CONTINGENCY PLANNING

CONTINGENCY PLANNING ON SHIPS

SOLAS stipulates the conduct of boat/abandon ship drill and fire drill at intervals
not exceeding a month.

IMO stipulates, as part of ISM, for every company to have a contingency plan for
all perceived life

- ship or environment threatening incident. Such a plan to include all aspects

including training, organization, communications and reporting systems.

• USCG and various port state administrations require a ship to conduct oil
pollution contingency drills at periodic stipulated intervals.

• Port and flag state authorities can call upon ships to prove their standards of
preparedness by demonstrating through unannounced drills.

Contingency Planning

Under the ISM Code, every company is required to identify the various
contingencies that could occur on board and draw up drills and procedures to
deal with such contingencies.

• Contingency plan gives the broad outline, while the “Muster List” delegates the
duties to individuals.

• Chapter III, Regulation 53 of SOLAS stipulates guidelines for the drawing up of

such muster lists and contingency plans.

SOLAS Chap3, Reg. 53

• The muster list shall specify details of emergency alarm and action to be taken
by each individual when this alarm is sounded.

• Shall specify the exact means by which an “abandon ship” order will be issued.

• The muster list shall specify which officers are assigned to ensure that the life
saving and fire appliances are maintained in good condition and ready for
emergency use.
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• Muster list shall identify substitutes for ‘key persons’.

• Shall specify the duties assigned to crew in relation to passengers in case of an

emergency.

• Shall contain means of intra-ship communications in an emergency.

• Shall define the “emergency muster point’.

Types of Contingency Drills

MONTHLY (immediately after departure if OVER 25% OF CREW HAVING

CHANGED.)

• Fire drill

• Abandon-ship drill.

QUARTERLY

 Steering Failure.
 Launching & manoeuvering of life boat in water.
 Oil Pollution.

ONCE A YEAR

• Man over-board.

• Stranding/Grounding.

• Collision.

• Cargo shifting.

• Main Engine failure.

• Terrorist/Pirate attack.

• Power failure.

• Any other identified contingencies.

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Contingency Planning

• Contingency plans need to be ship specific and practically executable.

• The senior most personnel on board must be involved in the process of

drawing up contingency muster lists.

• Skills and capabilities of individuals must be taken into account when

allocating contingency duties.

• Safety of personnel, location and accessibility of safety equipment and

available escape routes should be the factors considered when deciding on the
location of the muster point.

• Back up plans, particularly with regard to back up for team leaders should be
provided for.

• Contingency plans should give the necessary attention to watch keeping and
communication duties.

• Chains of command, control and reporting should be clearly specified.

• The plans should give the necessary flexibility to cope with deviations from the
plan which may sometimes be necessary.

• The plans should be in harmony with ‘flag’ or ‘port’ state requirements.

Drills involving External Agencies

Contingency drills should occasionally be carried out involving external parties

who would actually become involved in a real emergency.

SUCH PARTIES INCLUDE

• Head office, qualified individual, Shore Co-ordination contractor, Clean-up

contractor, Port-state, Port authorities and shore based lines of communications
for Oil-Pollution drills.

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• SERS Coordinator, Head office, Classification society, agents, port & flag state
and may-be salvage contractors for damage response exercises.

• Head office, Agents, Coast-guard and Port-authorities in the case of Medi-vac

emergencies.

• Head Office, Salvage contractors or Tugs for Emergency Towing Exercises.

THE STRUCTURE OF A CONTINGENCY PLAN

The ‘Command’ Team:

Under the command of the Master, it consists of the bridge watch-keeping and
communications team.

Their tasks include:

• Command, control of contingency response.

• Maintaining navigational safety of vessel.

• Communications.

• Log keeping.

• Periodic assessment and evaluation of the situation and devising any

necessary strategy changes.

The ‘Emergency’ Team:

Usually under the charge of the Chief Officer, it takes charge of operations at the
seat of the emergency.

Their tasks include:

• Giving feedback to Command team.

• First line of emergency response at site of emergency.

• In case of engine room contingency, to take over the tasks of a backup team,
while the backup team takes over the duties of the emergency team.
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• To evaluate human and material resource requirements and report the same
to the Command team.

