Ship Safety, Fire Prevention, Emergency Preparedness and Survival
Core concepts
Safety content spans fire chemistry and firefighting systems, life-saving appliances and emergency procedures. Know the fire triangle and tetrahedron, classes of fire and appropriate extinguishing media, fixed systems (CO2, foam, water mist, inert gas for tankers), the fire control plan, fire patrols and the fire main with hydrants and isolating valves. Understand SOLAS fire safety objectives, structural fire protection and means of escape. Life-saving content includes lifeboats and davits, rescue boats, life rafts, immersion suits, EPIRB, SART and two-way radios, muster lists and drills. Enclosed space entry, permit-to-work systems, hot work, lockout and tagout, and personal protective equipment are core. Emergency preparedness includes the emergency response organisation, damage control, flooding response and abandonment.
Traps
Questions often test that CO2 is dangerous in occupied spaces and requires evacuation and headcount before release. Another trap is assuming inert gas prevents ignition by removing fuel; it removes oxygen. Do not confuse an EPIRB (satellite distress alerting) with a SART (radar detection). Enclosed space entry questions test that oxygen must be about 21 percent and that testing must precede entry and continue during it.
Worked rule of thumb
For fixed CO2, the classic design concentration for machinery spaces is around 40 percent of the gross volume, but always use the approved plan figure. For enclosed spaces, treat below 20.9 percent oxygen or any toxic reading above limits as a refusal to enter, and remember that the permit alone does not make the space safe.