|
| Product list |
| Markusnets |
| MS.00 |
| MS.02 (2 metre) |
| MS.1 (10 metre) |
| MS.2 (20 metre) |
| MS.3 (30 metre) |
| MS.4 (40 metre) |
| Other Products |
| Throw-line |
| Safety-ladder |
| Scramble-nets |
| MOB boat rescue-nets |
| . |
| Markus Lifenet products are made for use in extreme situations at sea when every second counts. |
Answers |
|---|
Q: How do you define the phrase "man overboard safety"?
A: The "Man overboard (MOB) safety" is about everything which has to be done to prevent crew and passengers fall accidentally overboard from the time they board a floating object until they are on fast land again. It is also about what has to be done to decrease need for in-water rescue without decreasing chances of successful rescue and what has to be done to enable safe and effective in-water rescue when needed. In short it includes everything which has to be done to prevent man overboard incident happen and everything which prevents such an incident becoming a tragedy.
Back to question categories
A: Every employed seafarer should be educated and trained to be a professional man overboard rescuer because:
- The professional seaman is most often nearest to the scene of man overboard incident.
- The professional seaman is most often at risk as possible man overboard or as rescuer, when man is overboard.
- The professional seaman and his family has most to gain, as he / she is most often a man overboard casualty and has most to loose in such cases.
- The working conditions and tools have changed enormously in recent decades and now we have the means, experience and know-how to train and exercise very difficult man overboard rescue operations safely and with understanding and support from the shipping companies.
- We can offer successful experience, know-how and solutions, based on 20 years in the Icelandic maritime community and now 3 years experience in the United Kingdom where we have had chance to provide our expertise to the workboat and leisure boat operators.
- The very little cost involved should pay back in safer ship, lower insurance cost , good team moral and better maintenance of safety equipment on board.
Back to question categories
A: As this subject has not been addressed properly in national nor in IMO convention apart from training in use of MOB rescue boats, use of liferaft and lifejackets, when this answer is written (February 2004), there is little realistic education and training provided on this subject in Maritime Safety and Survival Training Centres (MSSTC).
Due to the invention of the Markusnet in Iceland and requirements for such mean of man overboard rescue on board all vessels and on quay areas, this matter has though been a key issue in the Icelandic Maritime Safety and Survival Training Centre, as part of their boat under 15 metre safety courses and as part of vessels over 15 metre and over safety courses.
Recently the lack of definition of man overboard safety and rescue equipment and MOB education and training in national and international regulations has been recognised by some of the national delegates in COMSAR one of the subcommittees at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
To encourage this development, we can provide our service to those MSSTC who are interested to offer either special realistic man overboard safety and rescue courses or integrate such courses into their standard STCW and MOB rescue boat courses . We intend to list those MSSTC we can recommend under special MSSTC web page and on our link page.
See a list of those man overboard courses we wish to see offered to seafarers in the articles attached below. Details and cost of workshop training for instructors can be obtained through Markus Lifenet (UK.) Ltd. email: info@markuslifenet.com
Read more:
Article: A new approach is needed in marine safety and survival education and training.
Article: Actions that need to be taken to increase man overboard safety and rescue professionalism.
Back to question categories
Q: How would you describe professional man overboard rescuer?
A: A professional man overboard (MOB) rescuer is a person that takes his duty as employed seafarer seriously, cares for himself, his family, his colleagues and guests on board and passengers he / she is trusted to look after and who uses every opportunity to educate and train himself to prevent MOB incident happen and become a tragedy.
Back to question categories
Q: What does the word "backup" and the phrase "second security " mean?
A: The word “backup” or the
phrase “second security” are used in
professional rescue for extra security in case the rescuer has to go over his limit. It is
the professional rescuers life insurance. Every professional seafarer should have such
security as in rescue at sea one can´t predict the situation and has always to expect the
worst.
Back to question categories
A: All operating systems and equipment that are meant for use in embarking and disembarking operations should have a manual backup MOB retrieval system which can be deployed by one person. There are many things which can fail in such operations at sea and even in harbour as accident histories tell us. A pilot can fall from a pilot ladder, mechanic in cranes can fail or be overloaded and fastenings can fail. Human errors are also a common reason. One may expect that crew on a man overboard boat or transport boat in man overboard recovery operation may have to go over the limit of use of such equipment and return in worse weather and sea condition than expected or foreseen.
