You should have Man overboard safety and rescue management policy for your vessel.

You should have Man over board Safety Management policy for your vessel.

ML 97.03.15 Article written by Petur Th. Petursson for Markus Lifenet Ltd.

Published in the PORTHOLE CRUISE EXECUTIVE YEARBOOK 1997

International safety guidelines state that every vessel must be able to carry out man overboard (m.o.b.) rescue. Yet so far there are no comprehensive guidelines on what exactly is required in terms of training. Petur Th. Petursson, of Markus Lifenet Ltd. in Iceland, argues that what is needed is a policy or goal from the vessel owner and vessel officers and realistic and disciplined mob safety and rescue education and training.

A great deal can be done to improve the safety of a man overboard rescue operation. One reason for this has been advances in technology, resulting in better materials. However, a change in attitude can go a lot further in minimising the inherent dangers, by training the crew to be a rescue-minded crew, instead of just seamen or workforce thinking. This means that every professional sailor should look at himself and train himself to be able to render professional mob rescue assistance.

What is the difference? A rescue-minded sailor is the one that cares about himself, his family, friends, associates and colleagues at sea in conscious manner. He or she is well aware of possible accident traps when they occur and follows specified guidelines to eradicate such traps. The rescue-minded sailor is well informed of specifications, function and limits of all safety and rescue equipment available and trains himself in the use of it, using training program recommended by experts and his common sense. He or she is also aware of the need to build up common trust between his crew members and aware of his limits in critical rescue operations, bearing in mind that in such operation there is often danger of going over the limits.

To achieve this way of thinking is not easy for each individual crewmember, especially if he or she does not have support from his officers or the vessel owner. It is therefore responsibility of the company running the vessel and the officers on board, to make the mob safety and rescue policy as a part of their Safety Management Policy (SMP) practice and ask: What is our Mob safety and rescue ability status and what should be our goals?

As a guideline, you can group vessels (crews or shipping companies) by their ability to render mob rescue operation:

Vessel that is not meeting the SOLAS and / or TORREMOLINOS CONVENTIONS and are badly maintained and with crew with little or no interest in maintenance of the rescue equipment and mob rescue training.
Vessel only equipped with minimum safety and rescue equipment required by the SOLAS and / or TORREMOLINOS CONVENTIONS and with minimum training of its use.
Vessel meeting requirements in group2 and with crew that is able to render mob help only from the vessel deck.
Vessel meeting require-requirements in group 2 and 3 and with crew that is able to render mob in-water rescue operation using the vessel deck as rescue platform.
Vessel meeting requirements in group 2 to 4 and with crew that is able to render professional mob boat rescue operation.

If your vessel is obviously in group 1 or 2, there is no doubt that you should appoint active safety officer as first step. You should as well provide him or her authority and define the Company and / or the vessel SMP for mob safety and rescue.

The company ground safety officer in small fishing vessel company is very often the purchasing manager but in large shipping company, usually one of the top executives is appointed to this task. It is of most importance that the ground Safety officer:

Is enthusiastic to achieve the mob SMP company goal.
Can be in good contact with the vessel crews.
Has straight contact with the Safety officer on each vessel.
Has the talent and status to convince the board of directors to support the policy.

The Safety officer on board the vessel should not be the captain nor the maids, but one of those generally working on deck. It is important that he or she:

Is fit for mob in-water rescue training and operation,

Has the talent to be able to get crewmembers interested and willing to participate effectively in the project.

Holds good contact with all officers and the ground Safety officer and maintains trust and confidence.

Is in position to obtain information about the safety and rescue equipment and training available.

Is in position to order the equipment and service needed to supply and sustain the safety and rescue standard policy of the company.

That you obtain sustainable MOB SMP goal on board your vessel, is in line with the development required before 1st July 1998 on board passenger vessels and tank ships, with the INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT CODE (IMC). It is just question when it will apply to fishing vessels all over the world based on the TORREMOLINOS CONVENTION, (International Convention for the Safety of Fishing Vessels). It is also in line with the IMO policy to reduce human errors at sea and make shipping companies and seamen more aware of their responsibility to make the sea safer.

Who is most often nearest to MOB accidents or is a mob victim himself, other than the professional sailor? Who has most to gain? Who is in most danger to be a man overboard victim?

With active MOB Safety officers on board every vessel and more MOB safety and rescue minded crews, we bring on board the vessels more understanding for general safety on board the vessels. Let's work together to prevent mob incidents and to reduce risk of rescuers. Let's increase possibilities to retrieve man overboard. Let's create mob rescue team on board your vessel.