MCA CoC Marine Safety and Survival — Questions and Answers
Question 1: According to SOLAS requirements, how often must abandon ship drills be conducted on board a UK-flagged cargo vessel?
- Every week
- Every month (Correct answer)
- Every two weeks
- Every three months
Correct answer: Every month
SOLAS Chapter III Regulation 19.3 requires that each member of the crew shall participate in at least one abandon ship drill every month. If more than 25% of the crew have not participated in a drill in the previous month, a drill must be held within 24 hours of leaving port.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of a thermal protective aid (TPA) carried in a lifeboat or liferaft?
- To provide flotation assistance in the water
- To reduce heat loss from a survivor's body in cold conditions (Correct answer)
- To signal rescue aircraft with reflective material
- To protect against sunburn in tropical waters
Correct answer: To reduce heat loss from a survivor's body in cold conditions
A thermal protective aid is a bag or suit made of waterproof material with low thermal conductivity, designed to reduce body heat loss from convection, evaporation, and radiation. They are required by SOLAS for survivors who do not have immersion suits, particularly in cold water where hypothermia is the primary threat to survival.
Question 3: When launching a liferaft from a vessel in an emergency, what action should be taken if the liferaft inflates upside down?
- Puncture the floor to deflate and re-inflate
- One person should swim to the raft, climb onto the bottom, stand on the inflation cylinder side, and lean back pulling the righting strap (Correct answer)
- Abandon the raft and launch another one
- Push the raft underwater so it rights itself
Correct answer: One person should swim to the raft, climb onto the bottom, stand on the inflation cylinder side, and lean back pulling the righting strap
The correct procedure for righting an inverted liferaft is for one person to climb onto the bottom, position themselves with back to the wind and feet on the CO2 cylinder side, grasp the righting strap, and lean back using body weight to flip the raft upright. The wind assists by catching under the raft.
Question 4: What is the SOLAS requirement for the number of EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) to be carried on a cargo ship of 500 GT or more engaged on international voyages?
- One float-free satellite EPIRB capable of transmitting a distress alert on 406 MHz (Correct answer)
- Two float-free EPIRBs, one on each side of the vessel
- One EPIRB per lifeboat
- No EPIRB is required if the vessel has a DSC-equipped VHF radio
Correct answer: One float-free satellite EPIRB capable of transmitting a distress alert on 406 MHz
SOLAS Chapter IV requires cargo ships of 300 GT and upwards on international voyages to carry at least one satellite EPIRB capable of transmitting a distress alert via the Cospas-Sarsat system on 406 MHz. It must be capable of floating free and activating automatically if the ship sinks.
Question 5: In the IAMSAR (International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue) Manual, what does the expanding square search pattern involve?
- Searching in ever-widening circles from the datum point
- A series of straight legs of progressively increasing length, turning 90 degrees after each leg (Correct answer)
- Parallel tracks covering a rectangular area
- Zigzag courses across the probable position
Correct answer: A series of straight legs of progressively increasing length, turning 90 degrees after each leg
The expanding square search (SS) pattern begins at the datum (last known position) and proceeds outward in a series of legs, turning 90° to starboard (or port) after each leg. Each pair of legs is longer than the previous pair by the track spacing distance. It is most effective when the datum is well established.
Question 6: Under the MCA's requirements, what is the minimum period of validity for pyrotechnic distress signals carried on board before they must be replaced?
- 2 years from date of manufacture
- 3 years from date of manufacture (Correct answer)
- 5 years from date of manufacture
- They have no expiry date if stored correctly
Correct answer: 3 years from date of manufacture
Pyrotechnic distress signals have a service life of 3 years from the date of manufacture, as marked on each item. After this period they must be replaced, as the propellant and illuminant compounds may degrade, making them unreliable or potentially dangerous. Expired pyrotechnics should be disposed of through approved collection points.
MCA CoC Marine Safety and Survival
According to SOLAS requirements, how often must abandon ship drills be conducted on board a UK-flagged cargo vessel?