PLANS AND PROCEDURES FOR RECOVERY OF

PERSONS FROM THE WATER

MT “ARCTIC BREEZE”
IMO No. 9350850
 PLANS AND PROCEDURES FOR RECOVERY OF PERSONS
FROM THE WATER

INDEX

Document History / Revision Page

Ship Particulars

Section 1 Introduction
1.1 General
1.2 Purpose
1.3 Objective
1.4 Applicability and Scope
1.5 Requirements Regulations and Guidelines
1.6 Relation to the International Safety Management (ISM) Code

Section 2 Principles of operation

2.1 General
2.2 Necessity of Planning
2.3 Recovery operation from water
2.4 Safety precautions

Section 3 Roles and Responsibilities

3.1 Responsibility of Master
3.2 Duties of the crew

Section 4 Competence and Familiarization

4.1 General
4.2 Record of Familiarization on Plans and Procedures for Recovery of Persons from Water

Vessel Particulars

Annex 1： Risk assessment with Anticipated Conditions and Ship Characteristics.

Annex 2: Description of the Procedures and Recovery Plan used On Board

A2.1 Main Particulars
A2.2 Plans and Documents
A2.3 Ship Specific Arrangements
A2.4 Duties of the crew
A2.5 Operational Methods employed

Appendix 1:
MSC.1/Circ.1447 “GUIDELINES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT FOR PLANS AND PROCEDURES FOR RECOVERY OF
PERSONS FROM THE WATER”

Appendix 2:
MSC.1/Circ.1182 “GUIDE TO RECOVERY TECHNIQUES”

Appendix 3:
MSC.1/Circ.1185/Rev.1 “GUIDE FOR COLD WATER SURVIVAL”

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 PLANS AND PROCEDURES FOR RECOVERY OF PERSONS
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DOCUMENT HISTORY / REVISION PAGE

MT “ARCTIC BREEZE”

PLANS AND PROCEDURES FOR RECOVERY OF PERSONS FROM THE WATER

Revision
Date Section Page(s) Remarks
Number
001 01/02/2014 ALL ALL First Release

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 PLANS AND PROCEDURES FOR RECOVERY OF PERSONS
FROM THE WATER

SHIP PARTICULARS

Ship’s photo

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 PLANS AND PROCEDURES FOR RECOVERY OF PERSONS
FROM THE WATER

Name of Vessel Arctic Breeze IMO Number 9350850

Flag Malta Port of Registry Valletta

Vessel Type Oil Tanker Call Sign 9HNE8

STX Shipbuilding Co.,
Built April 2006 Shipyard
Ltd . Jinhae, Korea
INTERORIENT MARINE
Class Germanischer Lloyd Managers SERVICES (GERMANY)
GmbH & CO. KG.
GRT 30053 NRT 32082

Section 1 – Introduction

1.1 General

This document is developed based on “GUIDELINES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT FOR PLANS AND
PROCEDURES FOR RECOVERY OF PERSONS FROM THE WATER (MSC.1/Circ.1447)”, as set out in Appendix
1 to this document.

Risk assessment with equipment intended to be used on board, taking into account the anticipated
conditions and ship-specific characteristics, was carried out and included as per Annex 1 to this document.

The Guide to recovery techniques (MSC.1/Circ.1182: attached as appendix 2) provides a number of

examples of how certain types of equipment can be used to recover persons from the water, to be referred
for facilitating the procedures.

In addition, following related documents were also considered when developing this document:

a) MSC.1/Circ.1182 “GUIDE TO RECOVERY TECHNIQUES” (Appendix 2 of this document)

b) MSC.1/Circ.1185/Rev.1 “GUIDE FOR COLD WATER SURVIVAL” (Appendix 3 of this document)

1.2 Purpose

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance for the Master and other crew members on board the
ship regarding procedures for recovering persons from water.

