Lifeboats Can Also Become "killer Boats"! The Importance of Safety Training!

In 2013, a cruise ship named Thomson Majesty was involved in a serious accident during a lifesaving exercise in the Canary Islands when its rescue boat capsized, resulting in the deaths of five crew members and injuries to three others.

In 2016, at the port of Marseille, France, the world's largest and most luxurious cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, was conducting a lifeboat drill when an accident occurred. The lifeboat unexpectedly detached and fell into the sea, resulting in the death of one Filipino sailor and serious injuries to four other sailors.

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A lifeboat crash during a safety drill, intended as a drill, resulted in fatalities. This incident underscores the crucial importance of proper drill procedures and related precautions.

In response, the IMO clearly states in its Guidelines that "simulated landing" does not require actual triggering of the release device, and the release device cannot be tested during the exercise; any testing must be conducted at another time.

Steps for Safely Simulating the Release of a Freefall Lifeboat:

1. Check equipment and documentation to ensure the lifeboat attachments and release mechanism are in good working order.

2. Ensure all personnel involved in the exercise are familiar with the operating manual, posters, and signs.

3. Ensure the manufacturer-supplied simulation release control device is reliably installed and the free release mechanism is fully locked.

4. Establish and maintain good communication between the responsible operator and the commanding officer.

5. In addition to the requirements of the simulation release, release mooring lines, tethering lines, and other fastening devices installed for securing or maintenance at sea.

6. Under the supervision of the responsible crew member, the crew members involved in boarding the lifeboat board and fasten their seatbelts.

7. All crew members exit the lifeboat.

8. Return the lifeboat to the position described in step 4, ensuring it has been recovered to its normal anchored position. Remove the control and recovery devices used only during the simulation release.