At its 98th Session of Maritime Safety Committee , on 7-16 June 2017, IMO adopted amendments to the guidelines considering abandon ship drills using lifeboats with a view to reduce related accidents.
The Committee approved the Guidelines on safety during abandon ship drills using lifeboats, following the amalgamation of annex 1 to the Measures to prevent accidents with lifeboats and the Interim Recommendation on conditions for authorization of service providers for lifeboats, launching appliances and on-load release gear in the Requirements for maintenance, thorough examination, operational testing, overhaul and repair of lifeboats and rescue boats, launching appliances and release gear.
The package of requirements, expected to enter into force on 1 January 2020, has made mandatory measures to prevent accidents with survival craft and to address longstanding issues such as the need for a uniform, safe and documented standard related to the servicing of these appliances, as well as the authorization, qualification and certification requirements to ensure that a reliable service is provided.
Amendments to the Guidelines for evaluation and replacement of lifeboat release and retrieval systems were intended to include a method of assessment for hook fixed structural connections of the release mechanism and supporting structure, which are not made of material resistant to corrosion in the marine environment, in order to confirm that they are in “good condition”.
According to IMO, the essential steps to safely carry out a typical drill as per SOLAS Regulation III/19 involve:
- Check equipment and documentation to ensure that all components of the lifeboat
and launching appliance are in good operational condition. - Ensure that all personnel involved in the drill are familiar with the operating manuals,
posters and signs. - Ensure that the restraining device(s) provided by the manufacturer for simulated
launching are installed and secure and that the free-fall release mechanism is fully and
correctly engaged. - Establish and maintain good communication between the assigned operating crew
and the responsible person - Disengage lashings, gripes, etc. installed to secure the lifeboat for sea or for
maintenance, except those required for simulated free-fall. - Participating crew board the lifeboat and fasten their seatbelts under the supervision
of the responsible person. - All crew disembark the lifeboat.
- Return the lifeboat to the condition it was in prior to step provided in paragraph 3.4.
Ensure that the lifeboat is returned to its normal stowed condition. Remove any restraining
and/or recovery devices used only for the simulated launch procedure
It has been reported that lifeboat drill accidents have significantly increased during last years. A report by academics at the Seafarers International Research Centre found that tight vessel schedules often did not allow sufficient time for drills and crew were often too frightened to take part as they had not been properly trained in using the equipment.
Explore more by reading IMO’s official document:
The measures enumerated by IMO are indeed useful, but falls woefully short of addressing the dynamic environment to be encountered by the ship officers and crew.
1. You are required to handle several tons load boat suspended by two wire falls freely swinging after it leaves the boarding deck.
2. You are then expected to to release the Life Boat by “on Load Release gear” about half a meter above the water level as if the sea waves will wait to allow this drop.
Since you have dropped the boat half a meter above, but for hoisting the boat, the hook now is way too high. The winch motor on paying out just uncoils the wire fall. One seaman will stand on the outside of the life boat / top of the lifeboat, and pull down the hook so that the Officer in charge will be able to slip in the hook in the on load release mechanism. Imagine this occuring outside of the life boat in open sea, and the swinging hook ready to hit you anytime. And mind you there are two hooks to be engaged.
You normally fix the forward hook but I have seen Aft hook getting attached but forward hook slipped out. Very difficult situation indeed.
Sir, it is here that the first errors of incorrect fitting of hook begin. The boat is yawing and pitching moving all the time and the officer must ensure the Cam engagement and then fit a safety pin. There after there is no chance to correct since the hooks go further away once hoisting begins.
3. This is as far the drill is concerned. On actual scenario of rescuing persons from Launched Life Boat along side a mountainous bulk carrier (for example), I have videos of distressed person come out of the life boat and are looking to get picked up.
There is no ledge to speak of for them to stand. They are gathered on one side of the life boat (farther side). The Life boat lists due to load, one largish wave deposits water into the life boat through the open access hatch of the life boat. Within seconds the lifeboat capsizes spilling all the survivors into open sea in front of all the crew on the rescuing ship. Obviously there are fatalities and injuries.
4. The remote release push – pull wires used for actuating “On Load Release Hook” is a flexible wire with adjustible tension adjustment nuts / lock nut. This is one of the poorest arrangement where the certaininty of the operation is at the mercy of flimsy tightness of the lock nuts.
5. There may be some improvement which I may not have knowledge of. I would be pleased to receive such information.