This document is to be kept on board and maintained in accordance with SOLAS regulation III/17-1, and in
order to achieve its purpose, crews on board should be familiar with this document. In line with the
implementation of this plan, the ship-specific SOLAS Training Manual is to be updated to reflect on the
contents of this plan.

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1.3 Objective

This document aims for the effective recovery and rescue of persons from water with reducing the risk to
shipboard personnel involved in recovery operation.

The recovery plans and procedures should facilitate the transfer of persons from the water to the ship
while minimizing the risk of injury from impact with the ships side or other structures, including the
recovery appliances itself.

1.4 Applicability and Scope

This can be used as a guidance in case of responding to any distress signal where recovery operations are
required and also when preparing for the rescue operations for recovering persons from the sea.

1.5 Requirements, Regulations and Guidelines

1.5.1 SOLAS III “Regulation 17-1 Recovery of persons from the water”

All ships shall have ship-specific plans and procedures for recovery of persons from the water, taking into
account the guidelines developed by the Organization. The plans and procedures shall identify the
equipment intended to be used for recovery purposes and measures to be taken to minimize the risk to
shipboard personnel involved in recovery operations. Ships constructed before 1 July 2014 shall comply with
this requirement by the first periodical or renewal safety equipment survey of the ship to be carried out
after 1 July 2014 whichever comes first.

1.5.2 “GUIDELINES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PLANS AND PROCEDURES FOR RECOVERY OF PERSONS
FROM THE WATER (MSC.1/Circ.1447)”

MSC.1/Circ.1447 insists to refer the following documents for reference:

a) MSC.1/Circ.1182 “GUIDE TO RECOVERY TECHNIQUES” (Appendix 2 of this document); and

b) MSC.1/Circ.1185/Rev.1 “GUIDE FOR COLD WATER SURVIVAL” (Appendix 3 of this document)

1.6 Relation to the International Safety Management (ISM) Code

This document should be considered as a part of the emergency preparedness plan required by paragraph
8 of Part A of the International Safety Management (ISM) Code.

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Section 2 – Principles of Operation

2.1 General

The initiation or continuation of recovery operations should be at the discretion of the Master of the
recovering ships, in accordance with the provisions of SOLAS regulation III/17-1.

Life-saving and other equipment carried on board may be used to recover persons from the water, even
though this may require using such equipment in unconventional ways.

Annex 1/Annex 2 to this document to be referred for the information and procedures specifically used on
board this vessel.

2.2 Necessity of Planning

During voyages, there can be situations when the crew suddenly engages to recover people in distress at
sea. This might be a person overboard from the same ship, a fellow crew member, or a passenger, or the
ship might be responding to someone else’s emergency; for example a ship abandoned because of
flooding, fire or a ditched aircraft.

In such cases crew may have to prepare, with little or no notice, to recover people - maybe many people.
Whoever they are, their lives may be in your hands.

In many areas of the world, especially when out of range of shore-based search and rescue (SAR) facilities,
your ship may be the first, or the only, rescue unit to reach them. Even if you are joined by specialized
units, you will still have a vital role to play, especially in a major incident. If you are required to recover
people in distress, it is your capability and your ship that matters. You may have to find a unique solution to
a unique lifesaving problem. To ensure that you can respond safely and effectively, you need to think about
the general issues beforehand.

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2.3 Recovery operation from water

While undergoing the recovery operations, ship’s crew have to refer the procedures stipulated in Annex 2
to this document.

Annex 2 to this document specifies the anticipated conditions under which a recovery operation may be
conducted without causing undue hazard to the ship and the ship's crew, taking into account, but not
limited to:

1. Manoeuvrability of the ship;

2. Freeboard of the ship;
3. Points on the ship to which casualties may be recovered;
4. Characteristics and limitations of equipment intended to be used for recovery operations;
5. Available crew and personal protective equipment (PPE);
6. Wind force, direction and spray;
7. Significant wave height (Hs);
8. Period of waves;
9. Swell; and
10. Safety of navigation

To the extent practicable, recovery procedures should provide for recovery of persons in a horizontal or
near-horizontal (“deck chair”) position. Recovery in a vertical position should be avoided whenever possible
as it risks cardiac arrest in hypothermic casualties (refer to the Guide for cold water survival
(MSC.1/Circ.1185/Rev.1)).

