STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES

DRILLS
Policy:

It is a requirement that all Crew undertake regular drills and these are recorded by the Master and Museum.

Purpose:

To prepare the Crew to handle emergency situations in a care, safe and efficient manner if they should arise.

Scope:

All vessel crew are required to partake in drills on a regular basis

Responsibilities:

The Masters, and appointed Trainers, are responsible for running drills on the Vessels. The Sailing Manager is responsible for overseeing the drills schedule and making sure all drills are recorded in accordance with the MTOP.

Definitions:

MTOP – Maritime Transport Operator Plan

MOB – Man Overboard

Procedure:
  • Drills will be carried out at intervals not exceeding 12 months
  • Where it is not practical to undertake a simulated drill, then we will discuss the procedure and familiarize the crew and Master’s with the operation of the associated equipment.
  • Master & crew competency will be monitored on an on-going basis by observation, feedback and examining the outcome of any drills, incident accident or hazard reviews.
  • Crew will undertake refresher training if they have not worked on board the vessel within the preceding 6 months or at any time increased competency is required.
  • All crew drills will be recorded primarily in the Vessel Logbook.
  • At a suitable time thereafter, records of all drills will be recorded in the Drills Logbook by the Master & retained on board.
  • Periodically the records of drills will be transferred to the data base held on NZNMM electronic storage system.
  • Any training outcomes that may require changes to procedures contained within the MTOP will be noted on the Record of MTOP reviews. This may result in an immediate review or be considered at the next review.
  • Refresher training conducted shall be recorded in a form refer Appendix 3 of MTOP and retained in the crew member’s personnel file and electronically by NZNMM. Safety training and Drills will be recorded solely in the NZNMM electronic storage system.

What is a Safety Drill

The drill should refresh basic safety training and add an element of reality of working as part of a team onboard their own vessel.

  • Each member of the crew must be familiar with their duties and use of relevant equipment and life-saving appliances.
  • Crew shall have access to all training manuals associated with emergency response procedures
  • A drill can range in levels and involvement; from the very basic involving a single crew member all the way to incorporating the entire Museum and outside services e.g. Coastguard etc.
  • Examples:
  • Most basic level – a random “What if Question” to a specific crew member
  • Tool box chat – a group of crew are asked a ”What if Question”. This doesn’t have to even be on the vessel
  • Basic Scenario – a simple single Exercise e.g. MOB, Fire, Abandon Ship
  • Advanced Simple Scenario – one event leading to another to another e.g. a fire leading to an medical emergency leading to abandon ship
  • Advanced Complex scenario – Simultaneous events; e.g. Collison, medical emergency, sinking leading to abandon ship
  • All personal shall participate in a debriefing following any drill performed on the vessel.
  • The debriefing should evaluate:
  • Effectiveness of the drill overall
  • Areas for improvement
  • Concerns anyone may have about their responsibilities
  • And any comments regarding equipment, leadership, resources etc.

Running a Drill

Drills can be entirely planned down to the last minute detail or as simple as a quick random application with no forewarning. The results will be different and much be learnt from every event.

A few things to remember when you do drills:

  • Not everyone in the crew will have the same experience or skills
  • Not all crew members will be confident as the next
  • Don’t assume that everyone understands – check!
  • Identify who is good at what and use their strengths
  • Use the experiences of crew members in discussions. For example, someone may have been involved in an actual person overboard situation. Ask them what happened.
  • Crew members should not be afraid to make comment or ask questions.
  • Drills need a leader and the active participation of the crew.
  • Drills should be a positive experience. While they are a serious exercise they can still be fun.
  • A list of likely possibilities of emergencies:
  • Fire
  • Engine Room
  • Galley
  • Other
  • Engine Room Flooding
  • Man Overboard
  • Medical Emergency
  • Abandon Ship
  • Grounding
  • Collision
  • Spill
  • Oil
  • Chemical
  • Loss of Engine/s
  • Loss of Rudder
  • Loss of Mast
  • Loss of Power
  • High Pressure Steam Leak
  • Natural Disaster
  • Sever Storm
  • Cyclone
  • Earthquake
  • Volcano eruptions

What’s a Briefing

Before a planned drill the Master should hold a briefing of all involved to outline the drill. Things to cover

  • Everyone needs to understand why the drill is happening
  • You need to explain what the drill is about and what the scenario might be (or keep it as a complete surprise)
  • Everyone needs to understand their role and its importance
  • Everyone needs to understand that it’s important to react quickly in an emergency
  • Everyone needs to understand that there is no ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ in a drill but simply a chance to improve
  • Everyone needs to understand the importance of using effective closed loop communication during drills – repeating back what they think they’ve heard to make sure it’s correct and that everyone’s on the same page.
  • Make sure that no one is put in danger during a drill and that everyone’s got Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and that they know how to use it if needed
  • Make sure they know how to use it correctly
  • Make sure there is a way to stop the drill if a crew member is feeling uncomfortable. For example by using a simple code word.

What’s a Debriefing

A meeting after a drill to discuss the drill and see what lessons can be learnt

  • Make sure everyone is okay
  • This is when you discuss what went well during the drill and why
  • This is when you discuss what could have been done better and why
  • This is a good time to look at records of the drill to see if you’re doing things better
  • This is when you get reports on equipment, how it’s running, that it’s back in the right place and that work requests are completed if required
  • Make sure everyone gets chance to speak and that their opinion is valued and respected
  • Make sure everyone understands that it’s better to make a mistake in a drill than in a real emergency
  • Make sure the records are kept and made while things are still fresh in your mind

References:

MTOP – Training – Drills & ongoing training

Revisions:

NZNMM SOP’SJUNE 2016