LSA Flashcards
Whats in a SOLAS A kit?
One buoyant rescue quoit not less than 30m of buoyant line.
One non-folding knife with a buoyant handle and lanyard
stowed on the exterior of the canopy near the painter. If the liferaft is rated for more than 13 persons, two knives are required.
Two sponges.
Two sea anchors.
Two buoyant paddles.
Three tin openers.
One pair of scissors.
One waterproof first aid kit.
Four rocket parachute flares.
Six hand flares.
Two buoyant smoke signals.
One waterproof electric torch capable of Morse signalling,
with a set of spare batteries and one spare bulb.
An efficient radar reflector.
One daylight signalling mirror.
One copy of life-saving signals.
One set of fishing tackle.
Food ration of not less than 10,000kj per person.
1.5l of fresh water per person. 0.5l may be replaced by desalination equipment capable of producing fresh water in 2 days.
One rustproof graduated drinking vessel .
Anti-sea sickness tables.
Survival and immediate action instructions.
Thermal protective aids sufficient for 10% of the number of
persons the liferaft is permitted to carry.
What three flares are there and burn time?
Red Parachute = 40 seconds
Orange Smoke = 3 Minutes
Handheld = 1 Minute
How often for an enclosed space drill?
2 Months
This drill should familiarise crew on the emergency procedures to be followed in case of an accident within an enclosed space.
What would you find in a SOLAS training manual?
Generic guidance on sea survival and fire fighting.
Vessel-specific information about the LSA and FFE carried onboard and its use.
Whats on the muster list?
Muster lists specify:
Alarms and signals.
General instructions for emergency response.
The duties of each crew member.
Substitutes for key persons who may become incapacitated.
Abandon ship stations and duties.
Contents of rescue boat?
Sufficient buoyant oars or paddles to make headway in calm seas.
A buoyant bailer
A binnacle containing an efficient compass which is luminous or provided with suitable means of illumination
A sea-anchor and tripping line or fitted with a hawser of adequate strength not less than 10 m in length;
A painter of sufficient length and strength, attached to the release device complying with the requirements of paragraph 4.4.7.7 and placed at the forward end of the rescue boat;
One buoyant line, not less than 50 m in length, of sufficient strength to tow a liferaft as required by paragraph 5.1.1.7;
One waterproof electric torch suitable for Morse signalling, together with one spare set of batteries and one spare bulb in a waterproof container;
One whistle or equivalent sound signal;
A first-aid outfit in a waterproof case capable of being closed tightly after use;
Two buoyant rescue quoits, attached to not less than 30 m of buoyant line;
A searchlight
An efficient radar reflector;
2 PTA
Portable fire-extinguishing equipment of an approved type suitable for extinguishing oil fires footnote.
boat hook;
A bucket; and
A knife or hatchet.
What are your helicopter rescue preparations?
First consult IAMSAR Vol 3 for procedures
Inform shore facility of visibility, wind and sea conditions
Agree on working channel
Clear winching area and spaces close by of debris and loose items
Lay down masts or aerials if possible
Follow SMS checklist
DO NOT secure any lines passed down from the helicopter.
*DO NOT fire rockets or use line-throwing appliances in vicinity of helicopter.
*DO NOT transmit on radio whilst winching is in progress.
*DO NOT shine light at the helicopter at night.
*DO steer with wind 30° on Port bow if rescue area is aft.
*DO steer with wind 30° on Starboard bow if rescue area is forward.
*DO clear rescue area, secure all loose gear and remove all aerials.
*DO fly flag (illuminated at night) to indicate wind direction.
*DO illuminate rescue area at night.
*DO wear rubber gloves to handle winch wire.
What info is on a life buoy? Are they all the same weight?
Vessel name and port of registry
How would you recover somebody from the water?
You would use a rescue boat in conjunction with either Jasons cradle or similar to get them from the water into the rescue boat
Once you have the casualty in the rescue boat, you can get them back onboard the main vessel by swim platform, or lifting the rescue boat back onboard
Onboard my vessel we have something called a Markus Net
What is the purpose of a weak link?
The weak link is designed to keep tension on the painter line of a life raft as it floats and the vessel sinks
As it reaches the end of the painter, the tension will be great enough to pull the last part of the painter out to inflate the life raft
This will increase the tension and this is where the weak link is designed to break to free the life raft from the sinking vessel
Who is responsible for checking LSA?
The safety officer onboard is responsible for maintaining LSA onboard but checks can be completed by crew who are trained in how to maintain and check LSA equipment
You are OOW and master asks you to prepare for a abandon ship drill, what are the mandatory requirements for the drill to be sufficient?
