A ship crew must be prepared all the time to tackle and fight against any kind of emergencies which can arise due to reasons such as rough weather, machinery malfunction, pirate attack, human error etc. Such emergencies can lead to fire, collision, flooding, grounding, environmental pollution, and loss of life. To stress the importance of training for different emergency procedures and duties of personnel, muster list is provided onboard ship.
A muster list is basically a list which is displayed in prominent areas of the vessel so that every crew member on onboard can read it on a go. Some of the important areas where the muster list is posted are- Bridge, Engine room, accommodation alleyways etc., areas where ship’s crew spends the maximum of their time.
The Important features which are displayed in the muster lists are:
Types of Emergency and different alarms for the same
Instruction to follow in case of different types of emergency
Brief instruction is given in case the alarm for a particular emergency is sounded, which includes action to be taken by the crew onboard.
Common Muster point for all the crew
The common muster point is clearly described if any emergency alarm is sounded. Normally life boat deck area is made as a common muster point.
Crew list of all crew member with assigned life boat
The crew name is displayed along with the assigned life boat for abandon ship emergency. Normally two life boats are assigned in between all the crew member i.e. port side and starboard side life boat.
Assigned duties for abandon ship
All the crew listed in the muster list are assigned with duties to perform in emergency situation like carrying EPIRB and SART, lifeboat and life raft launching etc.
Different teams with assigned duties for the individuals of the team for emergencies
Different teams are made to tackle emergencies like fire, flooding etc. these are –
1.Command Team: operated from bridge.
2.Emergency team 1: Operates at the point of scenario.
3.Emergency team 2: Standby team and helping hand for emergency team.
4.Roving Commission: Team working along with all other team.
5.Engine room team: This team stand by in ECR.
Ship Specification and emergency communication equipment
Ship specifications are displayed along with the communication methods and equipments to be used in case of emergency.
Special and general instruction by master
A separate section for general and special instructions is provided which is used by the master or the chief engineer of the vessel to keep inform or to instruct the crew of the ship.
The muster list is posted to keep the crew aware of the different emergency situations and duties to be performed if such situations occur in reality. For this, regular training and drill must be conducted by the master of the ship to ensure that all crew members are familiar with life saving and fire fighting appliances.
You may also like to read- A General Overview- SOLAS & MARPOL.
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