Illumination is necessary for the recovery operation from water. Source of illumination and power (where
required) should be available for the area where the recovery operation is conducted.

2.4 Safety precautions

Recovery operations should be conducted at a position clear of the ship's propellers and, as far as
practicable, within the ship's parallel mid-body section.

If carried, dedicated recovery equipment should be clearly marked with the maximum number of persons it
can accommodate, based on a weight of 82.5 kg per person.

The Master should take necessary precautions as described in Annex 2 to this document.

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FROM THE WATER

Section 3 – Roles and Responsibilities

3.1 Responsibility of the Master

The initiation or continuation of recovery operations should be at the discretion of the Master of the
recovering ships, in accordance with the provisions of SOLAS regulation III/17-1.

The use of ship's rescue craft must be for the Master to decide, depending on the particular circumstances
of the incident. Allowable circumstances are referred to in Annex 1/Annex 2 to this document.

There will be times when recovery cannot be attempted or completed without unduly endangering the
ship, her crew or those needing recovery. Only the assisting ship’s Master can decide when this is the case.

The Master has to establish programs and should carry out drills for emergency actions related to recovery
of persons from the water, a reference to the intervals recovery drills are to be carried out is made in the
Annual Drill Plan.

3.2 Duties of the crew

The various tasks involved are defined and assigned to particular personnel on board, like who will be
required for the recovery process, who will manage the ship in the meantime, etc., please refer Annex 2 for
details.

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Section 4 – Competence and Familiarization

4.1 General

Drills should ensure that crew’s competence and familiarization with the plans, procedures and equipment
for recovery of persons from the water is verified at regular intervals. Such exercises may be conducted in
conjunction with routine man-overboard drills, but in any case records to be maintained in the AVECS
Safety Records Folder (or the hardcopy SRF, where AVECS is not operational).

4.2 Familiarization Record for Plans and Procedures for the Recovery of Persons from the Water

Basic familiarization in respect to Recovery of Persons and the specific equipment involved shall be
carried out in line with the On-Board Safety Familiarization after signing on as per Crew Familiarization
Form C05a.

In addition the Plan and Procedures for Recovery of Persons from the Water is to be reviewed by any
new crewmember after signing on, and an entry in the specific Record of Familiarization is to be made.

The Record of Familiarization is to be prepared by every ship, following the given example below:

RANK NAME DATE CREW RANK / NAME OF RECOVERY SIGNATURE

SIGNED FAMILIARIZATION PERSON GIVING PLAN /
ON (FORM C05a) FAMILIARIZATION PROCEDURES
COMPLETED REVIEWED

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Annex 1 – Risk Assessment with Anticipated Conditions and Ship Characteristics

When developing the plans and procedures for recovery of persons from the water for this particular ship,
the following Risk assessment was conducted, including equipment intended to be used, taking into
account the anticipated conditions and ship-specific characteristics.

Should the ship proceed towards to the search and rescue area, the TRA #80 Rescue of Persons from the
Water is to be reviewed, completed and sent to the office ([email protected]) for
approval.

Detailed risks connected to the ship-specific characteristics, if not included in the TRA Generic Template,
should be considered and included in the Task Risk Assessment, and ship specific criteria are to be
developed and included in the plan.