The ‘Back-Up’ Team:

Usually under the charge of the 2nd Engineer, it offers back up support to the
emergency team.

Their tasks include:

• Taking over functions of the emergency team in case of an engine-room

contingency.

• To give necessary human and material resources support to the emergency

team.

• To carry out second line services under the instructions of the Command team.

The ‘Support’ Team:

Usually under the charge of the 2nd Officer, it takes charge of emergency
ancillary services.

Their tasks include:

• Preparation of life boat.

• Emergency First aid.

• Casualty evacuation after initial rescue.

• Other support services under instruction from the Command team.

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IMO: A.852(20) Guidelines for a structure of an integrated system of

contingency planning for shipboard emergencies.

Shipboard emergency preparedness is required under the SOLAS and MARPOL

Conventions (in chapter 8 of the ISM Code referred to in SOLAS chapter IX; in
SOLAS chapter III, regulation 24-4, adopted by the 1995 SOLAS Conference;
and in MARPOL 73/78, Annex I, regulation 26); in order to implement the
SOLAS and MARPOL requirements, there must be shipboard procedures and
instructions. The high number of non-harmonized shipboard contingency plans
justifies the development of an integrated system and the harmonization of the
structure of contingency plans.

These Guidelines provide a framework for formulating procedures for the

effective response to emergency situations identified by the company and
shipboard personnel.

In this context the main objectives of these Guidelines are:

 to assist companies in translating the requirements of the regulations into

action by making use of the structure of the integrated system;
 to integrate relevant shipboard emergency situations into such a system;
 to assist in the development of harmonized contingency plans which will
enhance their acceptance by shipboard personnel and their proper use in
an emergency situation; and
 to encourage Governments, in the interest of uniformity, to accept the
structure of the integrated system as being in conformity with the
provisions for the development of shipboard contingency plans, as required
by various IMO instruments, and to refer to these Guidelines when
preparing appropriate national legislation.

Every company is required by the ISM Code to develop, implement and maintain
a Safety Management System (SMS). Within this SMS, procedures are required
to describe and respond to potential shipboard emergency situations. If the
preparation of response actions for the many possible varying types of
emergency situations which may occur are formulated on the basis of a
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complete and detailed case by case consideration, a great deal of duplication will
result. To avoid duplication, shipboard contingency plans must differentiate
between "initial actions" and the major response effort involving the
"subsequent response",

Depending on the emergency situation and the type of ship. A two-tier course of
action provides the basis for a modular approach, which can avoid unnecessary
duplication. It is recommended that a uniform and integrated system of
shipboard emergency plans should be treated as part of the International Safety
Management (ISM) Code, forming a fundamental part of the company’s
individual Safety Management System (SMS).

IMO A.865 (20) Minimum training requirements for personnel

nominated to assist passengers in emergency situations on passenger
ships.

The new resolution A.865 (20) expands the training recommended by resolution
A.770 (18).

"Recommendations on training requirements for personnel nominated to assist

passengers in emergency situations" to more effectively address training to
assist special needs passengers such as elderly, disabled, infirm and very young
passengers.

The new resolution, which revokes resolution A.770 (18), provides criteria to
assess whether communication skills are sufficient to assist passengers during
an emergency, and gives the theoretical and practical items which the training
should include but not necessarily be limited to. The number of trained persons,
which should be included on the ship’s safe manning document, should always
be sufficient to assist the total number of passengers who may be on board at
any one time.

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CHAPTER III, PART B: LIFE-SAVING APPLIANCES AND ARRANGEMENTS.

SECTION I, II and III PASSENGER SHIPS AND CARGO SHIPS

Regulation 8 Muster list and emergency instructions

1. This regulation applies to all ships.

2. Clear instructions to be followed in the event of an emergency shall be

provided for every person on board. In the case of passenger ships these
instructions shall be drawn up in the language or languages required by the
ship's flag State and in the English language.

3. Muster lists and emergency instructions complying with the requirements of

regulation 37 shall be exhibited in conspicuous places throughout the ship
including the navigation bridge, engine room and crew accommodation spaces.

4. Illustrations and instructions in appropriate languages shall be posted in

passenger cabins and be conspicuously displayed at muster stations and other
passenger spaces to inform passengers of:

.1 their muster station;

.2 the essential actions they must take in an emergency; and

.3 the method of donning lifejackets.

