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SAFETY & PREPAREDNESS

Emergency response

By Capt Atul Vatsa,

Ship-Shore DrillSenior Manager, Marine
Standards & Vetting,

Tanker Division

Contingency planning is the key to shore drill per quarter. Drills and exercise that of an actual emergency, however
a successful emergency response programmes are formulated to prepare prior planning always prevents poor

as emergencies on board vessels ship and shore based organisation to performance.
are inevitable. Contingency plans eficiently deal with such emergencies and Also these drills helps us to:

allow shore based management and all scenarios are realistic in nature.• test our various emergency procedures,
shipboard staff to deal with them Two recently simulated drills involved • use of alternative members as per our

effectively and eficiently.the Hafnia Sunda and Ardmore vessel. contact list to lead the drill as Incident
Thome through the Health Safety The Hafnia Sunda conducted a drill where coordinator,

Security Environment and Quality a scenario was played out involving a • ensure key people know their duties as
(HSSEQ) system clearly identiies potential collision followed by hull breach while the per the emergency plan,

emergency situations and established vessel was on departure from Antwerp.• test the 24 hour emergency contact
stringent procedures to deal with them.Whilst on the Ardmore Chippewa a number,
In spite of technological development, drill involved a gas- oil leak due to a burst
• check the availability of the ship’s plan
the number of accidents at sea are not hose causing a spillage over the side of the electronically,
decreasing. The majority of the incidents ship and also on deck.• validate contact details of the external

can be attributed to human error,The ship- shore drill was performedparties,
which might have been caused by bad in real time - notifying all third parties We also invite observers from various

communication, a lack of knowledge involved like Class-ERS, Flag State, departments to participate in such drills. All
or experience, poor training, wrong Insurance, Owners and port authorities via new superintendents need to attend such

management system and many others.agents. The response of all external parties drills as part of their inal requirement.
Understanding the role of the human were veriied by sending notiication.During the two aforementioned drills,

element within the system is essential The qualiied individual for the US we had new joiners in ofice, one sailing
for safety improvement. One of the ways related drill was also activated and master and one CE, as part of the senior

of pinpointing the dangers onboard and further necessary calls have been made oficer assignment program, who attended
ashore due to the human factor is to to USCG/OSRO/ and other relevant as an observer. There were also owners’

check employees’ respective skills and parties to ensure the communication was representatives from Ardmore during the
improve them with drills.tested and veriied.Ardmore Chippewa drill.

Thome performs ship-shore drills on a The drills enabled the team leaders A post evaluation of emergency drills
regular basis to enhance safety standards and the drill coordinators to see the is carried out by the Incident coordinator

and improve the system based on the ability of the people to work under with proposed recommendations for
shortcomings identiied during the drill. As stressful conditions. The level of stress improvements and/or amendments to the
a minimum, Thome carries out one ship-during the drill cannot be compared withapplicable contingency plans.

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ISSUE 45 | JUNE 2016