Fire and Boat Drills Regulations (SOR/2010-83)

Marginal note:Duties of crew

14 During a practice muster of passengers and crew, the crew members shall perform the duties assigned to them, including

• (a) summoning the passengers to their designated muster stations;

• (b) keeping order in passageways and on stairways and generally controlling the movements of the passengers as they proceed to their designated muster stations;

• (c) assembling the passengers at their designated muster stations and ensuring that they are all accounted for;

• (d) locating and rescuing passengers who are trapped in their staterooms or who are otherwise unaccounted for;

• (e) instructing the passengers in dressing adequately for protection against exposure and in the donning and use of their lifejackets;

• (f) ensuring that the passengers have donned their lifejackets correctly;

• (g) ensuring that the passengers are made aware of how the order to abandon ship is given; and

• (h) instructing the passengers in the actions that they must take during an emergency, including how to enter marine evacuation systems at the embarkation stations and board survival craft.

Means of Exit

Marginal note:Means of exit

• 15 (1) The master of a vessel that carries passengers and is made fast at a dock for a purpose other than embarking or disembarking passengers shall, if there are passengers on board, ensure that the vessel is provided with more than one means of exit from the vessel.

• Marginal note:Conditions

  (2) The means of exit shall be

  • (a) gangways with means of access from the various decks in the vessel; or

  • (b) other means of escape that allow the passengers to reach places of safety during an emergency if the vessel’s conditions of operation do not permit the use of more than one gangway.

Drills

General

Marginal note:Notification

16 Before sounding a signal for the commencement of a drill, the master of a vessel shall ensure that all passengers are notified, in either or both official languages, according to their needs, that a drill will be held and that there is no actual emergency.

Marginal note:Manner of carrying out

17 The master of a vessel shall ensure that drills, in so far as is feasible, are carried out as if there were an actual emergency.

Marginal note:Equipment and installations

18 The master of a vessel shall ensure that any equipment or installations used during a drill are immediately returned to their full operational condition and are ready for immediate reuse, and that any faults or defects discovered in equipment or installations during a drill are remedied as soon as practicable.

Marginal note:Reporting to stations

19 Unless otherwise instructed in a notification referred to in section 16, if the general emergency alarm signal or the fire alarm signal is sounded, the passengers, if any, shall proceed to their designated muster stations and the crew members shall report to their designated muster stations and prepare to perform their assigned duties as described in the muster list.

Obligation to Hold and to Participate in Drills

Marginal note:Intervals

• 20 (1) The master of a vessel described in column 1 of the schedule that is on a voyage described in column 2 shall ensure that a fire drill and a survival craft drill are held on board the vessel at least once during each period set out in column 3.

• Marginal note:Fire drills

  (2) The master of the vessel shall ensure that a fire drill for the crew of the vessel is held within 24 hours after the vessel embarks on a voyage if more than 25% of the crew did not participate in a fire drill on board the vessel during the month before the vessel embarks.

• Marginal note:Survival craft drills

  (3) The master of the vessel shall ensure that a survival craft drill for the crew of the vessel is held within 24 hours after the vessel embarks on a voyage if more than 25% of the crew did not participate in a survival craft drill on board the vessel during the month before the vessel embarks.

Marginal note:Crew participation

21 Every member of the crew of a vessel shall participate in at least one fire drill and one survival craft drill every month.

Marginal note:Additional drills

22 In addition to the drills required under section 20, the master of a vessel shall ensure that enough fire drills and survival craft drills for the crew of the vessel are held to ensure that the entire crew is at all times competent and operationally ready to respond to the emergencies addressed by the drills.

Fire Drills

Marginal note:Considerations

23 The master of a vessel shall ensure that fire drills are planned in such a way that due consideration is given to the practice followed in the various emergencies that could occur, depending on the type of vessel and its cargo.