Regulation 9 Operating instructions

1. This regulation applies to all ships.

2. Posters or signs shall be provided on or in the vicinity of survival craft and

their launching controls and shall:

.1 illustrate the purpose of controls and the procedures for operating the
appliance and give relevant instructions or warnings

.2 be easily seen under emergency lighting conditions; and

.3 use symbols in accordance with the recommendations of the Organization*

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Regulation 10 Manning of survival craft and supervision

1. This regulation applies to all ships.

2. There shall be a sufficient number of trained persons on board for mustering

and assist in gun trained persons.

3. There shall be a sufficient number of crew members, who may be deck

officers or certificated persons, on board for operating the survival craft and
launching arrangements required for abandonment by the total number of
persons on board.

4. A deck officer or certificated person shall be placed in charge of each survival

craft to be used. However, the Administration, having due regard to the nature
of the voyage, the number of persons on board and the characteristics of the
ship, may permit persons practiced in the handling and operation of life rafts to
be placed in charge of life rafts in lieu of persons qualified as above. A second-
in-command shall also be nominated in the case of lifeboats.

5. The person in charge of the survival craft shall have a list of the survival craft
crew and shall see that the crew under his command are acquainted with their
duties. In lifeboats the second-in command shall also have a list of the lifeboat
crew.

6. Every motorized survival craft shall have a person assigned who is capable of
operating the engine and carrying out minor adjustments.

7. The master shall ensure the equitable distribution of persons referred to in

paragraphs 2, 3 and 4among the ship's survival craft.

Regulation 19 Emergency training and drills.

1. This regulation applies to all ships.

2. Familiarity with safety installations and practice musters

2.1 Every crew member with assigned emergency duties shall be familiar with
these duties before the voyage begins.
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2.2 On a ship engaged on a voyage where passengers are scheduled to be on

board for more than 24 h, musters of the passengers shall take place
immediately after departure. Passengers shall be instructed in the use of the
lifejackets and the action to take in an emergency.

2.3 Whenever new passengers embark, a passenger safety briefing shall be

given immediately before sailing, or immediately after sailing. The briefing shall
include the instructions required by regulations 8.2 and 8.4, and shall be made
by means of an announcement, in one or more languages likely to be
understood by the passengers. The announcement shall be made on the ship's
public address system, or by other equivalent means likely to be heard at least
by the passengers who have not yet heard it during the voyage. The briefing
may be included in the muster required by paragraph 2.2 if the muster is held
immediately upon departure. Information cards or posters or video programs
displayed on ships video displays may be used to supplement the briefing, but
may not be used to replace the announcement.

3. Drills

3.1 Drills shall, as far as practicable, be conducted as if there were an actual

emergency.

3.2 Every crew member shall participate in at least one abandon ship drill and
one fire drill every month. The drills of the crew shall take place within 24 hrs
after the ship leaves a port if more than 25% of the crew have not participated
in abandon ship and fire drills onboard that particular ship in the previous
month. When a ship enters service for the first time, after modification of a
major character or when a new crew is engaged, these drills shall be held before
sailing. The Administration may accept other arrangements that are at least
equivalent for those classes of ships for which this is impracticable.

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3.3 Abandon ship drill

3.3.1 Each abandon ship drill shall include:

.1 Summoning of passengers and crew to muster stations with the alarm

required by regulation 6.4.2 followed by drill announcement on the public
address or other communication system and ensuring that they are made aware
of the order to abandon ship;

.2 Reporting to stations and preparing for the duties described in the muster list;

.3 Checking that passengers and crew are suitably dressed;

.4 Checking that lifejackets are correctly donned;

.5 Lowering of at least one lifeboat after any necessary preparation for

launching;

.6 Starting and operating the lifeboat engine;

.7 Operation of davits used for launching life rafts;

.8 A mock search and rescue of passengers trapped in their staterooms; and

.9 Instruction in the use of radio life-saving appliances.

3.3.2 Different lifeboats shall, as far as practicable, be lowered in compliance

with the requirements of paragraph

3.3.1.5 at successive drills.

