NIMASA STCW PSSR study plan

Describe the principal types of survival craft (totally enclosed lifeboat, free-fall lifeboat, inflatable liferaft, rescue boat) and state the SOLAS construction requirements each must meet

Identify and state the purpose of every item in a lifeboat equipment list and a liferaft equipment pack, including sea anchor, painter, buoyant oars, bailer and survival manual

Explain the buoyancy, watertight integrity and self-righting arrangements of totally enclosed lifeboats and the inflation and canopy arrangements of davit-launched liferafts

Label a typical lifeboat seating, release and steering arrangement from memory, naming the helmsman's controls and the tiller/rudder connection

Explain how davits, falls, sheaves, winch brakes and limit switches work together during launch and recovery of a lifeboat

Describe the on-load and off-load release gear mechanisms, including the interlock and the hydrostatic interlock fitted to modern lifeboats

Trace the sequence of checks a crew must complete before, during and after a drill launch, stating who confirms each step

State the inspection intervals and rejection criteria for wire falls, blocks, shackles and davit structural members

Describe how to launch and recover a survival craft in rough weather, including use of bowsing-in tackles, painters, frapping lines and the sea anchor to hold the craft head to wind

Explain the hazards of launching into a heavy sea, the effect of ship drift and lee, and how to time a launch between waves

Explain how a rescue boat is launched and recovered in adverse weather, including the role of the coxswain and the recovery strops

Identify the actions to take if the release gear fails to release or fails to re-set during recovery

Describe the abandon ship decision process, the muster signal, the order to abandon and the master's responsibility for the final decision

Explain the procedures for boarding a liferaft from the ship, from the water and from a lifeboat, including righting a capsized raft

Describe survival at sea actions: immediate clearing of the area, sea anchor deployment, lookout rotation, water rationing and prevention of seasickness

Explain the immediate actions after abandoning ship, including accounting for persons, activating the EPIRB and keeping the craft together

Explain the weekly and monthly inspection routines for life-saving appliances, including liferaft servicing intervals, hydrostatic release unit renewal and EPIRB/SART battery dates

Describe the drill requirements under SOLAS, including the frequency of abandon ship and fire drills, the recording of drills and the scenarios that must be covered

Explain how to brief and debrief a drill, and how to identify and correct common drill failures such as incomplete musters or unlogged defects

State the maintenance and defect-reporting chain of responsibility from the person finding a defect to the master and the flag administration

Describe the construction and equipment of a rescue boat and the duties of the coxswain and crew during a rescue

Explain the recovery of a person from the water, including approach, securing the casualty, use of a rescue sling or basket and recovery into the boat

Explain the recovery of a person overboard by the parent vessel, including the Williamson turn and the use of a rescue boat in a seaway

Describe casualty handling on board, including safe lifting, stretcher use and handover to medical authorities

Explain the operation of the two-way VHF radiotelephone, the SART and the EPIRB carried in survival craft, including activation, battery checks and limitations

State the distress, urgency and safety radio procedures and the correct use of DSC and voice Mayday calls from a survival craft

Describe the visual signalling equipment carried in survival craft: parachute flares, hand flares, smoke signals, torch and daylight signals, including their hazards and safe use

Explain how to attract attention at sea and how to conduct communications discipline to conserve battery power

Explain the recognition, prevention and first aid treatment of hypothermia and cold-water immersion, including the after-drop and the correct rewarming approach

Describe the first aid treatment of drowning and near-drowning, including rescue breathing, CPR and the recovery position

Describe the treatment of common survival injuries and illnesses: seasickness, dehydration, burns, fractures and shock

Explain the care of survivors after rescue, including psychological first aid and the handover to medical services