Release 1. This is the first release of this unit of competency in the MAR Maritime Training Package.

This unit involves the skills and knowledge required to comply with accepted safety practices and standards in responding to abandon ship and survival situations.

This unit applies to crew members required to assist in the operation of survival craft and rescue boats other than fast rescue boats on a range of vessels.

This unit applies to people working in the maritime industry in the capacity of:

• Chief Integrated Rating
• Electro-Technical Officer (STCW Electro-Technical Officer Unlimited)
• Engineer Class 3 Near Coastal
• Engineer Watchkeeper (STCW Engineer Watchkeeper Unlimited)
• Integrated Rating
• Master of a commercial vessel less than less than 500 gross tonnage (GT)
• Master of a commercial vessel Unlimited
• Watchkeeper Deck.

Licensing/Regulatory Information 

This unit is equivalent to and delivers the objectives of the following STCW provisions:

• STCW Reg VI/2 (1) and Code Section A-VI/2 (1-4), Table A-VI/2-1.

Legislative and regulatory requirements are applicable to this unit.

• Regulatory requirements include STCW International Maritime Organisation Organization (IMO) model course competencies and areas of knowledge, understanding and proficiency, together with the estimated total hours required for lectures and practical exercises. Teaching staff should note that timings are suggestions only and should be adapted to suit individual groups of trainees depending on their experience, ability, equipment and staff available for training.

Near Coastal Qualifications:

• This unit is one of the requirements to obtain Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) certification as an Engineer Class 3 Near Coastal as defined in the Marine Order 505 (Certificates of competency - National Law) 2013.

Blue Waters Qualifications:

• This unit is one of the requirements to obtain AMSA certification as a Chief Integrated Rating, Electro-Technical Officer (STCW Electro-Technical Officer Unlimited), Engineer Watchkeeper (STCW Engineer Watchkeeper Unlimited), Integrated Rating, Master of a commercial vessel of less than 500 gross tonnage (GT), Master Unlimited or Watchkeeper Deck. and to meet regulatory requirements this unit must be delivered consistent with Marine Orders and with the relevant sections of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).

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  

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 

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

5.3 

Musters and drills are reviewed against objectives

5.4 

Reporting obligations are completed according to regulatory requirements and organisational procedures

5.5 

Risk control processes are implemented

6 

Assume responsibility for survival of crew and passengers 

6.1 

Survivors are checked for signs of hypothermia or other injuries and first aid is applied, where necessary

6.2 

Water and food are rationed

6.3 

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

6.4 

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

6.5 

Persons are disembarked from survival craft or rescue boat according to organisational procedures

6.6 

Survival craft or rescue boat is recovered and checked for signs of damage

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 MARF007 Operate survival craft and other lifesaving appliances.

Release 1. This is the first release of this unit of competency in the MAR Maritime Training Package.

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:

• acting appropriately in the prevailing circumstances and conditions in response to abandon ship and survival situations according to accepted safety practices and standards
• communicating effectively with others, as required, when operating survival craft and ancillary survival equipment
• conducting inspections of other survival equipment at intervals determined by the safety management system (SMS)
• conducting tests and pre-start checks of equipment at intervals determined by the SMS
• giving correct commands for launching and boarding survival craft and clearing the ship
• interpreting and applying International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) practices and regulations
• launching and operating various types of survival craft
• operating off-load and on-load release devices safely
• organising abandon vessel drills
• reading and interpreting instructions relevant to the safe operation of lifesaving appliances onboard a vessel
• recognising and interpreting muster signals, and taking action that is appropriate to emergency and complies with established procedures
• recovering survival craft and rescue boats and resetting release devices
• rowing and steering a survival craft and rescue boat
• selecting and using appropriate lifesaving appliances and communications equipment
• using a compass
• using portable radio equipment, pyrotechnics and other signalling equipment
• using survival craft equipment, including rigging devices to aid location.

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:

• actions to be taken when aboard a survival craft, including:

• apportionment of food and water
• initial actions
• routines for survival
• use of equipment

• actions to be taken to maximise detectability and location of survival craft
• construction and outfit of survival craft and rescue boats
• dangers associated with the use of on-load release devices
• drills in launching and recovering rescue boats
• drills in launching life rafts, including:

• boarding a life raft from the water
• davit-launched life rafts
• throw-overboard life rafts

• emergency muster abandon vessel signals and public address (PA) system
• evacuation and recovery of survival craft and rescue boats, including:

• clearing the ships side and actions to be taken
• launching
• launching survival craft and rescue boats in rough sea
• marshalling life rafts and rescuing survivors from the sea
• recovery of rescue boats in rough sea
• recovery of survival craft and rescue boats

• first aid and management of injured persons, including:

• first aid kit
• resuscitation

• handling of survival craft and rescue boats in rough weather, including beaching
• helicopter assistance and pick-up, including:

• communicating with helicopter
• evacuating from ship and survival craft

• International Code of Signals (ICS), purpose and meaning of signals
• International Maritime Organization (IMO) safety symbols
• International Safety Management (ISM) Code, SMS plans, procedures, checklists and instructions
• launching arrangements, including:

• boat davits
• float-free arrangements
• free-fall
• life raft davits
• marine evacuation systems
• rescue boat davits

• lifeboat engine and accessories
• maintenance procedures for survival craft and rescue boats
• manoeuvring characteristics of survival craft and rescue boats
• Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) amendments 2014
• muster list
• operation of survival craft and rescue boats, their launching appliances and arrangements and their equipment
• principles concerning survival, including:

• actions to be taken when aboard a survival craft
• actions to be taken when called to survival craft stations
• actions to be taken when in the water
• actions to be taken when required to abandon ship
• main dangers to survivors
• training, drills and operational readiness

• 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
• rescue boat outboard engine
• SOLAS regulations
• strategies, including:

• beaching survival craft
• deploying exposure cover on an open lifeboat
• handling survival craft in rough weather
• maximising detectability of survival craft
• rationing food and water
• using rescue boat to marshal life rafts
• using rescue boat to retrieve survivors in the sea

• 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
• types of emergency situations which may occur and precautions, including:

• adverse reaction of dangerous goods and hazardous bulk materials
• collision
• explosion
• fire
• foundering
• shifting of cargo
• stranding

• types of emergencies that require launching and operation of rescue boats, including:

• abandon ship
• man overboard
• marshalling of survival craft
• towing and rescue of survival craft from a shipwreck

• types of survival craft, including:

• lifeboats
• life rafts
• rescue boats

• ways of maximising detectability 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).

Assessors must hold credentials specified within the Standards for Registered Training Organisations current at the time of assessment.

Assessment must satisfy the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence and all regulatory requirements included within 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 and operational manuals
• tools, equipment, machinery, materials and relevant personal protective equipment (PPE) currently used in industry.