SECTION 5 Action for Emergency Response Page 1
Accident and Incident Reporting Action Card No: A1 An accident is any unforeseen, uncontrolled event which has the potential for injury or loss, whether injury or loss were actually sustained at the time or not. In the event of a serious accident, major injury or time critical serious injury contact local port authority or coastguard with urgent request for assistance from emergency services, then contact Duty Harbour Master. For serious / minor injuries and hazardous incidents contact Duty Harbour Master who will initiate the necessary action. Guidelines During initial contact keep report brief and factual. Description of incident Whether any injuries Extent of damage, Whether assistance is required, Allocate a dedicated VHF channel or telephone line to deal with communications. Administer first aid, if at all possible. Prepare tug for receiving emergency services (e.g. helicopter evacuation). Maintain a log of events as they happen. Page 2
Man Overboard Action Card No: A2 1. Raise alarm, release lifebuoy with light and smoke and transmit MAYDAY DSC alert, press man overboard (mob) button on GPS receiver 2. Reduce speed or stop engines. 3. Post one person to keep a continuous lookout and keep man overboard in sight. 4. Notify port authority, other tugs and vessels in close proximity. 5. Manoeuvre tug by the quickest means possible into a position to windward and in close proximity to man overboard. 6. Prepare and deploy equipment for recovery, lifebuoy with line, boarding ladder, man overboard recovery pole, man overboard recovery system 7. When man overboard is alongside tug, recover with equipment deployed and assist to board tug. 8. Do not attempt to go overboard to assist unless made fast to a safety line and wearing a lifejacket. 9. Wherever possible recover man overboard in the horizontal position and not the vertical. 10. Continuously monitor Casualty s condition after recovery. 11. Enlist the help of other vessels in the area if necessary. 12. The above steps in this procedure assume that the man overboard remains continuously in sight, if contact is lost commence a search pattern as detailed in the merchant ship search and rescue manual (IAMSAR vol 3) part - of your tugs technical library. 13. Notify Operations Manager Marine and Duty Harbour Master as soon as possible. This may be done via VTS, if operating within Sullom Voe and Yell Sound. Page 3
Major / Serious Injury or Fatality Action Card No: A3 1. Request assistance from Harbour Authority, HMCG or any other vessel in close proximity. At sea consider sending PAN PAN. 2. Administer first aid, in accordance with the guidelines given in the First Aid manual, Ship Captains Medical Guide or tug SOLAS manual. 3. If in doubt, do not move casualty. Make the casualty as comfortable as possible and prepare evacuation route for casualty to be taken ashore. 4. Contact Duty Harbour Master and Operations Manager Marine. This may be done, if convenient, via the VTS at Sullom Voe. 5. Maintain a log of events as they happen. 6. If unable to land a casualty and a doctor cannot attend the casualty on board, follow medical advice given by radio. 7. Consider the options available for casualty evacuation, pilot boat, helicopter etc. and best position for transferring the casualty. Prepare the tug accordingly. 8. Monitor casualty continuously. 9. In the event of a fatality avoid moving the body if possible, cover with a blanket and await the arrival of the emergency services, police and ambulance brigade. Page 4
Accommodation Fire Action Card No: A4 1. Raise the alarm 2. An attempt to extinguish the fire should not be made unless it can be easily extinguished using a hand held extinguisher. 3. If possible, remove the source of fuel and air and close doors to adjoining compartments and shut down ventilation. 4. Muster crew and take head count. 5. If not towing, take headway off tug. 6. If towing, advise ship of emergency and request permission to release tow. 7. Send appropriate emergency signal MAYDAY or PAN PAN as appropriate. 8. Notify port authority and Duty Harbour Master of emergency situation. 9. Establish a reliable method of communications. 10. Isolate electrical supplies as necessary. 11. Start fire pumps and move fire-fighting equipment to scene of fire. 12. Fire fighting party to assess and, if possible, start fighting fire. 13. Remove flammable materials from adjoining compartments. 14. Monitor stability of vessel and the effects of large amounts of water being pumped into vessel causing free surface. 15. If the fire cannot be extinguished, have a copy of fire /safety plan available for fire brigade. commence boundary cooling, not just bulkheads, also from above and below. anchor tug to avoiding drifting into danger. Page 5
