Safety of life at sea and emergency procedures
This domain tests the SOLAS and LSA side of survival: drills, life-saving appliances, fire chemistry and the command sequence in an emergency. Questions are procedural - what is required, how often, and who does what.
Drills and muster
- Every crew member takes part in an abandon-ship drill and a fire drill every month, and within 24 hours of joining the ship.
- Each lifeboat is launched with its crew at least once every three months; the rescue boat is launched monthly.
- The muster list names the master's replacement, closes watertight and fire doors, and stops ventilation - the designated roles survive the master's incapacity.
Fire: classes and agents
- Class A solids (water, foam), Class B flammable liquids (foam, dry powder, CO2), Class C gases (isolate and cool), Class D metals (dry powder), Class F cooking oils (wet chemical).
- Cool, smother or starve - the agent must match the class. CO2 displaces oxygen and is lethal in an occupied space; the space must be sealed and everyone accounted for before discharge.
Abandon ship
Situation report, decision, abandon-ship signal, lifejacket and immersion suit, muster, EPIRB and SART carried to the survival craft, accounting for every person, and the master leaving last after a final sweep.
Worked example
A deep-fat fryer in the galley ignites and flames reach the exhaust duct. The correct classification is Class F plus a Class B element in the duct. Action: trip the galley fuel emergency shut-off, smother the fryer with wet chemical or the fire blanket - never water, which turns the oil into a steam explosion - close the duct flaps and stop the exhaust fan so the fire is not drawn into the accommodation. The fire party boundary-cools, checks the duct's fixed system, and the master musters and accounts for everyone. If the duct system fails to control it, the space is sealed and the fixed CO2 is discharged only after the headcount confirms nobody is inside.
Traps that cost marks
- Quoting 'monthly' for lifeboat launching - it is monthly for drills, quarterly for launching each lifeboat with crew.
- Choosing CO2 as the first attack on a deep-fat fryer, or using water on Class B.
- Assuming fire drills may be skipped for a crew member who is not on watch.
- Omitting the final sweep and headcount before the master leaves the ship.