Marginal note:Crew duties

24 During a fire drill, the master of a vessel shall ensure that the crew members perform the duties assigned to them in connection with the fire drill, including

• (a) mustering the passengers, if any;

• (b) locating and rescuing passengers, if any, who are trapped in their staterooms or who are otherwise unaccounted for;

• (c) locating and rescuing crew members who are trapped in their accommodations or who are otherwise unaccounted for;

• (d) checking the operation of the fire doors, fire dampers and main inlets and outlets of the ventilation systems;

• (e) closing the fire doors, valves, scuppers, side scuttles, skylights, portholes and other similar openings in the vessel;

• (f) inspecting and operating the fire pump or, if the vessel has one, the emergency fire pump using at least two jets of water in order to ensure that the system is in proper working order;

• (g) inspecting the fire fighting equipment that is fitted or carried on the vessel, other than the fire fighting equipment referred to in paragraph (f), including

  • (i) fire fighters’ outfits and other personal rescue equipment,

  • (ii) the sprinkler systems,

  • (iii) the fire alarm systems,

  • (iv) the fire detection system, and

  • (v) the fire hoses and hydrants;

• (h) inspecting and testing the relevant communications equipment, including the public address systems, alarm systems and klaxons;

• (i) inspecting and testing the emergency lighting and power systems;

• (j) preparing the survival craft and their equipment; and

• (k) checking the necessary arrangements for a subsequent abandonment of the vessel.

Survival Craft Drills

Marginal note:Crew lists and duties

• 25 (1) Before a survival craft drill is held, the person in charge of a survival craft and his or her second-in-command shall each have a list of the survival craft crew members, and the person in charge shall ensure that the crew members know what their duties are.

• Marginal note:Crew duties

  (2) During a survival craft drill, the master of a vessel shall ensure that the crew members perform the duties assigned to them in connection with the survival craft drill, including

  • (a) mustering the passengers, if any;

  • (b) locating and rescuing passengers, if any, who are trapped in their staterooms or who are otherwise unaccounted for;

  • (c) locating and rescuing crew members who are trapped in their accommodations or who are otherwise unaccounted for;

  • (d) preparing for the launching of the survival craft and ensuring that the equipment and supplies, including a supply of blankets, that are required to be carried in the survival craft are in place and properly stowed;

  • (e) inspecting and, if practicable, testing the radio life saving equipment that is required to be carried in the survival craft;

  • (f) operating the davits used for launching life rafts;

  • (g) if the vessel carries motor lifeboats, starting and operating the lifeboat motors and verifying that the fuel tanks are filled to capacity;

  • (h) if the vessel carries survival craft other than lifeboats, participating in instruction in the operation and deployment of those survival craft;

  • (i) if the vessel is fitted with a marine evacuation system, carrying out the procedures required for the deployment of the system up to the point immediately preceding its actual deployment;

  • (j) testing the emergency lighting for the mustering of passengers and crew and for the abandonment of the vessel; and

  • (k) inspecting and testing the life saving appliances that are fitted or carried on the vessel, other than those referred to in paragraph (e) or (j) or in section 30.

Marginal note:Donning of suits

26 The master of a vessel shall ensure that the crew members are capable of donning the immersion suits or marine anti-exposure suits that are carried on the vessel.

Marginal note:Lifeboats

• 27 (1) The master of a vessel that carries more than one lifeboat shall ensure that a different lifeboat is launched by the assigned crew during each survival craft drill. However, subject to subsection (2) and sections 28 and 29, the master shall also ensure that each lifeboat on the vessel — including a lifeboat that is a rescue boat — is launched and manoeuvred in the water, by the assigned crew, at least once every three months during a survival craft drill.

• Marginal note:Vessel at sea

  (2) When the vessel is at sea, the launching and manoeuvring of a lifeboat during a drill referred to in subsection (1) may be replaced by the clearing and swinging out of one or more lifeboats if

  • (a) each lifeboat is cleared and swung out at least once every month; and

  • (b) each lifeboat is launched and manoeuvred in the water, by the assigned crew, at least once every three months.

• Marginal note:Vessel under way

  (3) When the vessel is under way, the master of the vessel shall ensure that the launching and manoeuvring referred to in paragraph (2)(b) are carried out in sheltered waters and under the supervision of an officer experienced in launchings and manoeuvrings while a vessel is under way.

Marginal note:Free-fall lifeboats — every three months

• 28 (1) The master of a vessel that carries free-fall lifeboats shall ensure that at least once every three months, during a survival craft drill, the crew members

  • (a) board the lifeboats;

  • (b) secure themselves properly in their seats; and

  • (c) carry out the launch procedure up to but not including the actual release of the lifeboats.

• Marginal note:Additional steps

  (2) Once the crew members have commenced the launch procedure referred to in paragraph (1)(c), the master of the vessel shall ensure that

  • (a) the lifeboats are either

    • (i) free-fall launched with only the operating crew on board, or

    • (ii) lowered into the water by means of the secondary means of launching with or without the operating crew on board; and

  • (b) the lifeboats are manoeuvred in the water by the operating crew.

