COURSE OVERVIEW:

Proficiency in Survival Crafts and Rescue Boats (PSCRB) is a critical safety program designed to meet the mandatory minimum requirements for seafarers as outlined in the STCW Convention. This course focuses on the technical operation and command of survival craft during emergency abandon-ship scenarios. It provides a structured framework for managing the transition from a vessel to a survival craft, ensuring that all personnel are safely evacuated and maintained until rescue.

The scope of this training involves the practical mastery of launching mechanisms, including gravity davits, free-fall systems, and inflatable liferafts. Participants will explore the mechanics of internal combustion engines used in lifeboats, the operation of water spray systems for fire protection, and the use of air-support systems in enclosed craft. The program emphasizes the role of the "Coxswain" or person in charge, focusing on leadership, crew discipline, and the psychological management of survivors.

Coverage includes the utilization of pyrotechnics, radio equipment such as EPIRBs and SARTs, and the management of food and water rations for long-term survival. The course addresses the technicalities of "Rescue Boat" operations, specifically the retrieval of persons from the water and the towing of liferafts. By focusing on mechanical competence and survival strategy, this course equips maritime professionals with the expertise needed to maximize the chances of survival in the event of a catastrophic maritime incident.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

After completion of this course, the participants will be able to:

1. Explain the legal requirements for survival craft under SOLAS and STCW.
2. Identify the various types of survival craft and their specific equipment.
3. Execute the safe preparation and launching of davit-slung lifeboats.
4. Manage the boarding and launching of free-fall lifeboats.
5. Operate lifeboat engines and troubleshoot common starting issues.
6. Demonstrate the correct use of "On-load" and "Off-load" release gear.
7. Utilize sea anchors and drogues to manage craft stability and drift.
8. Execute the recovery of a rescue boat in various sea conditions.
9. Operate all communication and signaling equipment including SARTs.
10. Implement basic First Aid and hypothermia management for survivors.
11. Manage the distribution of rations and water to prolong survival.
12. Lead the crew in "Search and Rescue" patterns using a rescue boat.
13. Conduct inspections and maintenance of life-saving appliances (LSA).

TARGET AUDIENCE:  

Deck and Engine Officers, Able Seafarers, Offshore Workers, and all personnel designated to lead survival craft.

TRAINING COURSE METHODOLOGY:

A highly interactive combination of lectures, discussion sessions, and case studies will be employed to maximise the transfer of information, knowledge, and experience. The course will be intensive, practical, and highly interactive. The sessions will start by raising the most relevant questions and motivating everybody to find the right answers. The attendants will also be encouraged to raise more of their questions and to share in developing the right answers using their analysis and experience. There will also be some indoor experiential activities to enhance the learning experience. Course material will be provided in PowerPoint, with necessary animations, learning videos, and general discussions.

The course participants shall be evaluated before, during, and at the end of the course.

COURSE CERTIFICATE:

National Consultant Centre for Training LLC (NCC) will issue an Attendance Certificate to all participants completing a minimum of 80% of the total attendance time requirement.