3.3.3 Except as provided in paragraphs 3.3.4 and 3.3.5, each lifeboat shall be
launched with its assigned operating crew aboard and maneuvered in the water
at least once every 3 months during an abandon ship drill.

3.3.4 Lowering into the water, rather than launching of a lifeboat arranged for
free-fall launching, is acceptable where free-fall launching is impracticable
provided the lifeboat is free-fall launched with its assigned operating crew
aboard and maneuvered in the water at least once every six months. However,

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in cases where it is impracticable, the Administration may extend this period to

12 months provided that arrangements are made for simulated launching which
will take place at intervals of not more than 6 months.

3.3.5 The Administration may allow ships operating on short international

voyages not to launch the lifeboats on one side if their berthing arrangements in
port and their trading patterns do not permit launching of lifeboats on that side.
However, all such lifeboats shall be lowered at least once every 3 months and
launched at least annually.

3.3.6 As far as is reasonable and practicable, rescue boats other than lifeboats
which are also rescue boats, shall be launched each month with their assigned
crew aboard and maneuvered in the water. In all cases this requirement shall be
complied with at least once every 3 months.

3.3.7 If lifeboat and rescue boat launching drills are carried out with the ship
making headway such drills shall, because of the dangers involved, be practiced
in sheltered waters only and under the supervision of an officer experienced in
such drills*

3.3.8 If a ship is fitted with marine evacuation systems, drills shall include
exercising of the procedures required for the deployment of such a system up to
the point immediately preceding actual deployment of the system. This aspect of
drills should be augmented by regular instruction using the on-board training
aids required by regulation 35.4. Additionally every system party member shall,
as far as practicable, be further trained by participation in a

full deployment of a similar system into water, either on board a ship or ashore,
at intervals of no longer than 2 years, but in no case longer than 3 years. This
training can be associated with the deployments required by regulation 20.8.2.

3.3.9 Emergency lighting for mustering and abandonment shall be tested at

each abandon ship drill.

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3.4 Fire drills

3.4.1 Fire drills should be planned in such a way that due consideration is given
to regular practice in the various emergencies that may occur depending on the
type of ships and the cargo.

3.4.2 Each fire drill shall include:

.1 reporting to stations and preparing for the duties described in the muster list
required by regulation 8;

.2 starting of a fire pump, using at least the two required jets of water to show
that the system is in proper working order;

.3 checking of fireman's outfit and other personal rescue equipment;

.4 checking of relevant communication equipment;

.5 checking the operation of watertight doors, fire doors, fire dampers and main
inlets and outlets of ventilation systems in the drill area; and

.6 checking the necessary arrangements for subsequent abandoning of the ship.

3.4.3 The equipment used during drills shall immediately be brought back to its
fully operational condition and any faults and defects discovered during the drills
shall be remedied as soon as possible.

4 On-board training and instructions

4.1 On-board training in the use of the ship's life-saving appliances, including
survival craft equipment, and in the use of the ship's fire-extinguishing
appliances shall be given as soon as possible but not later than 2 weeks after a
crew member joins the ship. However, if the crewmember is on a regularly
scheduled rotating assignment to the ship, such training shall begiven not later
than 2 weeks after the time of first joining the ship. Instructions in the use of
the ship's fire-extinguishing appliances, life-saving appliances, and in survival at
sea shall be

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given at the same interval as the drills. Individual instruction may cover
different parts of the ship's life-saving and fire-extinguishing appliances, but all
the ship's life-saving and fire extinguishing appliances shall be covered within
any period of 2 months.

4.2 Every crew member shall be given instructions which shall include but not
necessarily be limited to:

.1 operation and use of the ship's inflatable life rafts;

.2 problems of hypothermia, first-aid treatment for hypothermia and other

appropriate first aid procedures;

.3 special instructions necessary for use of the ship's life-saving appliances in

severe weather and severe sea conditions; and

.4 operation and use of fire-extinguishing appliances.

4.3 On-board training in the use of davit-launched life rafts shall take place at
intervals of not more than 4 months on every ship fitted with such appliances.
Whenever practicable this shall include the inflation and lowering of a life raft.
This life raft may be a special life raft intended for training purposes only, which
is not part of the ship's life-saving equipment; such a special life raft shall be
conspicuously marked.