Notification: Notify all crew members on board about the abandon ship drill well in advance to ensure their participation and readiness. This includes announcing the drill over the vessel’s communication system and posting notices in common areas.
Frequency: Conduct abandon ship drills regularly as required by SOLAS regulations. Typically, drills should be held at least once every month under realistic conditions, with additional drills conducted within 24 hours of leaving port if the previous drill was not held during the preceding month.
Realistic Scenario: Simulate a realistic scenario to ensure that crew members understand their roles and responsibilities in the event of an actual emergency. This includes initiating the drill without prior announcement to simulate an unexpected emergency situation.
Assembly Stations: Ensure that crew members are aware of their assigned assembly stations and muster points in case of abandonment. Designate specific locations on board where crew members should gather after donning their life jackets.
Donning of Life Jackets: Require all crew members to don their life jackets as part of the drill. Ensure that life jackets are correctly fitted and fastened according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Launching of Lifeboats and Liferafts: Demonstrate the proper procedures for launching lifeboats and liferafts, including releasing the securing devices, lowering the lifeboats/liferafts into the water, and boarding them safely.
Use of Survival Equipment: Instruct crew members on the use of survival equipment, such as pyrotechnic distress signals, whistle, and survival suits. Ensure that crew members know how to operate and deploy the equipment correctly.
Accountability: Conduct a headcount or roll call at the assembly stations to account for all crew members. Ensure that crew members are aware of the importance of reporting to their assigned stations and participating in the headcount process.
Documentation: Maintain accurate records of the abandon ship drill, including the date and time of the drill, participants’ names, observations, and any deficiencies noted. Record any feedback or lessons learned for future improvement.
By ensuring that the abandon ship drill meets these mandatory requirements, the crew can be better prepared to respond effectively in the event of an actual emergency, thereby enhancing the safety and survival chances of everyone on board.
Actions in life raft after launch?
Cut the painter so you move away from any debris or risk of getting caught on the sinking vessel
Stream the sea anchor or drogue, this will help stabilise the life raft and keep you general area to help with rescue
Close up the life raft to keep any weather out to help keen the inside of the life raft dry
Maintain, this is one of the most important parts, distribute sea sickness tablets if you did not get a chance before boarding
Check for any injuries and apply first aid if needed
Maintain the inside of the life, by keeping it dry
Ration food and water
Check visually for any near by vessels and use SART or GMDSS radios if needed
MAINTAIN MORAL, this is by far the most important thing to do, keep peoples hopes up. Depending where you are, rescue will not be far away but you must keep peoples hopes up
What are the requirements for a SOLAS inflatable life jacket?
BUOYANCY
Lifejackets are designed to have buoyancy which is not reduced by more than 5% after 24hr submersion in fresh water.
VISIBILITY
All SOLAS approved lifejackets will be of a highly visible reddish-orange and will have retroreflective tape to aid detection.
DONNING
Lifejackets should be designed to donned only one way. If incorrectly donned, they should not harm the wearer. The securing should be quick without the use of knots.
75% of wearers who are unfamiliar with the lifejacket should be able to correctly don the jacket within one minute without assistance. Following demonstration, all must be capable of independently donning the lifejacket within one minute.
WHISTLE
Every lifejacket must be fitted with a whistle for attracting attention, secured by a lanyard.
BUOYANT LIFELINE
All lifejackets should have a buoyant lifeline which allows the wearer to connect to other individuals when floating in the water.
Child and infant life jackets should provided a method of secure connection to their caretaker.
LIGHT
Every lifejacket must have a white light, with a luminous intensity not less than 0.75 candelas, which can last for at least eight hours.
If the light is of a flashing type, it should be provided with a manually-operated switch and flash at a rate no less than 50-70 flashes per minute.
MARKINGS
Every lifejacket should be clearly labelled with:
Size.
Accreditation mark.
Weight rating.
Serial number.
Date of manufacture .
The word “FRONT”
STRAPS AND HANDLES
Suitable means must be provided to allow a rescuer to lift the wearer from the water. These are often straps or handles.
How would you check your life rafts and what would you expect to see?
I would do a visual inspection of the life raft to check for any damage, making sure the black tape around the life raft is not broken to insure no water is getting inside the unit
I would make sure the instructions sticker is not damaged
I would make sure that information card tube is attached and secure
I would make sure that it is attached properly and the HRU units are in date and in good condition also
How many flares are in a life raft?
SOLAS A Pack
4 Rocket Parachute Flares
4 Hand held flares
2 Orange Smoke
How many flares do you have on board?
This will depend on the vessels size, you can check the Red Ensign Yacht Code Part A and look up your vessels size
For the vessel I work on, we are over 500 GT but less then 85 meters so we have
12 Rocket Parachute Flares in our grab bag
