Appendix - Criteria for Determining What Constitutes an Area Remote from SAR Facilities
Clasification Society 2024 - Version 9.40
Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Circulars - Maritime Safety Committee - MSC.1/Circular.1184 – Enhanced Contingency Planning Guidance for Passenger Ships Operating in Areas Remote from SAR Facilities – (31 May 2006) - Annex - Enhanced Contingency Planning Guidance for Passenger Ships Operating in Areas Remote from SAR Facilities - Appendix - Criteria for Determining What Constitutes an Area Remote from SAR Facilities

Appendix - Criteria for Determining What Constitutes an Area Remote from SAR Facilities

  1 The following criteria are considered relevant in determining what constitutes an area remote from SAR facilities:

  • .1 the number of people at risk;

  • .2 the nature of the risk and whether containment strategies can mitigate its effects, in particular whether the effects of the incident can be so contained as to enable those at risk to remain on board until rescued, or for a period prior to eventual evacuation, thus extending the time to recover;

  • .3 the availability of SAR facilities and other resources which may be deployed in order to contain the incident and keep those at risk on board until rescued, or for a period prior to eventual evacuation, thus extending the time to recover;

  • .4 the total recovery capacity of SAR facilities available to reach the scene and recover those who have taken to survival craft within the five day “time to recover” parameter and/or within survival times;

  • .5 any shortfall between the number to be recovered and the capacity of those SAR facilities available;

  • .6 the distance (in time) between individual SAR facilities' start points and the scene of the emergency;

  • .7 the prevailing sea conditions, both on scene and encountered by SAR facilities proceeding;

  • .8 the prevailing weather conditions, both on scene and encountered by SAR facilities proceeding;

  • .9 any restrictions on SAR facility deployment which limit or remove their ability to respond even if theoretically within reach of the scene of the emergency;

  • .10 the ability of those at risk to survive in the prevailing weather and sea conditions until they can be recovered (that is, for a maximum of five days according to the “time to recover” parameter);

  • .11 the ability of available SAR facilities to recover those at risk in the prevailing weather and sea conditions;footnote

  • .12 any shortfall between the time taken to recover those at risk and the five day “time to recover” parameter and/or survival times in the prevailing conditions;

  • .13 availability and quality of communications; and

  • .14 effective co-ordination of search and rescue response.

Parent topic: Annex - Enhanced Contingency Planning Guidance for Passenger Ships Operating in Areas Remote from SAR Facilities
Copyright 2022 Clasifications Register Group Limited, International Maritime Organization, International Labour Organization or Maritime and Coastguard Agency. All rights reserved. Clasifications Register Group Limited, its affiliates and subsidiaries and their respective officers, employees or agents are, individually and collectively, referred to in this clause as 'Clasifications Register'. Clasifications Register assumes no responsibility and shall not be liable to any person for any loss, damage or expense caused by reliance on the information or advice in this document or howsoever provided, unless that person has signed a contract with the relevant Clasifications Register entity for the provision of this information or advice and in that case any responsibility or liability is exclusively on the terms and conditions set out in that contract.