом расписании указываются обязанности экипажа по каждому виду судовых тревог и тип одежды и снаряжения.

6. Каждый член экипажа обязан знать устройство и особенности судна, расположение всех спасательных средств и противопожарного оборудования, свои обязанности и действия по тревогам.

7. Три длинных сигнала означает тревогу «Человек за бортом», все не занятые на вахте обязаны встать по местам штатного расписания по шлюпочной тревоге, остальные поднимаются на ют и выполняют распоряжения старшего вахтенного офицера.

8. Если прозвучит общесудовая тревога (непрерывный сигнал в течение 25-20 секунд) а все аварийные действия будут начаты аварийной партией.

9. Сигнал из семи коротких и одного длинного означает шлюпочную тревогу, следует встать на места согласно штатному расписанию и необходимо быть в спасательном жилете и со своими документами.

10. Учебные тревоги подаются с разрешения капитана и предваряются (to be anticipated) словом «Учебная», по всем тревогам, кроме шлюпочной и «Человек за бортом», экипаж жилеты не надевает, но обязательно подносит их к месту сбора.