Muster lists lacking sufficient detail was one of the most notable deficiencies during the concentrated inspection campaign (CIC) on emergency systems in 2019, data by the Gard P&I Club suggests.
A number of MoUs carried out a joint CIC in 2019 focusing on readiness of ship and crew in an emergency.
While the CIC results currently available demonstrate a fairly high level of compliance among ships inspected during the campaign period, all of the MoUs data seem to agree on one thing: Question no.5 on the questionnaire “Does the muster list specify details in accordance with the requirements of SOLAS 1996-1998 Amendment, Chapter III, Regulation 37?” yielded one of the most unfavourable results of the campaign.
With 178 deficiencies related to muster lists, Tokyo MOU concluded this was the most notable deficiency during the campaign. Other MOUs, such as the Indian Ocean and Abuja, also observed that some crews were unfamiliar with the operation of their ships’ emergency equipment.
Paris MoU online inspection results for the campaign period also seem to support those of other MOUs. Paris MOU member states recorded 201 deficiencies related to muster lists during the period and a total of 407 for the whole of 2019.
Operators and masters should take note of the above PSC CIC results and make sure their ships’ muster lists are up to date and meet the requirements of SOLAS Reg.III/8 and Reg.III/37 by providing sufficiently detailed instructions for crews to respond effectively in a real emergency,
…the Club advised.
On ships with significant numbers of non-English speaking crew members, the muster list should also include translations into the appropriate language or languages.
Furthermore, masters should bear in mind that there is no substitute for onboard training and drills – everybody onboard must be familiar with the procedures to be followed, their duties and equipment in an emergency.
