Release 1. New unit of competency. Licensing/regulatory information has been incorporated in accordance with Regulatory requirements. Assessment Requirements have been strengthened in accordance with Regulatory requirements.

This unit involves the skills and knowledge required to survive at sea using survival craft. This unit applies to people working in the maritime industry in a deck and or engine room capacity on vessels up to 80 m and with propulsion power <3000 kW within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). They could be working independently or as part of a vessel crew.

Licensing/Regulatory Information 

Legislative and regulatory requirements are applicable to this unit. This unit is one of the requirements to obtain Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) certification as a General Purpose Hand NC, Coxswain Grade 1 NC, Marine Engine Driver Grade 3 NC, Master <24 m NC, Marine Engine Driver Grade 2 NC, Mate <80 m NC, Master < 35 m NC and Marine Engine Driver Grade 1 NC as defined in the National Standard for Commercial Vessels (NSCV) Part D. The AMSA mandated practical assessment (AMPA) is a requirement for AMSA certification. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) mandated practical assessment (AMPA) will cover a range, but not all, of the requirements identified in the Performance Evidence and Knowledge Evidence. The AMPA shall be undertaken in accordance with its instructions.

Assessors of AMPA must hold as a minimum:

• a current certificate of competency issued under Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law Act 2012 at the same level as the qualification being assessed with at least 12 months relevant sea service, or
• a relevant seafarer certificate, as master, engineer or deck officer, issued under the Navigation Act 2012 or relevant skills and experience.

Not Applicable

F – Operational Quality and Safety

Not applicable.

ELEMENTS 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1 

Prepare to abandon vessel 

1.1 

Nature of emergency is determined to minimise potential dangers and threats

1.2 

Muster and abandon vessel signals are responded to according to vessel safety procedures

1.3 

Survival equipment is organised to maximise chances of survival

1.4 

Emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) is operated to transmit distress signal

1.5 

Distress calls are made using radio equipment

1.6 

Others are assisted to maximise their chances of survival

1.7 

Prevailing circumstances and emergency conditions are used as the basis for timing and sequencing individual survival actions, and potential dangers and threats to other survivors are minimised

2 

Operate lifesaving and survival equipment 

2.1 

Location and accessibility of lifesaving and survival equipment is established

2.2 

Survival craft is launched in a timely and effective manner

2.3 

Survival equipment is operated according to instructions and accepted survival practice

2.4 

Survival radio equipment is operated according to manufacturer instructions and regulatory protocols

2.5 

Lifejacket and other lifesaving equipment are correctly used according to instructions

3 

Abandon vessel safely 

3.1 

Need to abandon vessel is established according to safety management system (SMS) or plan

3.2 

Survival craft is launched according to instructions

3.3 

Survival craft is checked to ensure it is safe to board

3.4 

Survival craft is boarded observing safety of other survivors

3.5 

Survival craft is released from abandoned vessel

3.6 

Exposure cover is deployed on survival craft according to accepted survival practice and manufacturer instructions

4 

Apply survival techniques 

4.1 

Survival craft is checked for seaworthiness

4.2 

Sea anchors and drogues are deployed according to accepted nautical practice

4.3 

Occupants are checked for signs of hypothermia or other injuries and first aid is applied as required

4.4 

Water and food is rationed

4.5 

Lookout for vessels and aircraft in vicinity is maintained and distress signals are released on sighting

4.6 

Instructions given by rescue personnel are followed to safely access rescue craft

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Range is restricted to essential operating conditions and any other variables essential to the work environment.

This unit replaces and is equivalent to MARF005 Survive at sea using survival craft.

Release 1. New unit of competency. Licensing/regulatory information has been incorporated in accordance with Regulatory requirements. Assessment Requirements have been strengthened in accordance with Regulatory requirements.

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria on at least one occasion and include:

• applying appropriate handling strategies to manoeuvre survival craft in rough weather and sea conditions
• boarding a life raft unassisted while wearing a lifejacket and assisting others to board
• collecting, managing and interpreting information on the use of lifesaving equipment
• communicating with other crew members
• determining type and extent of emergency
• jumping safely from a height into the water while wearing a lifejacket and according to established survival practice
• operating radio equipment
• participating in training, musters and emergency drills
• reading and interpreting instructions for emergency procedures and for use of lifesaving and survival equipment
• recognising and interpreting muster signals
• righting an inverted life raft unassisted while wearing a lifejacket according to established survival practice
• swimming while wearing a lifejacket and floating without a lifejacket according to established survival practice
• using a rescue quoit to assist a person to the life raft
• using paddles to manoeuvre survival craft
• using survival equipment.

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria and include knowledge of:

• action to be taken in emergency situations
• calculations required to ration food and water
• technique used to deploy a sea anchor or drogue from the survival craft
• emergency muster and abandon vessel signals
• equipment found in survival craft, its function and procedures for correct operation
• established survival practice
• first aid techniques
• how to launch survival craft
• importance of being ready for shipboard emergencies
• International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) regulations
• location of survival equipment on vessel
• maintenance of lifesaving appliances
• means of activating gas release line to inflate life raft
• procedures for abandoning vessel including use of:

• inflatable life raft
• life buoys
• life jackets

• relevant maritime regulations relating to required survival equipment on a vessel
• relevant work health and safety (WHS)/occupational health and safety (OHS) legislation and policies

• search and rescue transponders (SARTs)

• steps to be taken after collision, grounding or other marine casualty and resulting hull damage
• survival at sea techniques
• survival craft:

• characteristics of different types of survival craft
• construction

• techniques for using survival equipment
• time required to make distress calls safely
• threats to survival on vessel abandonment and appropriate strategies for countering these threats
• use and purpose of personal protective equipment (PPE)
• use of distress signals, including flares and penalty for misuse.

Assessors must satisfy applicable regulatory requirements, which include requirements in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations current at the time of assessment. As a minimum, assessment must satisfy applicable regulatory requirements, which include requirements in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations current at the time of assessment. Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.

Practical assessment must occur in a workplace, or realistic simulated workplace, under the normal range of workplace conditions. Simulations and scenarios may be used where situations cannot be provided in the workplace or may occur only rarely, in particular for situations relating to emergency procedures and adverse weather conditions where assessment would be unsafe, impractical or may lead to environmental damage.

Resources for assessment must include access to:

• applicable documentation, such as legislation, regulations, codes of practice, workplace procedures, instructions for use of lifesaving and survival equipment, emergency procedures and operational manuals
• survival craft
• tools, equipment, machinery, materials and relevant PPE currently used in industry.