Emergency Station List How it can help in an emergency!
This is another one of those things that often gets overlooked, especially on smaller vessels but…it can be a major asset in the event of an emergency onboard!
Many operators are still today asking what an emergency station list is so let’s get that out of the way first.
An emergency station list details what each crew member does in the event of an emergency situation. It is simply a duty list for all crew members.
All too often I see an emergency station list that that details what each crew members will do in each and every situation. That’s great for ships with highly trained crew who are on the same vessel for long periods.
In the size of vessels, we are dealing with and crews that come and go achieving that can be quite difficult. In developing your emergency station list you need to take into consideration the following:
- Size of vessel
- Operations
- Number of crew
- Do you carry passengers
- Are there special/service staff onboard
- If so are they trained in emergency response
- Number of special/service staff onboard
Before we go any further it’s vital that you undertake a risk assessment in relation to the number of crew required or adequate crew (more on this next week) required to operate the vessel.
It’s no good saying I have a passenger vessel that does day trips with up to 200 passengers onboard and usually have a Master plus 3 crew onboard. You need to know how many crew are required to deal with emergencies safely and efficiently.
Once you have the adequate crew number established you can then allocate duties. Where you have a Master and deckhand only it’s pretty simple. Where you have regular crew you can allocate tasks accordingly.
On vessels where the crew includes an Engineer and/or a Mate plus deck crew my preference is to have the Mate or Engineer go to the point of incident and the rest of the crew to Assembly stations and await instructions.
With so many potential emergency situations I usually find it more efficient to have the Master instruct the crew in relation to the emergency at hand.
If you have special/service staff onboard who are trained in emergency procedures you need to incorporate them into the emergency station list as well allocating them set tasks relevant to their training.
Shorlink’s Recommendation
Key recommendations are…
- Complete a risk assessment for the number of crew required to safely operate your vessel then;
- Develop an Emergency Station List based on your risk assessment.
If in doubt or unable to complete a detailed risk assessment contact our office for assistance.
Tip
Need an Emergency Station List that is waterproof and reusable over and over again then call our office and tell us about your vessel and its operations.
We have a number of ready to go formats for different vessels, crew numbers and operations. Our Emergency Station Lists come ready to use and are laminated using a high density laminate and come with a washable ink pen and double sided tape to secure to a bulkhead.
