Chapter 11 – Life-Saving Appliances and Survival Arrangements

  11.1.1 Adequate supplies of protective clothing and thermal insulating materials should be provided, taking into account the intended voyage.

  11.1.2 Training in the use of all emergency equipment, as appropriate, should be included as an element of the operating procedures and drills described in chapter 13. Where appropriate, dedicated training equipment should be carried to avoid compromising the performance of the emergency equipment itself.

  11.2.1 Ships operating in polar waters should carry life-saving appliances and survival equipment according to their environmental conditions of operation.

  11.2.2 Personal survival kits (PSKs) as described in section 11.3 should be carried whenever a voyage is anticipated to encounter mean daily temperatures below 0°C.

  11.2.3 Group survival kits (GSKs) as described in section 11.4 should be carried whenever a voyage is anticipated to encounter ice conditions which may prevent the lowering and operation of survival craft.

  11.2.4 Sufficient PSKs and GSKs (as applicable) should be carried to cover at least 110% of the persons on board the ship.

  11.2.5 Personal survival kits should be stored so that they may be easily retrieved in an emergency situation. Arrangements such as storage in dedicated lockers near the assembly stations may be considered.

  11.2.6 Group survival kits should be stored so that they may be easily retrieved and deployed in an emergency situation. Any containers should be located adjacent to the survival craft and liferafts. Containers should be designed so that they may be easily moved over the ice and be floatable.

  11.3.1 A sample of the contents of a personal survival kit is listed in the table below.

  11.3.2 The following notice should be displayed wherever personal survival kits are stored:

  11.3.3 Personal survival kits should not be opened for training purposes. Equipment for training purposes should be provided in accordance with paragraph 11.1.2.

  11.4.1 A sample of the contents of the group survival kit is listed in the table below.

  11.5.1 All lifeboats should be either of the partially or totally enclosed type to provide adequate shelter from the anticipated operating environment.

  11.5.2 The capacity of lifeboats should be evaluated with regard to operability, accessibility, seating capacity and overall space, considering the needs of personnel wearing suitable polar clothing.

  11.5.3 Any ice accretion should be regularly removed from the lifeboats and launching equipment to ensure ease of launching when required. An icing removal mallet should be available in the vicinity of the lifeboats.

  11.5.4 All lifeboat engines should be equipped with a means to ensure they will start readily when required at the minimum anticipated operating temperature.

  11.5.5 The lifeboat engine fuel oil should be suitable for operation in the minimum anticipated operating temperature.

  11.5.6 Drinking water should be stored in containers that allow for expansion due to freezing.

  11.5.7 Consideration should be given to the provision of additional emergency rations to account for high rates of energy expenditure under polar conditions.

  11.6.1 Any ice accretion should be regularly removed from the liferafts, cradles and launching equipment to ensure ease of launching and inflation when required. An icing removal mallet should be available in the vicinity of the liferafts.

  11.6.2 Ships should carry in a warm space in the vicinity of the liferafts manual inflation pumps that are proven to be effective in the anticipated air temperatures.

  11.6.3 Air or other proven cold temperature gas should be used for the inflation of life-saving equipment according to their environmental conditions of operation.

  11.6.4 Consideration should be given to the provision of additional emergency rations to account for high rates of energy expenditure under polar conditions.

 Consideration should be given to protection from wildlife in areas where encounters are likely.