One of the main reason which holds captains from operating required drill in use of lifeboats is their fear that something may go wrong and that they do not have any backup if they suddenly have to face man overboard situation.
Solution: The Markusnet MS.1, MS.2, MS.3 and MS.4 versions are designed to provide such backup security up to 40 metre height over water (depending on length of lifting lines "B").
Cost: £500 to 650 pr. Markusnet.
Q: What are the two man overboard situation you would least like to face?
The two MOB situations which I would least like to face are: a) To have a conscious MOB at the side of my boat and to have to look at the MOB die in front of me because I didn't have the mean to recover him. I would have difficulties to live with that picture in my mind the rest of my life. b) To fall into the water being alone on my boat and not to be able to climb on board my boat again. My family would not forgive me for that failure as I would likely be lost at sea.
Solution: To meet these types of situation I have special safety ladders at the sides midship, with grip handle hanging down enabling me to pull the ladder down facing it from the water and one metre into the water enabling me to step onto the ladder even when I am exhausted. In dark and rough situations at sea I am equipped with safety harness, buoyancy aid and safety line, so I float and drift with the boat if I fall into the water.
Cost: £45 to 60 each Markus Safety-ladder, buoyancy aid £30-60, safety harness £20 - 50, safety line £5 - 30.
A: It may depend on the design of your boat and therefore I would need to sea a photo of your boat to be able to give you the best answer. But the general answer would be the sides, away from the propeller. The stern and the bow are the parts you should not depend on for such emergency situations as they may create the most danger to the casualty. Related questions.
Back to question categories
A: The main reason is that there is no strain on the lifting lines. ( the deck rescuer is not pulling the lifting lines towards him as you approach the net structure in the water). There may also have some effect if there is too much air in the lower part of your drysuit (immersions suit). This usually does not happen when you are not dressed in drysuit.
Back to question categories
A: One has always to be prepared for the worst in case of difficult man overboard situation at sea. The boat can in such circumstances be the most danger to the MOB casualty and the in-water rescuer. To avoid that danger one should train in the manner applicable for the worst. Another reason for allowing the casualty to enter the Markusnet in distance from the water, is to enable good use of the wave to lift the casualty as high as possible as the casualty is pulled on board.
Back to question categories
Q: Why is the Markusnet designed to day only to lift one person at a time?
A: The Markusnet was originally designed as flat square formed net structure to lift many men from water at the same time. This was in 1980, before the man-overboard matter became a subject in national and international regulations. As there are now many crane lifting solutions on the marine market, but no other manual lifting solution and as experience in our trials have shown, the maximum load one can expect one man to lift is 50 kg, two men 110 kg and that 6 men can hardly lift two men at a time, even with one line each, we decided to limit the size of the net to one person.
Back to question categories
Q: How do you define a man overboard emergency safety ladder?
A: A "Man overboard (MOB) emergency safety ladder" is a ladder which can be fastened to the side and lowered into the water in seconds. The ladder has to go one metre into the water to enable an exhausted in-water MOB casualty to put his legs into the lowest step and climb up.
There are three types available:
Emergency ladder for use on commercial vessels where there is a crew of at least two professional seafarers. This ladder can be a pilot ladder with 3 sinkable rigid steps at the lower end. Usual requirement of step size in cm: L50xW12.
Sample:The Markus Pilot boat ladder.
Combination of boarding ladder and emergency safety-ladder for use on leisure boats. This type has rigid steps usually size in cm: L30xW12. At the lower end is a three step handle to pull it down and allowing it to sink one metre into the water. This ladder type has to hang all the time during voyage at the side ready to be pulled down by in-water MOB casualty enabling him to climb on board by himself.
Sample:The Markus Safety-ladder type SLB 1-250.
Special emergency safety ladder for use on boat where there is either just one in crew or inexperienced seafarers. This ladder type has to hang all the time during voyage at the side ready to be pulled down by in-water MOB casualty enabling him to climb on board by himself.
Sample: The Markus Safety-ladder type SLB 2-270
Notice: Ladders that go less than 90 cm into water in lowered position and ladders at the stern can not be considered safety ladders and when called so such ladders can only be called false security.
Single line ladders can not be considered MOB emergency safety ladders even they can be extended one metre into the water, as it is very difficult to climb up such ladders even by very fit person.
Back to question categories
