Maritime Safety: A Comprehensive Review of Safety Equipment on Modern Ships
Maritime safety is the priority for all people on board modern ships. Most of the time, as seen in the increased number of naval mishaps that take place right now, vessels that lack the necessary safety often end up involved in accidents.
In the hopes of cutting down the loss of property and precious life, it has become more important for modern shipping companies to implement proper measures to guarantee the onboard safety of seafarers.
The following is a comprehensive review of safety equipment on modern ships:
Breathing Equipment
People will have difficulty breathing because of the smoke when a fire occurs onboard. In cases like this, breathing equipment, including oxygen masks and cylinders, can be helpful. Oxygen masks can offer a short oxygen supply when an emergency takes place. Meanwhile, oxygen cylinders can provide an enormous reserved oxygen source.
These oxygen cylinders feature tanks that allow the replacement of used ones. They also feature an alarm to warn the user once the cylinder’s air content goes low. This gives the wearer the necessary notice in time to replace the cylinder.
Escape Smoke Hood
Believe it or not, the flames aren’t the primary cause of injuries when fires occur. The smoke and gases that the fire produces often cause the most fatalities. This is why escape smoke hoods are critical in modern ships.
An escape smoke hood is a lightweight hood made of a flame-retardant fabric that blocks different types of toxic gases. When a fire occurs, the escape hoods can greatly assist during evacuation as they give the wearers a bigger window of time. Escape smoke hoods should be located in places that are well-ventilated and accessible.
Fire Extinguisher
Modern ships must have all kinds of fire extinguishers to efficiently handle fires that might occur onboard. In these cases, portable fire extinguishers can be of tremendous help and can also be used for putting out small-scale fires on the ship. These fire extinguishers must be located in all the easily accessible parts of the boats and near all possible sources of fire on board.
Fire Suits
Seafarers use fire suits or fire proximity suits during the diffusion of large fires. These suits are made from heat-resistant materials to protect the body of the person wearing them.
When a large fire occurs aboard modern ships, the ones in charge of fire diffusion must wear these fire suits. All modern ships are mandated to carry a minimum of two firesuits onboard.
First Aid Kit
The first aid kits are undoubtedly the most critical components of maritime safety equipment. These kits contain all the remedies and medicines for emergencies. It can be of extreme help to have a properly and sufficiently stocked first aid kit on board ships.
First aid kits can offer immediate medical help and may even help save a life. When an emergency occurs, it’s imperative to first radio for professional assistance and try to help with the use of the first aid kit.
Personal Locator Beacons
PLBs or Personal Locator Beacons are small devices that can send electronic transmission signals during emergencies. The signs pinpoint the beacon’s location, alerting the authorities regarding the crisis. This allows them to deploy a rescue team to help those in need.
PLBs can work even in remote areas without a cell phone network. These are also often used with other personal protection equipment, including life jackets or survival suits.
Pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics are the distress signals used during extreme emergencies. These pyrotechnics are provided onboard ships to get the attention of other boats and people near the immediate area to offer help immediately during an emergency.
Pyrotechnics are the visual forms of the SOS signals. Modern ships use rocket parachute flares, smoke signals, and hand flares are pyrotechnics. These pyrotechnics should be placed in accessible areas at a safe distance away from combustibles and fuel. They should also be disposed of correctly once they expire.
Resuscitator Kit
A resuscitator kit is an alternative to an ambulance during medical emergencies while at sea until the patient receives the necessary medical help. Resuscitator kits offer oxygen inhalation therapy and IPPV to patients during emergencies. These also include a manual suction apparatus, a resuscitator, a small oxygen cylinder, an automatic ventilator, and other diagnostic and surgical items.
Search and Rescue Transponder
SART or Search and Rescue Transponder is the transponder used during sea emergencies. The transponder has two primary types, the AIS-SART and radar-SART. The radar-SART can locate distressed vessels or lifeboats by marking their route on the radar display of the rescue ship.
Meanwhile, the AIS-SART locates distressed vessels with the help of an automatic identification system. This also sends updated and more precise locations of distressed vessels to the rescue ship using the built-in GPS.
Thermal Insulation
The ships’ decks, walls, and bulkheads must be insulated to minimize the spread of fire, protect the goods aboard the ship, cut down the energy used for cooling and heating, and prevent moisture.
Modern ships’ mechanical equipment must also be insulated to lessen emissions, protect personnel, and decrease the load on equipment. Thermal insulation on modern vessels thus helps reduce the effect of machine emissions on the environment while providing the people aboard the boat with a more habitable environment.
Importance of Safety Equipment on Modern Ships
Everyone aboard modern ships, from the crew to the passengers, must always guarantee their safety to carry out their voyage properly. It’s essential to observe proper measures to reduce the risks of accidents.
However, since mishaps can take place at any time, even after taking all the necessary precautionary measures, it’s essential for personnel always to be ready for the worst-case scenarios.