Engine Room Fire Action Card No: A5 1. Raise the alarm 2. An attempt to extinguish the fire should not be made unless it can be easily extinguished using a hand held extinguisher. 3. If possible, isolate source of fuel, stop engines and vent fans. 4. Close all air intakes to engine room after stopping engines. 5. Isolate leaking or ruptured fuel / oil lines before attempting to fight the fire. 6. Muster crew and take head count. 7. If not towing, take headway off tug. 8. If towing, advise ship of emergency and request permission to release tow. 9. Send appropriate emergency signal MAYDAY or PAN PAN as appropriate. 10. Notify port authority and Duty Harbour Master of emergency situation. 11. Establish a reliable method of communications. 12. Isolate electrical supplies as necessary. 13. Start fire pumps and move fire-fighting equipment to scene of fire. 14. Fire fighting party to assess and, if possible, start fighting fire. 15. Remove flammable materials from adjoining compartments. 16. Remove combustible material from vicinity of fire (oil soaked lagging etc). 17. If fire cannot be contained, Evacuate engine room, Close all doors and openings On Tugmasters orders activate smothering system, if fitted, If no system fitted commence boundary cooling until fire brigade arrives Have a copy of fire / safety plan available for the fire brigade 18. Do not attempt to re-enter the engine room once it has been evacuated and shut down. Page 6
Grounding or Stranding Action Card No: A6 1. Stop engines, sound emergency alarm, muster crew and take headcount. 2. Establish depth of water by taking soundings around vessel. 3. Check all watertight doors closed. 4. Establish whether tide is rising or falling. 5. Ascertain tugs position. 6. Request Sullom Voe VTS Operator to inform Duty Harbour Master. 7. Start recording log of events. 8. Detail engineer to carry out internal inspection of tugs hull. this to include all tanks sounded and all compartments inspected for damage. In particular, thoroughly inspect frames and mountings under main engines, shafts steering gear and Voith units, look for signs of distortion or misalignment. 9. Check for signs of pollution both over-side and in engine room bilges from pipe fractures. 10. Display lights or shapes for a vessel aground. 11. When tug s condition has been stabilised prepare a re-floating plan in consultation with the Duty Harbour Master. The following should be taken into account in planning; Assistance from another SVHA tug. Transfer or discharge of ballast and fresh water (as a means of lightening the tug or holding in position to prevent movement if aground on hard bottom). Waiting for flood tide or next high water. 12. When vessel has been re-floated carry out main engine and steering trials to establish satisfactory operation of equipment and machinery before proceeding on passage. Page 7
Collision Action Card No: A7 1. Whilst towing - 1.1 Reduce speed if possible, but not to a level where steerage way is lost. 1.2 Advise pilot / ship of incident, as they will also have to take emergency action. 1.3 If tow is connected and position cannot be recovered, request permission to let go. 1.4 As soon as practicable, advise Duty Harbourmaster (via VTS) 1.5 When control has been regained, check For crew injury, For structural damage That tug systems are operating correctly. 1.5 Reconnect if applicable. NB If interaction is the cause, guard against being pushed into a position under the bow or stern of the vessel as this could cause a capsizing emergency situation. 2. Whilst on passage 2.1 Muster crew. 2.2 Close all watertight doors / hatches. 2.3 Check watertight integrity of tug. 2.4 Fix position of tug 2.5 Inform HMCG of situation and whether any assistance required. 2.6 Inform Duty Harbour Master (via Sullom Voe VTS) 2.7 Exchange information with other vessel involved. 2.8 Assess extent of damage. 2.9 Isolate damaged compartments in vicinity of impact area. 2.10 Stand by other vessel to assist. Page 8
