7 State of alerts
Clasification Society 2024 - Version 9.40
Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Resolutions - Maritime Safety Committee - Resolution MSC.302(87) – Adoption of Performance Standards for Bridge Alert Management – (Adopted on 17th May 2010) - Annex – Performance Standards for Bridge Alert Management - Module A – Presentation and Handling of Alerts on the Bridge - 7 State of alerts

7 State of alerts

Parent topic: Module A – Presentation and Handling of Alerts on the Bridge

7.1 General

  7.1.1 The presentation of alarms and warnings is defined in the Performance standards for presentation of navigation-related information on shipborne navigational displays (resolution MSC.191(79)).

  7.1.2 The state of an alert should be consistently distributed and presented for the BAM and all associated displays.

7.2 Emergency alarms

 The handling of emergency alarms is specified in the Code on Alerts and Indicators, 2009 (resolution A.1021(26)).

7.3 Alarms

  7.3.1 The BAM should distinguish between different alarm states:

  • .1 unacknowledged alarm; and

  • .2 acknowledged alarm.

  7.3.2 When an alarm condition is detected, it should be indicated as unacknowledged alarm:

  • .1 initiate an audible signal, accompanied by the visual alarm announcement;

  • .2 provide a message of sufficient detail to enable the bridge team to identify and address the alarm condition; and

  • .3 may be accompanied by speech output presented at least in English, using harmonized alert voice messages according to the regulations of the Organization.

  7.3.3 An unacknowledged alarm should be clearly distinguishable from those existing and already acknowledged. Unacknowledged alarms should be indicated flashing and by an audible signal.

  7.3.4 The characteristics of the audible alarm signal, whether used singly or in combination with speech, should be such that there is no possibility of mistaking it for the audible signal used for a warning.

  7.3.5 Means may be provided at an HMI to temporarily silence audible alarm signals, if the alert identification is provided at the HMI. If an alarm, which can be acknowledged on the bridge (categories A and B), is not acknowledged within 30 s the audible signal should start again or as specified in the equipment performance standards.

  7.3.6 It should be possible to temporarily silence category C alarms. The alarm should be retriggered after a specified period of time consistent with the Code on alerts and indicators when the alarm is not acknowledged at the specified workplace (e.g., engine-room).

  7.3.7 The visual indication for an unacknowledged alarm should continue until the alarm is acknowledged, unless specified otherwise in the equipment performance standards, e.g., for CPA/TCPA alerts where the visual signal can be ceased when the alarm condition is rectified.

  7.3.8 The audible indication, if not temporarily silenced, for an unacknowledged alarm should continue until the alarm is acknowledged or the alarm condition is rectified. The audible signal of an unacknowledged alarm should be ceased when the alarm condition is rectified.

  7.3.9 An acknowledged alarm should be indicated by a steady visual indication.

  7.3.10 The visual signal for an acknowledged alarm should continue until the alarm condition is rectified.

7.4 Warnings

  7.4.1 The BAM should distinguish between different warning states:

  • .1 unacknowledged warning; and

  • .2 acknowledged warning.

  7.4.2 When a warning condition is detected, it should be indicated as unacknowledged warning:

  • .1 initiate a momentarily audible signal, accompanied by the visual warning announcement;

  • .2 provide a message of sufficient detail to enable the bridge team to identify and address the warning condition; and

  • .3 may be accompanied by speech output presented at least in English, using harmonized alert voice messages according to the regulations of the Organization.

  7.4.3 An unacknowledged warning should be clearly distinguishable from those existing and already acknowledged. Unacknowledged warnings should be indicated flashing and by an audible signal.

  7.4.4 The characteristics of the momentarily audible warning signal, whether used singly or in combination with speech, should be such that there is no possibility of mistaking it for the audible signal used for an alarm.

  7.4.5 The visualization for an unacknowledged warning should continue until the warning is acknowledged, unless specified otherwise in the equipment performance standards where the visual indication can be ceased when the alarm condition is rectified.

  7.4.6 An acknowledged warning should be indicated by a steady visual indication.

  7.4.7 The visual indication for an acknowledged warning should continue until the warning condition is rectified.

7.5 Cautions

  7.5.1 A caution should be indicated by a steady visual indication. No acknowledgement should be necessary for a caution.

  7.5.2 A caution should be automatically removed after the condition is rectified.

  7.5.3 A message should be provided of sufficient detail to enable the bridge team to identify and address the caution condition.

7.6 Alert escalation

  7.6.1 The alert escalation should be compliant with the alert escalation requirements of the individual performance standards.

  7.6.2 An unacknowledged warning should be:

  • .1 repeated as a warning after a limited time period not exceeding 5 min; or

  • .2 changed to alarm priority after a limited time period not exceeding 5 min; or

  • .3 changed to alarm priority after a user selectable time not more than 5 min, if provided; or

  • .4 changed to alarm priority, as required by specific requirements for the individual equipment and system.

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.