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

Contributions are made to musters and drills

5.3

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

5.4

Musters and drills are reviewed against objectives

5.5

Reporting obligations are completed according to regulatory requirements and organisational procedures

5.6

Risk control processes are implemented

Required Skills:

Conduct inspections of other survival equipment at intervals determined by the safety management system

Conduct tests and pre-start checks of equipment at intervals determined by the safety management system

Give correct commands for launching and boarding survival craft and clearing the ship

Interpret and apply safety of life at sea (SOLAS) practices and regulations

Organise abandon vessel drills

Read and interpret instructions relevant to the safe operation of lifesaving appliances on board a vessel

Recover survival craft and rescue boats and reset release devices

Row and steer a survival craft and rescue boat

Safely operate off-load and on-load release devices

Select and use appropriate lifesaving appliances and communications equipment

Use a compass

Use portable radio equipment, pyrotechnics and other signalling equipment

Use survival craft equipment including rigging devices to aid location

Required Knowledge:

Construction and outfit of survival craft and rescue boats

Dangers associated with the use of on-load release devices

Emergency muster and abandon vessel signals

IMO safety symbols

ISM Code safety management system plans, procedures, checklists and instructions

Maintenance procedures for survival craft and rescue boats

Manoeuvring characteristics of survival craft and rescue boats

Operation of survival craft and rescue boats, their launching appliances and arrangements and their equipment

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

SOLAS regulations

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

Ways of maximising detect ability 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)

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, the required skills and knowledge, the range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

The evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the Elements, Performance Criteria, Required Skills, Required Knowledge and include:

acting appropriately to the prevailing circumstances and conditions in response to abandon ship and survival situations according to accepted safety practices and standards

launching and operating various types of survival craft

communicating effectively with others as required when operating survival craft and ancillary survival equipment.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Performance is demonstrated consistently over time and in a suitable range of contexts.

Resources for assessment include access to:

industry-approved marine operations site where operating survival craft and other lifesaving appliances can be conducted in suitably simulated situations

tools, equipment and personal protective equipment currently used in industry

relevant regulatory and equipment documentation that impacts on work activities

range of relevant exercises, case studies and/or other simulated practical and knowledge assessments

appropriate range of relevant operational situations in the workplace.

In both real and simulated environments, access is required to:

relevant and appropriate materials and equipment

applicable documentation including workplace procedures, regulations, codes of practice and operation manuals.

Method of assessment

Practical assessment must occur in an:

appropriately simulated workplace environment and/or

appropriate range of situations in the workplace.

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate to this unit:

direct observation of the candidate operating survival craft and other lifesaving appliances

direct observation of the candidate applying relevant WHS/OHS requirements and work practices.

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended.

In all cases where practical assessment is used it should be combined with targeted questioning to assess Required Knowledge.

Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language and literacy requirements of the work being performed and the capacity of the candidate.

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below.

Survival craft and rescue boats must include:

Life rafts

Lifeboats

Rescue boats

Launching equipment must include:

Cranes

Davits

Life raft launching and inflation equipment

Lifesaving and survival equipment must include:

Immersion suits

Life jackets

Person overboard combination light and smoke float

Portable radio equipment

Pyrotechnic distress signals

SARTs

Satellite EPIRBs

Thermal protective aids

Strategies must include:

Beaching survival craft

Deploying exposure cover on an open lifeboat

Handling survival craft in rough weather

Helicopter rescue from survival craft

Maximising detect ability of survival craft

Preventing and treating hypothermia

Rationing food and water

Using rescue boat to marshal life rafts

Using rescue boat to retrieve survivors in the sea