2.11 Consider using engine movements to keep vessels together to stop one or both sinking. Flooding Action Card No: A8 1. On discovering flooding immediately report situation to the Tugmaster, and if necessary sound the emergency alarm. 2. If underway on passage, stop engines or reduce speed. 3. If engaged in towing, inform pilot / ship of emergency and request permission to disconnect. 4. When disconnected, clear vessel and proceed to safe mooring or anchorage. 5. Advise HMCG, VTS Operator and Duty Harbour Master of situation. 6. Establish source and cause of flooding. 7. Start fire and bilge pumps, rig suction hoses and close all watertight doors to adjoining compartments. 8. Commence pump out of flooded compartment. 9. Isolate any pipelines, valves or tanks which may be cause of flooding. 10. If pumping reduces flooding, pump out compartment and carry out temporary repairs. 11. Continuously monitor stability condition and if pumping does not reduce flooding and vessel is unable to reach a safe berth, manoeuvre into shallow water and beach tug. 12. Evacuate non-essential crewmembers and seek external assistance. NB It may be possible to reduce the rate of flood by listing or trimming tug. Reduction of the flow may be possible by using wooden wedges, bungs, mats or similar material. Page 9
Failure of Main Engines or Steering Gear whilst Towing Action Card No: A9 1. Immediately try to restart main engines or steering control. 2. If restart is not possible and tug is not in immediate danger inform pilot / ship of emergency situation requesting permission to disconnect when it is safe to do so. 3. If restart is not possible and immediate danger exists (e.g. bow tug and in danger of being run down by ship) activate towing winch emergency release and attempt to steer clear whilst vessel still has headway. 4. Use engines if steering control failure or put wheel hard over if engine failure. 5. Inform pilot / ship of situation. 6. As soon as practicable, advise VTS 7. When clear, anchor vessel and recover towing gear 8. Investigate fault and rectify if possible. 9. Conduct full trials before commencing any further towage. Page 10
Rescue of Personnel from an Enclosed Space Action Card No: A10 1. Raise the emergency alarm should a person in an enclosed space get into difficulty. 2. Muster crew and form a rescue party. 3. Inform HMCG and Sullom Voe VTS, requesting medical assistance 4. One member of rescue party equipped with breathing apparatus shall enter the enclosed space and fit rescue harness and, if practicable, oxygen resuscitation pack to casualty. 5. When ready lift casualty from enclosed space. Rescuer equipped with breathing apparatus to assist from below. 6. Lay casualty on deck and commence resuscitation. 7. Evacuate casualty for medical treatment, at the earliest opportunity. NB No entry into the enclosed space should be attempted other than by the rescue party. Page 11
Abandoning Ship Action Card No: A11 1. Sound the emergency alarm (seven or more short blasts followed by one long blast). 2. Don warm clothing, immersion suits, personal locator beacons and lifejackets 3. Muster crew at assembly point and take headcount. 4. If time permits, inform HMCG and Sullom Voe VTS Operator that vessel is being abandoned and give an accurate position. Request that the duty Harbour Master and Operations Manager Marine are informed. 5. If no reply received from either HMCG or Sullom Voe VTS Operator send a DSC distress alert and mesage signal. 6. Place hand held VHF sets, additional lifeboat pyrotechnics, EPIRB, SART, food and water in liferaft. 7. Abandon vessel in accordance with procedure established during drills. Page 12
Helicopter Evacuation / Transfer Action Card No: A12 1. Establish communications contact with helicopter by VHF and agree a working channel. Advise VTS of operation. 2. Clear the deck in the vicinity where helicopter will hover. 3. Remove aerials and all loose equipment on deck. 4. Tug crew to wear PPE (gloves, shoes, safety helmet with chinstrap and lifejackets) during transfer operation. 5. Rig fire fighting appliances (foam extinguishers and hoses), start fire / general service pump, pressurising deck ring main. 6. Designate one crewmember to continuously man fire appliances throughout transfer operations. 7. Steer a course agreed with the helicopter pilot which will not require alteration or change of speed during transfer operations. 8. Instructions will be given by either the helicopter crew (pilot or winch-man). 9. Do not secure winch wire or highline to rails or bulwarks. 10. Do not touch winch wire until earthing tail has made contact with deck of tug as to do so could result in an electric shock. 11. Advise VTS when operation complete. Page 13
Oil Pollution Response Action Card No: A13 1. Stop operations. 2. Extinguish all unprotected lights and naked flames 3. Comply with the requirements of shipboard oil pollution emergency plans (SOPEP). 4. Contact HMCG, Sullom Voe Harbour VTS Operator and the Duty Harbour Master. 5. Provide information on approximate quantity spilt, type of oil, and direction of slick if in tidal waters. 6. Contain the spill within the boundary of the tug, by blocking scuppers and other overboard discharges on deck. 7. Wear appropriate PPE. Page 14