S.I. No. 191/1984:

MERCHANT SHIPPING (CERTIFICATES OF PROFICIENCY IN SURVIVAL CRAFT) REGULATIONS, 1984.

MERCHANT SHIPPING (CERTIFICATES OF PROFICIENCY IN SURVIVAL CRAFT) REGULATIONS, 1984.

I, JAMES MITCHELL, Minister for Communications, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 427 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894 (as amended by section 11 of the Merchant Shipping (Safety Convention) Act, 1952 (No. 29 of 1952), and section 10 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1966 (No. 20 of 1966)), section 12 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1947 (No. 46 of 1947), section 8 of the Merchant Shipping (Certification of Seamen) Act, 1979 (No. 37 of 1979), and the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 1983 (No. 40 of 1983), hereby make the following Regulations:--

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Merchant Shipping (Certificates of Proficiency in Survival Craft) Regulations, 1984.

(2) These Regulations shall come into operation on the 19th day of October, 1984.

2. In these Regulations:

"approved" means approved of by the Minister;

"Marine Notice" means a Notice issued by the Department of Communications;

"specified by the Minister" means standing specified for the time being in a Marine Notice.

3. (1) An applicant for a certificate of proficiency in survival craft shall have--

(a) attained 18 years of age;

(b) attended an approved basic sea survival course;

(c) either completed sea-going service of not less than 12 months or attended an approved survival craft training course and completed such lesser period of sea-going service as may be specified by the Minister;

(d) satisfied the Minister by examination that he is familiar with the matters set out in the First Schedule hereto and as to his competence in the matters set out in the Second Schedule hereto.

(2) The conduct of any examination mentioned in paragraph (1) of this Regulation, the conditions of admission to it and the appointment of examiners shall be such as may be specified by the Minister.

4. The Minister, upon being satisfied that the requirements of Regulation 3 are met, and on receipt of the fee payable may issue to an applicant a certificate of proficiency in survival craft.

5. A record of all certificates of proficiency in survival craft issued under these Regulations and of the suspension, cancellation or alteration of, and any other matters affecting any such certificates shall be kept, in such manner as the Minister may require, by the Registrar of Shipping or by such other person as the Minister may direct.

6. If a person entitled to a certificate or proficiency in survival craft proves to the satisfaction of the Minister that he has, without fault on his part, lost or been deprived of a certificate already issued to him, the Minister shall, and where he is not so satisfied may, upon receipt of any fee payable, cause a copy of the certificate to which the said person appears to be entitled to be issued to him. Any such copy shall, before it is so issued, be certified as such by the Registrar of Shipping or, as the case may be, by such person as the Minister may have directed to keep the record referred to in Regulation 5.

7. The Merchant Shipping (Certification of Able Seamen) Regulations, 1973 ( S.I. No. 91 of 1973 ), are hereby amended as follows:--

(a) by the substitution for subparagraph (d) of paragraph (1) of Regulation 4 of the following subparagraph--

"(d) he holds a lifeboatman's certificate issued under Rule 46 of the Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances) Rules, 1983 ( S.I. No. 302 of 1983 ), or a certificate issued under the Merchant Shipping (Certificates of Proficiency in Survival Craft) Regulations, 1984 ( S.I. No. 191 of 1984 ), and", and

(b) by the substitution for subparagraph (b) of paragraph (2) of Regulation 6 of the following subparagraph--

"(b) a lifeboatman's certificate issued under Rule 46 of the said Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances) Rules, 1983, or a certificate issued under the Merchant Shipping (Certificates of Proficiency in Survival Craft) Regulations, 1984; and".

8. The Merchant Shipping (Life Saving Appliances) Rules 1983 ( S.I. No. 302 of 1983 ), are hereby amended in Regulation 1 (2) by the addition in the definition of "Certificated Lifeboatman" after "of these Rules" of "or under the Merchant Shipping (Certificates of Proficiency in Survival Craft) Regulations, 1984 ( S.I. No. 191 of 1984 ).".

FIRST SCHEDULE

Regulation 3 (d)

1. Types of emergency situations which may occur, such as collisions, fire, foundering.

2. Principles of survival including:

(a) value of training and drill;

(b) need to be ready for any emergency;

(c) actions to be taken when calling to survival craft stations;

(d) actions to be taken when required to abandon ship;

(e) actions to be taken when in the water;

(f) actions to be taken when aboard a survival craft;

(g) main dangers to survivors.

3. Special duties assigned to each crew member as indicated in the muster list, including the differences between the signals calling all crew to survival craft and to fire stations.

4. Types of life-saving appliances normally carried on board ships.

5. Construction and outfit of survival craft and individual items of their equipment.

6. Particular characteristics and facilities of survival craft.

7. Various types of devices used for launching survival craft.

8. Methods of launching survival craft in a rough sea.

9. Action to be taken after leaving the ship.

10. Handling survival craft in rough weather.

11. Use of painter, sea anchor and all other equipment.

12. Apportionment of food and water in survival craft.

13. Methods of helicopter rescue.

14. Use of first aid kit and resuscitation techniques.

15. Radio devices carried in survival craft, including emergency position indicating radio beacons.

16. Effects of hypothermia and its prevention; use of protective covers and protective garments.

17. Methods of starting and operating a survival craft engine and its accessories together with the use of the fire extinguishers provided.

18. Use of emergency boats and motor lifeboats for marshalling liferafts and rescue of survivors and persons in the sea.

19. Beaching a survival craft.

SECOND SCHEDULE

Regulation 3 (d)

The ability to:

1. Don a life-jacket correctly.

2. Interpret the markings on survival craft with respect to the number of persons they are permitted to carry.

3. Make the correct commands required for launching and boarding the survival craft, cleaning the ship and handling and disembarking from the survival craft.

4. Prepare and launch survival craft safely into water and clear the ship's side quickly.

5. Deal with injured persons both during and after abandonment.

6. Row and steer, erect a mast, set the sails, manage a boat under sail and steer a boat by compass.

7. Use signalling equipment, including pyrotechnics.

8. Use portable radio equipment for survival craft.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 19th day of July, 1984.

JAMES MITCHELL,

Minister for Communications.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These Regulations give effect in part to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, and prescribe requirements for the issue of certificates of proficiency in survival craft.

The Regulations amend the Merchant Shipping (Certification of Able Seamen) Regulations, 1973 ( S.I. No. 91 of 1973 ), and the Merchant Shipping (Life Saving Appliances) Rules, 1983 ( S.I. No. 302 of 1983 ) to make the certificate of proficiency in survival craft an alternative to the lifeboatman's certificate issued under the latter Rules.

Certain more detailed requirements are specified in Marine Notice No. 19 of 1984 which may be amended or replaced from time to time. Marine Notices can be obtained from the Department of Communications, Marine Division I, Apollo House, Tara Street, Dublin 2.