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Annex 2 – Description of the Procedures and Recovery Plan used on board

A2.1 Main Particulars

Ship's Name: Arctic Breeze

Call Sign: 9HNE8
IMO Number: 9350850
Type of Vessel: Oil Tanker
Navigational Area: World-Wide Trade

Principal Dimensions:

LOA: 183 m
LPP: 175.38 m
Breadth: 32.2 m
Moulded Depth: 19.1 m

Loadline Details: Freeboard Draft

Summer 5.842 m 13.27 m

Winter 6.118 m 13.09 m
Tropical 5.842 m 13.27 m
Light Ship 16.278 m 2.834 m
Normal Ballast 11.591 m 7.537 m

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FROM THE WATER
Parallel Body Distances: Light Ship Normal Ballast Summer DWT

Forward to Midships 26.40 m 43.79 m 43.79 m

Aft to Midships 32.81 m 46.41 m 58.33 m
Parallel Body Length 59.20 m 90.20 m 102.12 m

A2.2 Plans and Documents

These plans are to be used along with this manual:

 General Arrangement Plan

 Lifesaving Appliances Plan
 SOLAS Training Manual

A2.3 Ship-Specific Arrangements

Reference is to be made to the Fire & Control Plan and the SOLAS Training Manual for more detailed LSA
and equipment carried on board.
For the recovery of persons from the water, in addition to the regular Life-Saving Appliances and
procedures described, any other equipment, such as ladders, cranes, gantries, davits, windlass, etc., may
also be required to be used. The use of any other equipment is at the discretion of the Master, and may be
used even in unconventional ways.

Capacity of Lifeboat: 30 Persons

Capacity of Rescue Boat: 30 Persons

Accommodation Ladders: Max. Allowable Number of Persons 5 Persons

SWL 600 kg
Max. Angle 55°

Line-Throwing Devices: All line-throwing devices are in compliance with minimum SOLAS
requirements

Max. Freeboard corresponding to which a safety net can be lowered: Net could be rigged safely to 15 m

Location of Lowest Freeboard: Main Deck

Location of Medical Chest: Upper Accommodation Deck, starboard side

Illumination Sources:

 Illumination of main deck, manifolds, aft and forward, accommodation, lifeboat and embarkation
stations and muster station is provided, the light controls are located on the bridge

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 Embarkation lights for the forward liferaft are provided at the embarkation station on both port
and starboard side, controlled in vicinity of the liferaft
 Embarkation lights are provided on both sides of the vessel at the lifeboat / rescue boat
embarkation stations
 Emergency lighting is provided on all accommodation superstructure decks, which includes the aft
embarkation stations. The emergency lighting for the embarkation stations is controlled at both
accommodation entrances and the bridge
 Several portable explosion-proof flashlights are distributed in various areas of the vessel for
emergency use

Cranes:

 Hose Handling Crane: SWL 10 t, max. reach outboard 9.0 m

 Provision Crane (Port): SWL 3.4 t, reach outboard 7.0 m

Dynamic Parameters:

Wind Force and Direction Reference is to be made to anemometer installed on bridge

Wave Height (HS) Assessment to be done at incident location
Wave Period Assessment to be done at incident location

Maneuverability Parameters:

Reference in respect to vessel's turning circles, stopping distances and emergency maneuvers is to be made
to the vessels Maneuvering Characteristics provided on the bridge

A2.4 Recovery Operations - Duties of Crew

In respect to specific duties of the crewmembers reference is to be made to the ship-specific Muster Lists,
detailing crew duties for various emergency situations

A2.5 Operational Methods employed

Life-saving and any other equipment carried on board may be used to recover persons from the water,
even though this may require using such equipment in unconventional ways.

In principle, the ways of recovering as mentioned in the SOLAS Training Manual should be referred to the
recovery of person from water. Before starting any rescue operation itself, the crew should be ready with
all equipment and arrangements.

To the extent practicable, recovery procedures should provide for recovery of persons in a horizontal or
near-horizontal (“deck-chair”) position. Recovery in a vertical position should be avoided whenever possible

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 PLANS AND PROCEDURES FOR RECOVERY OF PERSONS
FROM THE WATER
due to risks of cardiac arrest in hypothermic casualties (refer to the Guide for Cold Water Survival
(MSC.1/Circ.1185/Rev.1)).

