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Refresher Course in Personal Survival Techniques (RPST)

Course Topics

  • Introduction, Safety and Survival
  • Safety Guidance
  • Definitions of Survival craft and appliances
  • Principles Of Survival at Sea
  • Masters orders to abandon Ship
  • Abandoning ship - last resort
  • Personal preparation for abandoning ship
  • Need to prevent panic
  • Crew duties to passengers
  • Crew duties - launching survival craft
  • Means of survival
  • Dangers to survivors
  • Hypothermia
  • How Heat is Lost from the Body & How the Body Defends itself Against Cold
  • How the Body defends itself against Col
  • Survival in Cold Water
  • Frostbite
  • Man-Overboard Procedures
  • Initial Actions
  • Recovery Process
  • Sequence of Actions when a Person is Seen to Fall Overboard
  • Emergency Situations
  • Types of emergencies
  • Collision
  • Fire
  • Foundering
  • Grounding
  • Flooding
  • Loss of Stability & blackout
  • Precautions
  • Crew expertise
  • Muster List and Emergency Signals
  • Crew and emergency instructions
  • Extra equipment and survival
  • Survival Craft and Rescue Boats
  • Lifeboats
  • Partially enclosed lifeboats
  • Totally enclosed lifeboats
  • Free-fall lifeboats
  • Liferafts
  • Inflatable liferafts
  • Rigid liferafts
  • Hydrostatic release unit
  • Equipment in survival craft
  • Rescue boats
  • Operation of survival craft
  • Stowage of survival craft
  • Survival craft embarkation
  • Survival craft launching
  • Launching and embarkation appliances & Davits
  • Life Boat Engines and Accessories
  • Survival craft recovery
  • Rescue boat embarkation launching, Recovery
  • Marine evacuation systems
  • Maintenance, Inspection and Operational Readiness of LSA
  • Instructions for maintenance of the life Saving Appliances Onboard
  • Servicing of Inflatable Liferafts / lifejackets, Marine Evacuation Systems
  • Specific Procedures for Maintenance and Servicing
  • Personal Life-saving Appliances
  • Lifebuoys
  • Lifejackets
  • Immersion suits
  • Thermal protective aids
  • Anti-exposure suits
  • Jumping into the water safely
  • Righting an inverted life raft
  • Swimming for the shore
  • Survival in the water
  • Helicopter Assistance
  • Communicating with the helicopter
  • Evacuation from ship and survival craft
  • Helicopter pick-up
  • Correct use of helicopter harness
  • Emergency Radio Equipment
  • Portable Radio Apparatus for survival craft
  • Emergency Position-indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs)
  • Search and Rescue Radar Transponder (SART)
  • Public address systems
  • Distress signals
  • Pyrotechnics
  • Life-saving signals
  • Line throwing appliances
  • Search and Rescue

Introduction, Safety and Survival

Introduction, Safety and Survival

 

Ships are running plants and a major number of facilities are provided within an enclosed space; e.g., the machinery space, the accommodation, the pump room etc. Accidents on board are not uncommon and people will have to be rescued from such locations to a safe area where medical care can be provided.

 

Ships are provided with lifesaving appliances (LSA) in the form of lifeboat, life-raft, and protective gears. In the event that the casualty will have to be taken off the ship, a helicopter rescue is also possible. All closed or poorly ventilated compartments, particularly those in which a fire has just occurred, are potentially dangerous. The atmosphere may lack oxygen, contain poisonous gases, or have presence of fire and explosion hazards.

 

If you are faced with the problem of rescuing an individual threatened by fire, explosive or poisonous gases, water or some other emergency, take action as deemed appropriate, until you have had time to determine the extent of the danger and your ability to cope with it.

 

Ship’s staff will have to be conversant with all LSA gear and practice regular drills in being familiar with the LSA equipment and safety procedures during a rescue operation.