Evacuation in practice - Observations from five full scale exercises

Evacuating a ship is a difficult task which normally is performed under severe and demanding conditions, exposing both crew members and passengers on board to an extreme and demanding situation. To be prepared for an incident happening on board and shouldering this responsibility is part of the everyday reality of the crew members' work situation. This study reports the results from observations made on board five passenger ships performing full scale exercises with participants acting as passengers. The results pointed out four problem areas; the safety organization, the ability to perform tasks, the handling of life vests and communication. These areas represented an uncertainty in the requirements associated with the crew members' role in the safety organization implied. There was also evidence of difficulties in the crews' performing of different tasks, problems with donning life vests and insufficient communication. The crew member groups on board differ in their skills and knowledge to handle an evacuation situation. These groups need to be studied separately and systematically in order to determine how they comprehend their work situation and what their needs of preparation and training are in order to feel content with meeting the demands of their role in the safety organization. © 2010 World Maritime University.