Marginal note:Free-fall lifeboats — every six months

29 Despite subsection 28(2), the master of a vessel that carries free-fall lifeboats shall ensure that at least once every six months, during a survival craft drill, either

• (a) the lifeboats are free-fall launched with only the operating crew on board; or

• (b) a simulated launching of the lifeboats is carried out in accordance with the Guidelines for Simulated Launching of Free-Fall Lifeboats, the Appendix to Annex 2 of MSC.1/Circ. 1206, Measures to Prevent Accidents with Lifeboats, published by the International Maritime Organization on May 26, 2006, as amended from time to time.

Marginal note:Fire-protected lifeboats

30 The master of a vessel that carries fire-protected lifeboats shall ensure that the water spray system and the self-contained air supply for those lifeboats are tested at least once every six months during a survival craft drill.

Rescue Boat Drills

Marginal note:Intervals

• 31 (1) The master of a vessel that is equipped with rescue boats that are not lifeboats shall ensure that a rescue boat drill is held, separately from any other drill, at least once every month.

• Marginal note:Crew on board

  (2) During a rescue boat drill, the members of the crew of each rescue boat shall launch and manoeuvre the rescue boat in the water.

• Marginal note:Vessel under way

  (3) When the vessel is under way, the master of the vessel shall ensure that, during a rescue boat drill, the launching and manoeuvring of a rescue boat are carried out in sheltered waters and under the supervision of an officer experienced in launchings and manoeuvrings while a vessel is under way.

Watertight Doors

Marginal note:Intervals

32 The master of a vessel shall ensure that a drill for the operation of watertight doors is held at the same time as each fire drill and each survival craft drill.

Marginal note:Inspections

33 The master of a vessel shall ensure that the following, if fitted, are inspected at least once a week:

• (a) the watertight doors and all of the mechanisms and indicators of those doors; and

• (b) all of the valves

  • (i) the closing of which is necessary to make a compartment watertight, and

  • (ii) the operation of which is necessary for damage control cross-connections.

Marginal note:Voyage that exceeds one week

34 The master of a vessel referred to in item 1, 2 or 3 of the schedule that is to embark on a voyage of more than one week in duration shall ensure that a drill referred to in section 32 is also held before the vessel embarks on the voyage.

Marginal note:Daily operation

35 The master of a vessel referred to in item 1, 2 or 3 of the schedule shall ensure that all of the watertight doors, whether hinged or power-operated, in the main transverse bulkheads, in use at sea, are operated daily.

Marginal note:Other requirements

36 Nothing in sections 32 to 35 authorizes the opening of a watertight door or any other appliance that is required by any regulation to be kept closed.

Records

Marginal note:Required information

• 37 (1) The master of a vessel shall record and keep the following information:

  • (a) the date of each muster of passengers and crew;

  • (b) a detailed report of each fire drill, including the inspection and testing of any fire-fighting equipment;

  • (c) a detailed report of each survival craft drill, including the inspection and testing of any life saving appliances;

  • (d) a detailed report of each rescue boat drill;

  • (e) the time of the opening or closing of any watertight door that may be required to be opened at sea for the working of the vessel;

  • (f) a detailed report of each drill for the operation of watertight doors, of each inspection of watertight doors or any other appliances referred to in section 33, and of any defects discovered;

  • (g) if a muster or drill required by these Regulations is not held, or is held only in part, a report of the circumstances and the extent of the muster or drill, and the reason why the muster or drill was not held or was held only in part; and

  • (h) an evaluation of the competency and operational readiness of the entire crew of the vessel in responding to the emergency addressed by each drill.

• Marginal note:Entering records

  (2) The information referred to in subsection (1) shall be entered in writing

  • (a) in the official log book, if an official log book is required by Division 7 of Part 3 of the Marine Personnel Regulations; or

  • (b) in a deck log book or another document, in any other case.

• Marginal note:Other documents

  (3) If the information referred to in subsection (1) is entered in a document referred to in paragraph (2)(b), the master of the vessel shall ensure that the document

  • (a) is kept on board the vessel for a period of five years after the day on which the last entry was made; and

  • (b) is made available to the Minister for inspection during that period at the request of the Minister.