9 Familiarisation and Training Section 3 A significant factor in survival craft incidents occurring in the industry has often been identified as a lack of onboard familiarisation with the equipment fitted. It is imperative that a strong focus be given by the operator to the familiarisation and training of all ship’s staff in the handling of survival craft, with the aim of minimising risk factors associated with human error. The following are among issues that should be taken into consideration when developing an operator’s ‘Familiarisation and Training Programme’: ? The ship-specific SOLAS training manual should be the prime reference source for onboard training. It should be ensured that the content of the manual reflects the equipment fitted on board and that the information is available in English and the working language of the crew ? posters providing warnings and instructions specific to the survival craft installed onboard should be prominently positioned at muster points and inside the survival craft. Launching instructions posted at muster and boarding points should be clear and appropriate to the equipment onboard. The provision of emergency lighting to ensure that the launching instructions can be read at night during a failure of the ship’s main power supply should be considered. ? the use of manufacture-specific training material, where available, as part of the ‘welcome onboard’ joining programme, as well as being viewed prior to launching of the craft ? a video clip can be made onboard when launching survival craft during perfect conditions and may then be used in support of training activities 11 ? training, as opposed to ‘drills’, should be conducted in ‘slow time’ for new personnel to allow them to become thoroughly familiar with the equipment in a controlled environment ? adequate time should be set aside for drills, including post- drill reviews. The time selected for drills should take account of issues that include: time pressures, both real and perceived work patterns crew changes need to vary drill timing maximising personnel attendance ? consider the ship’s condition (loaded or in ballast) when launching survival craft. Should an inadvertent release be instigated, consider the potential damage in a loaded versus ballast condition ? drills form a major part of the hands-on training and should, as far as practicable, be conducted as realistically as possible, without compromising safety ? senior officers must be present during drills and the lowering of any survival craft ? consideration should be given to using a system of uniform colour coding for parts such as hooks and pins ? on completion of drills, it is important to conduct a formal de- briefing session and encourage all personnel to share their views and concerns. The de-briefing should: identify best practices and lessons learnt for discussion at the next safety meeting highlight any potential problems or concerns for forwarding to the ship’s superintendent provide verification of the appropriateness of documented procedures and guidance prompt a review of controls contained in the risk assessment. 14 ? consideration is given to using stainless steel wire that does not require greasing ? consideration is given to using stainless steel blocks for the remote release wire ? the length of the release wire inside the boat is sufficient for lowering purposes ? if fitted, an assessment is made of the need to have the handle at the boat end of the release wire at all times. Consideration should be given to removing the handle prior to moving the lifeboat ? the storage drum for the release wire is checked for riding turns before each drill. Consider having one man watching this drum at all times during swinging out and recovery Fig. 2 Arrangement for brake remote release cable 1. Use of stainless steel wire 2. Stainless steel sheave 3. No riding turns on storage drum