Unit of competency details

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

Performance criteria describe the required performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

1 

Launch survival craft and rescue boats 

1.1

Preparations for the launch of the survival craft or rescue boat  are made according to manufacturer instructions and organisational procedures

1.2

Launch strategy is adopted appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions

1.3

Launching equipment  is operated according to manufacturer instructions and organisational procedures

1.4

Survival craft or rescue boat is launched smoothly according to accepted safety practices and standards

2 

Operate survival craft and rescue boats 

2.1

Pre-start checks are conducted on the engine

2.2

Engine is started according to manufacturer instructions and organisational procedures

2.3

Orders are given for survivors to board the survival craft

2.4

Survival craft is cleared of the vessel and operated according to manufacturer instructions and organisational procedures

2.5

Survival craft is manoeuvred appropriately for the prevailing circumstances and conditions

3 

Operate lifesaving and survival equipment 

3.1

Location and accessibility of all lifesaving and survival equipment  is established

3.2

Survival equipment is checked and operated according to manufacturer instructions and organisational procedures

3.3

Lifesaving clothing is correctly donned and used according to manufacturer instructions and organisational procedures

3.4

Strategies  are implemented to counter threats to survival according to accepted survival practice

4 

Recover survival craft 

4.1

Persons are disembarked from the survival craft according to organisational procedures

4.2

Survival craft is recovered according to manufacturer instructions and organisational procedures

4.3

Survival craft and equipment are checked for signs of damage and faulty equipment

4.4

Identified faulty equipment or damage is reported according to organisational procedures

5 

Organise abandon vessel musters and drills 

5.1

Abandon vessel musters and drills are arranged according to regulatory requirements and organisational procedures

5.2

Contributions are made to musters and drills

5.3

Instruction is provided to others on organisational procedures and the correct use of lifesaving equipment

5.4

Musters and drills are reviewed against objectives

5.5

Reporting obligations are completed according to regulatory requirements and organisational procedures

5.6

Risk control processes are implemented

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required Skills: 

• Conduct inspections of other survival equipment at intervals determined by the safety management system

• Conduct tests and pre-start checks of equipment at intervals determined by the safety management system

• Give correct commands for launching and boarding survival craft and clearing the ship

• Interpret and apply safety of life at sea (SOLAS) practices and regulations

• Organise abandon vessel drills

• Read and interpret instructions relevant to the safe operation of lifesaving appliances on board a vessel

• Recover survival craft and rescue boats and reset release devices

• Row and steer a survival craft and rescue boat

• Safely operate off-load and on-load release devices

• Select and use appropriate lifesaving appliances and communications equipment

• Use a compass

• Use portable radio equipment, pyrotechnics and other signalling equipment

• Use survival craft equipment including rigging devices to aid location

Required Knowledge: 

• Construction and outfit of survival craft and rescue boats

• Dangers associated with the use of on-load release devices

• Emergency muster and abandon vessel signals

• IMO safety symbols

• ISM Code safety management system plans, procedures, checklists and instructions

• Maintenance procedures for survival craft and rescue boats

• Manoeuvring characteristics of survival craft and rescue boats

• Operation of survival craft and rescue boats, their launching appliances and arrangements and their equipment

• Procedures and sequences for launching, carrying out pre-start engine checks and operating survival craft and rescue boats in a variety of sea and weather conditions

• Procedures for correctly operating and using lifesaving appliances and personal safety equipment on vessels and survival craft

• Relevant sections of applicable maritime regulations

• Relevant work health and safety (WHS)/occupational health and safety (OHS) legislation

• SOLAS regulations

• Symptoms of hypothermia, its prevention and treatment

• Threats to survival on abandonment of a vessel and appropriate strategies for countering these threats

• Typical manoeuvring and engine characteristics for survival craft

• Ways of maximising detect ability and location of survival craft using radio lifesaving appliances, pyrotechnic distress signals, satellite emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs), and search and rescue transponders (SARTs)

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, the required skills and knowledge, the range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit 

The evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the Elements, Performance Criteria, Required Skills, Required Knowledge and include:

• acting appropriately to the prevailing circumstances and conditions in response to abandon ship and survival situations according to accepted safety practices and standards
• launching and operating various types of survival craft
• communicating effectively with others as required when operating survival craft and ancillary survival equipment.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Performance is demonstrated consistently over time and in a suitable range of contexts.

Resources for assessment include access to:

• industry-approved marine operations site where operating survival craft and other lifesaving appliances can be conducted in suitably simulated situations
• tools, equipment and personal protective equipment currently used in industry
• relevant regulatory and equipment documentation that impacts on work activities
• range of relevant exercises, case studies and/or other simulated practical and knowledge assessments
• appropriate range of relevant operational situations in the workplace.

In both real and simulated environments, access is required to:

• relevant and appropriate materials and equipment
• applicable documentation including workplace procedures, regulations, codes of practice and operation manuals.

Method of assessment 

Practical assessment must occur in an:

• appropriately simulated workplace environment and/or
• appropriate range of situations in the workplace.

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate to this unit:

• direct observation of the candidate operating survival craft and other lifesaving appliances
• direct observation of the candidate applying relevant WHS/OHS requirements and work practices.

Guidance information for assessment 

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended.

In all cases where practical assessment is used it should be combined with targeted questioning to assess Required Knowledge.

Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language and literacy requirements of the work being performed and the capacity of the candidate.

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below.

Survival craft and rescue boats must include:

• Life rafts
• Lifeboats
• Rescue boats

Launching equipment must include:

• Cranes
• Davits
• Life raft launching and inflation equipment

Lifesaving and survival equipment must include:

• Immersion suits
• Life jackets
• Person overboard combination light and smoke float
• Portable radio equipment
• Pyrotechnic distress signals
• SARTs
• Satellite EPIRBs
• Thermal protective aids

Strategies must include:

• Beaching survival craft
• Deploying exposure cover on an open lifeboat
• Handling survival craft in rough weather
• Helicopter rescue from survival craft
• Maximising detect ability of survival craft
• Preventing and treating hypothermia
• Rationing food and water
• Using rescue boat to marshal life rafts
• Using rescue boat to retrieve survivors in the sea