Tvl safety 1 - midterm

Lesson 3:Operate distress signal equipment

SOLAS - International Convention for the Safety of Life at

Sea
There have been many incidents in the past wherein a ship had to be
abandoned due to threat to the lives of seafarers and distress situations. When
the ships safety and safety of the crew on board is at stake, it is very important
to inform the near by ships so that help can arrive as soon as possible.

When the ships safety is at stake or after abandon ship command is given, the
ships crew boards the life boat or life raft to clear off from the distressed ship to
save their lives. It is therefore very important for the ships crew to alert and
inform nearby ships about their distressed situation so that someone can come
and rescue them.

Distress -

- the state of a ship or airplane requiring immediate

assistance, as when on fire in transit.

- the state of being in danger or urgent need.

SOLAS 74 CHAPTER V REGULATION 35

Regulation 35 - Misuse of Distress Signals

1. The use of an international distress signal, except for the purpose of
indicating that a person or persons are in distress, and the use of any signal
which may be confused with an international distress signal are prohibited.

Distress Signal -

- A distress signal or distress call is an internationally recognized

means for obtaining help. Distress signals are communicated by
transmitting radio signals, displaying a visually observable item or
illumination, or making a sound audible from a distance.
Pyrotechnic signals -

PyroTechnic on ship is an illuminating distress signal which conveys that

the people using the pyro techniques are in grave or imminent danger and
require immediate assistance. It is a visual method of sending SOS
signals.

Different Types PyroTechnics Available Onboard Ships

Hand flare: A hand flare is a small stick which when activated, produces an
intense red smoke or light without an explosion.Hand flares are used to guide
the searching ship or aircraft or pinpoint the survivors position. They are ideal
for day or night use.
Their range is:

5 nautical miles by day

10 nautical miles by night

They burn for about one minute.

The hand flares minimum requirement as per SOLAS chapter III regulation 25
are;

Must be contained in a water tight casing.

Must have self ignition system.

It should not cause discomfort to the person using it.

It must not harm the survival craft if used while boarding the same.

It must illuminate with a bright red color.

A simple & brief operating instruction diagram must be their on its cas

Procedure on how to use the hand flares

Rocket parachute flare

As the name suggests, the equipment has a flare which is launched at

minimum height of 300m in the air, where it self-activates to produce intense
red smoke. A parachute opens up and reduces the rate of decent which gives
more time to the flare to remain at a height and to provide a clear view to
nearby ships or help.

The minimum requirements for rocket parachute flare as per SOLAS chapter
III regulation 26 includes all the points mentioned above with following more
requirements;

The minimum vertical height of rocket, when fired from the operating
point, must be 300 m.

A parachute must be activated when it reaches top or near to the top of

its trajectory level

It must burn for a period not less then 40 sec with minimum luminous
intensity of 30000 candelas.

The rate of decent after opening of the parachute must be minimum 5

m/sec.

Arrangement must be such that it must not damage or burn the

parachute when the flare is activated.
Buoyant smoke signals This pyro tech equipment is held in compact
container with a buoyant nature so that it can float on the water surface to
signal distress situation.

The minimum SOLAS requirements for buoyant smoke signal as per

regulation 37 are;

Contained in water resistance buoyant container with clear diagram for

operating instruction.

It should not ignite or explode if used as per the described operating

instruction.

Smoke emitted must be of high visible color with a uniform rate and
minimum period of 3 min.

It must emit only smoke and not flame when floating in calm water.

If immersed in water, it must emit smoke for a period of minimum 10

sec.

Line Throwing ApparatusA line throwing appliance is not a distress

signaling equipment but is counter acting equipment in distress situations. It is
used so that a connection in made in terms of a strong line between the
distressed ship and the safe ship to pass on towing lines or other kind of help.

The minimum requirements for this appliance as per regulation 49 are;

Must have good accuracy.

A brief instruction with diagram must be present in the container.

 Must have minimum 4 projectiles, each carrying line to at least 230 m in
calm water.

Must have 4 lines with breaking strength not less then 2 kilo Newton.