5 Records

The date when musters are held, details of abandon ship drills and fire drills,
drills of other life-saving appliances and onboard training shall be recorded in
such log- book as may be prescribed by the Administration. If a full muster, drill
or training session is not held at the appointed time, an entry shall be made in
the log-book stating the circumstances and the extent of the muster, drill or
training session held.

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Regulation 30 Drills.

1. This regulation applies to all passenger ships.

2. On passenger ships, an abandon ship drill and fire drill shall take place
weekly. The entire crew need not be involved in every drill, but each crew
member must participate in an abandon ship drill and a fire drill each month as
required in regulation 19.3.2. Passengers shall be strongly encouraged to attend
these drills.

Regulation 37 Muster list and emergency instructions.

1. The muster list shall specify details of the general emergency alarm and
public address system prescribed by section 7.2 of the Code and also action to
be taken by crew and passengers when this alarm is sounded. The muster list
shall also specify how the order to abandon ship will be given.

2. Each passenger ship shall have procedures in place for locating and rescuing
passenger strapped in their staterooms.

3. The muster list shall show the duties assigned to the different members of the
crew including:

.1 closing of the watertight doors, fire doors, valves, scuppers, side scuttles, sky
lights, portholes and other similar openings in the ship;

.2 equipping of the survival craft and other life-saving appliances;

.3 preparation and launching of survival craft;

.4 general preparations of other life-saving appliances;

.5 muster of passengers;

.6 use of communication equipment;

.7 manning of fire parties assigned to deal with fires; and

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.8 special duties assigned in respect to the use of fire-fighting equipment and

installations.

4. The muster list shall specify which officers are assigned to ensure that life-
saving and fire appliances are maintained in good condition and are ready for
immediate use.

5. The muster list shall specify substitutes for key persons who may become
disabled, taking into account that different emergencies may call for different
actions.

6. The muster list shall show the duties assigned to members of the crew in
relation to passengers in case of emergency. These duties shall include:

.1 warning the passengers;

.2 seeing that they are suitably clad and have donned their lifejackets correctly;

.3 assembling passengers at muster stations;

.4 keeping order in the passageways and on the stairways and generally

controlling the movements of the passengers; and

.5 ensuring that a supply of blankets is taken to the survival craft.

7 The muster list shall be prepared before the ship proceeds to sea. After the
muster list has been prepared, if any change takes place in the crew which
necessitates an alteration in the muster list, the master shall either revise the
list or prepare a new list.

8 The format of the muster list used on passenger ships shall be approved

Regulation 35 Training manual and on-board training aids.

1. This regulation applies to all ships.

2. A training manual complying with the requirements of paragraph 3 shall be

provided in each

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crew mess room and recreation room or in each crew cabin.

3. The training manual, which may comprise several volumes, shall contain
instructions and information, in easily understood terms illustrated wherever
possible, on the life-saving appliances provided in the ship and on the best
methods of survival. Any part of such information may be provided in the form
of audio-visual aids in lieu of the manual. The following shall be explained in
detail:

.1 donning of lifejackets, immersion suits and anti-exposure suits, as

appropriate;

.2 muster at the assigned stations;

.3 boarding, launching, and clearing the survival craft and rescue boats,
including, where applicable, use of marine evacuation systems

.4 method of launching from within the survival craft

.5 release from launching appliances

.6 methods and use of devices for protection in launching areas, where

appropriate

.7 illumination in launching areas

.8 use of all survival equipment

.9 use of all detection equipment

.10 with the assistance of illustrations, the use of radio life-saving appliances

.11 use of drogues

.12 use of engine and accessories

.13 recovery of survival craft and rescue boats including stowage and securing

.14 hazards of exposure and the need for warm clothing

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.15 best use of the survival craft facilities in order to survive

.16 methods of retrieval, including the use of helicopter rescue gear (slings,
baskets, stretchers), breeches-buoy and shore life-saving apparatus and ship's
line-throwing apparatus

.17 all other functions contained in the muster list and emergency instructions
and

.18 instructions for emergency repair of the life-saving appliances.

4. Every ship fitted with a marine evacuation system shall be provided with on-
board training aids in the use of the system.

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