Immediately after figuring a person (or persons) in the water the Master is advised to slow down the
vessel, and approach the survivor(s) in accordance with ship specific procedures, ensuring a safe approach
and giving as much protection as possible.

Recovery Operation - Planning and Execution

Receiving a Distress Message / Request to Assist

Planning for Recovery

Ship proceeding to / accessing the Distress Area

Providing Assistance prior to Recovery

Maneuvering Ship towards the Person(s) in the Water

Getting the Person(s) on Board

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Lifting Rescue / Life Boat Ladder / Net

Stand-By when Person(s) cannot be recovered

Immediate Care of Person(s) recovered

Details of Ship-Specific Procedures

Receiving a Distress Message / Request for Assistance

The OOW will immediately inform the Master about the Distress Call or Request for Assistance received
from a vessel in distress or a MRCC. The Master will assess, if the own vessel is in a reasonable distance and
if the prevailing weather conditions will allow a quick and safe passage towards the location. The Master
will advise the MRCC or vessel in distress about the intention to assist, and the approximate arrival time of
his vessel on scene.

Planning for Recovery:

The Master will gather all crew together, advising them about the information received, and the intention
to assist. All crew are requested to prepare the recovery of persons from the water, following their duties
as detailed in the ship's Muster List. All equipment needed for the recovery is to be collected by the crew,
and deposited in vicinity of the accommodation ladders and life / rescue boat respectively. The hospital /
medical treatment room is to be prepared, additional blankets and dry clothes to be collected. The Cook is
to be advised to prepare tea and possibly some light soup for survivors in due course prior to arrival at the
distress area. The watch-keeping schedule shall be adjusted to ensure that sufficient personnel is available,
and the watch-keeping duties are maintained in line with the requirements, the planning shall include rest
periods as well, depending on the time needed to arrive in the distress area (where applicable).

Ship proceeding to / arriving at Distress Area

The Master to adjust speed in line with prevailing weather conditions to ensure a safe passage towards the
area. On arrival at the Distress Area / Position the speed is to be reduced in order to enable lookouts to
search the area for persons in the water.

Providing Assistance prior to Recovery:

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FROM THE WATER
Should there be another vessel or vessels in the distress area, close communication is to be established to
ensure efficient Search and Rescue operations. Assistance might be given to provide some lee for other
vessels that might already be involved in the recovery of persons, or by sending the rescue or life boat to
assist in the recovery. All shall be coordinated with the other vessels, and carried out safely in respect to
weather and sea conditions on scene.

Getting the Person(s) on board:

Depending on the situation, taking weather and swell conditions into consideration, the Master to decide
on the best way to recover the person(s). At first a good lee is to be given, providing a safe distance to the
person(s) in the water in order not to endanger them being dragged towards the ship's propeller or under
the vessel. The best appropriate means to get the person(s) on board is to be chosen, i.e. by boat, using a
ladder or a net, or to lift by cranes.

Stand-By when person(s) cannot be recovered:

Should it be impossible for the own vessel to recover the person(s) from the water, the Master should try
to give the most effective lee for the person(s). Floating means, such as lifebuoys, shall be thrown towards
the person(s), these should be provided with a light. The deployment of a liferaft might be considered
where possible and appropriate. Communication with MRCC is to be maintained in order to send other
vessels or a helicopter to assist in the recovery.

Immediate Care of Persons recovered:

Persons recovered from the water most probably will suffer from hypothermia, therefore it is to ensure
that sufficient blankets and dry clothes are available. It is to ensure that close contact with MRCC is
maintained in order to receive medical advice, should this be required. A slow warming up process is to be
undertaken, which might be assisted by serving tea or a light soup, in any case additional information is to
be collected from the Medical Guide and other respective publications available on board.

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