Lesson 4: Operate Satellite Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon

GMDSS - The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System

(GMDSS) means important technological progress
in radiocommunications in order to achieve an effective, fast and viable
system to handle maritime distress and safety communications.
Basic Concept of the GMDSS

The fundamental difference between the old and the new distress system
is that the new system is shore centred/coordinated and moves emphasis
from ship to ship alerting to ship to shore alerting. The new system is
quicker, simpler and, most importantly, more efficient and reliable than the
old manual Morse Code and radiotelephone alerting system. GMDSS is
specifically designed to automate a ships radio distress alerting function,
and consequently, remove the requirement for manual (human)
watch-keeping on distress channels.

The basic concept of the system is that search and rescue authorities
ashore, as well as shipping in the immediate vicinity of the ship in distress,
will be rapidly and automatically alerted to a distress situation so that they
can assist in a co-coordinated SAR operation with minimum delay. The
system also provides for urgency and safety communications, and the
promulgation of maritime safety information (MSI) including- navigational
and meteorological warnings and forecasts, and other urgent safety
information to ships. In other words, every ship, fitted appropriately for
GMDSS, is able, irrespective of the area in which it operates, to perform
those communication functions, which are essential for the safety of the
ship itself and of other ships operating in the same area.

The Communication Functions

1. Distress alerting Ship to shore

The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) as described

in SOLAS Chapter IV defines the first functional requirement as:

"Every ship, while at sea, shall be capable

of transmitting ship-to-shore distess alerts

 by at least two independent means, each

using a different radiocommunication

service".

three basic means of transmitting a distress alert:

EPIRB

Digital Selective Calling (DSC)

INMARSAT

Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) is a device to alert

search and rescue services (SAR) in case of an emergency out at sea. It is a
tracking equipment that transmits a signal on a specified band to locate a
lifeboat, life raft, ship or people in distress. AN EPIRB is a SECONDARY
means of DISTRESS alerting which is to say that it comes later in the
hierarchy of alerting SAR authorities in case of a distress. It is mandatory to
carry one EPIRB on every ship and two EPIRBS for all Indian Registered ships

Types Of EPIRB
 1. COSPAS-SARSAT EPIRBS under the COSPAS-SARSAT system
work on the 406.025 MHz and 121.5 MHz band and are applicable for all
sea areas
2. INMARSAT E 1.6 GHz band is the one which this EPIRB works on.
These are applicable for sea areas A1, A2 and A3
3. VHF CH 70 This works on the 156.525 MHz band and are applicable
for sea area A1 only.

Using an EPIRB

The EPIRB needs to be activated to emit signals. This could be done by

pushing a button on the unit, or it could happen automatically if and when it
comes in contact with water. The latter variety are known as
hydrostatic EPIRB; the quality makes hydrostatic EPIRBs the best choice for
sailors because they could he automatically activated in case the ship or
vessel meets an accident and finds itself in deep waters. The point to be kept
in mind is that EPIRB needs activation to be operative, and this could happen
only when it emerges from the bracket it is placed in. This could be done
manually or it could happen automatically, as said earlier. The device is
essentially battery-operated. This helps because power is the first entity to be
affected in case of a calamity.

Battery

12 Volt battery
48 hours of transmitting capacity
Normally replaced every 2 to 5 years

Testing EPIRB

The EPIRB should be tested once a month to ensure operational integrity. The
procedure to do so is as follows:

1. Press and release the test button on the EPIRB

2. The red lamp on the EPIRB should flash once
3. Within 30 seconds of pressing the button, the strobe as well as the red
light should flash several times
4. After 60 seconds of operation, the EPIRB will switch off

Maintenance of EPIRB

1. The EPIRB must be inspected visually for any defects such as cracks
2. It is advisable to clean the EPIRB once in a while with a dry cloth
3. While cleaning, the switches must be specifically checked
4. The lanyard of the EPIRB must be neatly packed into the container of
the EPIRB without any loose ends dangling about
5. The expiry date of the battery must be checked to cover the immediate
as well as the next voyage at the least
6. Send the EPIRB back to the service agent or the supplier if the EPIRB
fails the monthly checks
7. Change the battery onboard if the facilities are available or send it to the
servicing agent if there isnt
8. If the EPIRB has been used in an emergency, it must be returned to an
authorised service agent for a battery change.
9. In the event that theHRU has crossed its expiry date, the HRU ought to
be replaced onboard and HRU must be marked with an expiry date 2
years into the future.