In Case of Emergency

Late at night on 29 December 2013 a fire broke out in a cabin aboard MS King Seaways, a DFDS Seaways ferry traveling from Newcastle, United Kingdom, to IJmuiden, the Netherlands. RAF helicopters were scrambled to the vessel along with two lifeboats to transport four crew members and two passengers who required immediate attention. A further 15 passengers were treated for smoke-related injuries. Though the scene could have been frightening for those on board, everyone remained calm, the fire was extinguished quickly and further necessary steps were taken. Just goes to show how important it is to know what to do when an emergency arises.

The English dictionary describes the word emergency as follows: ”A sudden, urgent, usually unexpected occurrence or occasion requiring immediate action.” Out at sea you have to rely on yourself and the other crew members, but luckily at lot is being done to keep safe. ”A huge part of keeping seafarers safe is basic safety training”, states Gertjan Langerak of Falck Safety Services. ”Basic safety training gives you the tools to know how to respond to an emergency, but also how to assist in the aftermath. Having completed the basic safety training people are equipped to save a life out at sea and also extinguish a small fire. The advanced training aimed at captains or officers tackles the coordination necessary during an emergency. A fire, for instance, requires several steps to be taken. You might have to evacuate certain areas, such as the engine room, at the same time someone will have to do a headcount while another person assesses the fire. Another important part of the advanced training is the ability to train other employees.”

Training is very much subject to the vessel you sail on. A cruise vessel requires a much larger operation when an emergency takes hold. Langerak: ”There is a huge difference between a bulk carrier transporting dry goods where relatively few things can go wrong and a cruise vessel with perhaps 3,000 people on board. Costa Concordia proved how important it is to have people aboard who have the competence to know what to do. To improve our training facilities we are currently building a mock-up of a vessel at our location at the Maasvlakte, the Netherlands. The nautical surroundings will improve the effectiveness of the training and should be operational very soon.”

SOLAS meets Manila

Langerak’s comments bring us to the regulations of safety training. The guidelines stipulated for safety training are bundled in the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, better known as SOLAS, governed by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). This convention came to pass two years after the world’s most well-known disaster: the Titanic. “This convention has been superseded by later updates, but the 1974 version of SOLAS is maintained to this day”, says Tim Lodder, also of Falck Safety Services. ”Of course there have been further amendments, but the main objective is to specify minimum standards for the construction, equipment and operation of ships, compatible with their safety. These updates are unfortunately usually preceded by maritime disasters. For example it was the fire that struck the Scandinavian Star that resulted in the amendment to maintain one language on board of a vessel, English. This ensures that staff as well as passengers can communicatie during an emergency. Another amendment is to no longer allow dead-end corridors on board of vessels. Each corridor must in some way lead to the next. Trial by error, but it is important we learn from these disasters.”

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Running out of time

June 2010 saw the arrival of the most recent amendments, the Manila Amendments, entailing that all seafarers who have followed safety training show that they have retained the required competences every five years. Lodder explains: ”Some people have been sailing the seas for over 20 or even 30 years. Yet vessels and their equipment have developed immensely over that same timespan which is why being up-to-date on the latest safety requirements and tools is imperative. People use what they have been taught and when you are not brought up-to-date this could potentially cause problems. You might try to row in a lifeboat, which is no longer possible. Equipment has changed and so must the people who might need to use them. Starting from 1 January 2017 all seafarers must complete the safety training courses. The certificate they receive will need to be renewed every five years.” At this point in time Falck Safety Services and other maritime safety training companies are in talks with the Dutch government. “In the end the IMO has an advisory function. As Falck Safety Services we translated the new guidelines from the Manila amendments into a suitable training solution and we are now waiting on governmental approval. It is worrying that we as training providers do not have the approval yet, as we really need to start training people or we will not be done in time.”

Willem van der Zwan

Safety training teaches the importance of protecting human beings first. Yet the loss of a vessel can also be catastrophic for a company. Luckily not all ship disasters mean the end of a vessels life, a small fire such as on the MS King Seaways only disrupted the sailing schedule a few hours. Another example of rising from the ashes is the Dutch fishing vessel Willem van der Zwan which burnt out completely in 2007. The fire blazed for five days and actually happened during maintenance works. Fishing company W. Van der Zwan chose to have the vessel refitted and as such the vessel was towed to Damen Scheldepoort Repair & Conversion yard. The reusable parts were dismantled and cleaned, other parts had to be replaced. The total refit took 21 months, but it shows that a fire or an emergency need not be the end of a vessel’s life.

Keep calm

All in all we must realise safety is a continuous process. As the vessel-size increases and the equipment becomes more advanced, it should be noted that many accidents carry a human involvement, after all they are not machines. In case of emergency, keep calm and follow the necessary guidelines.

Rebecca McFedries

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