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Clanky lets hope they don't then.
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I joined a new build ERRV (standby) vessel and we had to do Classification Validation Trials.
For the Man overboard drills we had to recover 15 dummies in 45 minutes I think it was. So the industry standard is roughly 3 minutes per body. That is from when the buzzer sounds till the dummy is on board the FRC. We done it on the 3rd try.
The Dacon Scoop trial was also pretty similar figures.Comment
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I don't know if they still do it, but I heard that in the past dummies would get thrown off an offshore installation and the standby boat or some other vessel in the field would have to launch and try and recover them.Originally posted by Steve View Post
Heard one story of this happening at night and the people on the installation had coated the dummies in grease to make it more of a challenge having them dirty and slippery.
Don't think that this happens now a days though.Comment
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As for rescue boat drills, you MUST launch your rescue boat once every month (not exceeding three month intervals), this basically means you can have a drill on 1st of January, but before 1st April, you must also have Febs and Maches drills too. This must include the rescue boats crew.
Logically all ships can do that, even ferries, at some point, its not very much down time. But generally these should be the most experienced seafarers on the vessel anyway, so shouldnt be a problem.
What isn't in the regs, but the MCA do want, is when ever they inspect a British flagged ship, or a ship visiting a British port, they can ask any member of deck or engine crew to show them how to launch the rescue boat safely. Initial training of new crew should always be done when the ship is stationary and under close supervision.
You can not say because of the shareholders, or the bosses you can not do it. If Senior officers are not willing to tell their company that they will be doing a drill as legally required on such and such date whilst the vessel is not underway for safety reasons, then they should not be at sea. If the company objects, all you need to do is ask them for that in writing, and tell them its for when someone gets killed the MCA and investigating police will know why there hadn't be sufficient drills.
On a side note...
The irony with the oil industry is, yes they have lots of drills, wow they have too much permits, that it is actually more dangerous because jobs are delayed so much, and people are fatigued and loose concentration before they even commit the jobs, and as such despite increased safety measures, they still have a hell of a lot of accidents offshore. I think it is unfair to say cruiseship industry is only just waking up as well, as I have seen many many demonstrations over the last twenty years of cruise ships fighting incredibly big fires and winning just with ships crew, which is incredible considering the fact they have so many additional things to organise and so many untrained passengers to rescue and protect, then offshore. Also I know companies like P&O, Cunard, princess, and more, send their officers and crew on many many additional safety courses as well as on deck and engine simulation courses much more then offshore now.....Comment
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Yeah the Installations do throw dummies off , and the OIM tends to record the times and makes sure you meet standards.Originally posted by pignutpilot View Post
Dont know about the grease though...Comment
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The other thing worth noting is that there is NO requirement for boats other than those designated as fast rescue craft (which is not the same as a rescue boat MOB boat) to be launched with the vessel making way through the water.Go out, do stuffComment
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In the M Notice it actually says in Man overboard drills with your rescue boat, where possible you should use something representive or a dumby.Originally posted by bobofinga View Post
11 Rescue Boat and Emergency Boat Drills
11.1 As far as is reasonable and practicable rescue boats where carried, other than those which are also lifeboats, must be launched each month with their rescue boat crews and manoeuvered in the water. The interval between such drills must not exceed 3 months. Where climatic conditions permit, the crew of a rescue boat should wear their immersion suits during such in-water drills. Where possible such drills should include the recovery of an object simulating a person in the water. Emergency boats carried on passenger ships which do not carry rescue boats should be launched at similar intervals and should carry out similar drill procedures.
11.2 In ships of Class I the crews of rescue and emergency boats should be mustered on the first day of the voyage as soon as possible after sailing. The crews should be fully instructed and drilled in their duties and thereafter should be mustered and similarly drilled at intervals of not more than 7 days. Crews should be specifically instructed in the procedure of sending boats away promptly in an emergency and in recovering boats in a seaway, and should be familiar with the signal for mustering at the rescue or emergency boat station.....Comment
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Believe me Dosedmonkey those dummies they use weight about 10 stone when they fill up with water , hard work humping them about.Comment
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Working on a large offshore construction vessel. We launch our FRC while underway- usually about 5knots, but not always as it depends on the conditions, the type/ period of swell, sea height/ wind and so on. We have exercises both alongside and at sea.
I would say that working for oil majors (as the charterer) is a double edged sword in regards to drills, with a full project and project crew onboard drills tend to be very squeezed by commercial pressure, at $300,000 day rate nobody wants us to stop work to carry out a drill. Plus with everyone on 12 hour watches, 6-18/18-6 or 12-24/00-12 it is very hard to fit drills into the day at times without waking up half the crew, but we do it anyway. We're expected to have a high safety record which includes drills but often pushed to be working on project with no time for any extras. The same goes for planned maintenance.
However this doesn't mean we don't have drills as we should, more like when we have the time on sailing we make up for it and have very full exercises but when we we're on project they're done but not as fully as we would like them to be, except muster drills which we're very strict on, especially as for many 'project crew' they have done an offshore survival course but never seen a ship in their lives- sometimes with hilarious results/ questions: 'liferaft? Shouldn't we just wait for the helicopter?' and so on.
I think it's quite ironic when on installations they stop everything usually for a sunday muster whereas we're expected to carry out drills as per the regs but not on 'their time'. We always manage to fit everything in, but it isn't easy at times.
I can imagine it's a bit easier on a deep sea vessel to find the time to drill regularly? It's so important to have everyone trained up for when something does happen, especially launching an FRC.Comment
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I have a mate who works on the BP Vector Offshore support vessels (Caledonian Vanguard,Vision,Victory etc) and he says they are literally doing Dc/Frc/Mob drills all day when on station. BP do seem to take a very tough stance on drills with their Marine Crew.
They do have ridiculous launching procedures though! Some strange Amphibious Rescue Craft (ARC) that is kinda half free fall half davit launched apparently...Comment
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