InterManager, the international trade association for ship and crew managers, is raising awareness of the fact that seafarers are dying needlessly in lifeboat accidents, when maritime legislation doesn’t require vessels to be manned during drills.
The association highlights a legislative change, which means that it is not necessary for crew to be onboard when lifeboats are tested.
SOLAS regulation III/19.3.3.3 requires each lifeboat to be launched at least once every three months during an abandon ship drill, and manoeuvred in the water by its assigned operating crew. However, the regulation, whilst requiring each lifeboat to be manoeuvred in the water by its assigned operating crew, does not actually require that crew to be on board when the lifeboat is launched. Many of the lifeboat fatalities have occurred during launch of the lifeboats, often due to problems with the hooks.
In 2009 the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Maritime Safety Committee, agreed that the assigned operating crew should not be required to be on board lifeboats during launching, unless the Master, within the authority conferred to him/her by paragraph 5.5 of the ISM Code, considers it necessary, taking into account all safety aspects.
This is an extremely important change which seems to have been missed by some ship operators and is still included in some Shipboard / Safety Management Systems. To prevent any further loss of life in this way we are raising awareness of the fact that seafarers are not required to be in the lifeboat when launching during drills
…Captain Kuba Szymanski, InterManager Secretary General, said.
InterManager collates figures on lifeboat accidents on behalf of the maritime community and to assist in its role as a member of the International Lifeboat Group, which aims to reduce lifeboat accidents and deaths.
According to InterManager, since 1981 there have been 419 deaths involving lifeboats, 346 serious injuries and 116 minor injuries.
It’s important that everyone involved, particularly Port State Control officers, understand and apply this regulation correctly. The maritime community must do all we can to ensure the safety of seafarers
…Capt Szymanski commented.
In December 2021, Lloyd’s Register along with InterManager, used the former’s SafetyScanner machine learning technology to identify new insights regarding lifeboat accidents, in order to help improve lifeboat safety at sea.
In addition, it is a matter of fact that lifeboats are designed to save lives. However, over the years there have been many serious casualties that have occurred during drills, routine maintenance operations and inspections, as Gard Club explains. It comes as no surprise that these accidents have resulted in seafarers losing confidence in the lifeboat launching systems.
Sorry. SOLAS convention requires manning lifeboats at 3 months interval. However, in rare and excepcional cases, the training can bê performed ashore, in case the training installations are similar the arrangements found on board
SOLAS doesn’t require lifeboats to be manned whilst being launched. Crew can enter an already waterborne lifeboat by descending the pilot ladder.
I have heard it on the grapevine that Capt. Kuba Szymanski read the following publication: Black Box Thinking_ Why Most People Never Learn from Their Mistakes–But Some Do .
“Some will NOT DO” if deprived from valuable lessons stemming from mistakes. Discovering lack of basic skills during real emergency by some crew members may put others in danger of loosing their life.
Capt. Kuba Szymanski concern is well understood but the hype created by those who should not be at sea due to their psychological barriers and fear , should rather focus on the design improvements/fails safe and extra training in understanding the releasing mechanism of this particular life saving devices. Thousands of people die in cars despite their inherent dangers. How about then, stopping all four-wheelers for the sake of life preservation. ??