Fire and Boat Drills Regulations (SOR/2010-83)

Interpretation

Marginal note:Definitions

1 The following definitions apply in these Regulations.

certificated person

certificated person has the same meaning as in subsection 1(1) of the Marine Personnel Regulations. (personne brevetée)

fire alarm signal

fire alarm signal means the continuous sounding of a vessel’s fire alarm. (signal d’alarme-incendie)

fishing vessel

fishing vessel has the same meaning as in subsection 1(1) of the Marine Personnel Regulations. (bâtiment de pêche)

general emergency alarm signal

general emergency alarm signal means a succession of seven or more short blasts followed by one long blast on the whistle or siren of a vessel. (signal d’alarme générale en cas d’urgence)

marine evacuation system

marine evacuation system means an appliance for the rapid transfer of persons from the embarkation deck of a vessel to a floating survival craft. (dispositif d’évacuation en mer)

near coastal voyage, Class 1

near coastal voyage, Class 1 has the same meaning as in section 1 of the Vessel Safety Certificates Regulations. (voyage à proximité du littoral, classe 1)

rescue boat

rescue boat means a boat designed to be used for rescuing persons in distress and marshalling survival craft and, for greater certainty, includes an emergency boat that performs the same functions. (canot de secours)

sheltered waters voyage

sheltered waters voyage has the same meaning as in section 1 of the Vessel Safety Certificates Regulations. (voyage en eaux abritées)

survival craft

survival craft means a lifeboat, rescue boat, emergency boat, suitable boat, buoyant apparatus, life raft, inflatable rescue platform or any other vessel capable of sustaining the lives of persons in distress from the time of abandoning the vessel on which those persons were carried. (bateau de sauvetage)

unlimited voyage

unlimited voyage has the same meaning as in section 1 of the Vessel Safety Certificates Regulations. (voyage illimité)

Application

Marginal note:Application

• 2 (1) These Regulations apply in respect of self-propelled Canadian vessels that

  • (a) are Safety Convention vessels; or

  • (b) are required to hold a safety certificate under section 12 of the Vessel Safety Certificates Regulations.

• Marginal note:Exceptions

  (2) These Regulations do not apply in respect of

  • (a) fishing vessels of 150 gross tonnage or less;

  • (b) cable ferries; and

  • (c) vessels of 15 gross tonnage or less that carry 12 or fewer passengers.

Emergency Information

General

Marginal note:Muster lists

• 3 (1) Subject to section 4, the master of a vessel shall ensure that, at all times, there is a muster list and, in the case of a vessel that is equipped with rescue boats, a rescue boat muster list.

• Marginal note:Posting

  (2) The master of the vessel shall ensure that the lists required under subsection (1)

  • (a) are drawn up in either or both official languages, according to the needs of the crew; and

  • (b) are conspicuously posted throughout the vessel, including the navigation bridge, the engine room and the crew accommodations.

• Marginal note:Separate document

  (3) The rescue boat muster list may be a document separate from the muster list or an addendum to it.

Marginal note:Exception

4 The master of a vessel who has a means of informing crew members of the essential actions to be taken during an emergency is not required to ensure that there is a muster list or a rescue boat muster list if the vessel

• (a) has a crew of fewer than three members and carries passengers; or

• (b) has a crew of fewer than five members and does not carry passengers.

Marginal note:Illustrations and instructions

• 5 (1) The master of a vessel shall, before the vessel embarks on a voyage, prepare and post illustrations and instructions that inform passengers of

  • (a) the alarm signals used to indicate emergencies;

  • (b) the essential actions to be taken during an emergency;

  • (c) the location of their designated muster stations; and

  • (d) the method of correctly donning a lifejacket.

• Marginal note:Posting

  (2) The master of the vessel shall ensure that the illustrations and instructions required under subsection (1)

  • (a) are drawn up in both official languages; and

  • (b) are conspicuously posted in passenger staterooms, at muster stations and in other passenger spaces.

Marginal note:Updated information

6 The master of a vessel shall

• (a) ensure that any information that is posted on board the vessel in accordance with these Regulations is kept up to date and is legible; and

• (b) revise or replace the muster list or rescue boat muster list if there is a change in the crew of the vessel.

Muster List

Marginal note:Contents

• 7 (1) The master of a vessel shall ensure that a muster list contains the following information:

  • (a) a description of the general emergency alarm signal, the fire alarm signal and, if the vessel has one, the public address system;

  • (b) a description of how the order to abandon ship is given;

  • (c) an indication of the station at which each crew member is to report when the general emergency alarm signal or the fire alarm signal is sounded;

  • (d) a description of the specific duties assigned to each crew member and to be performed by the crew member when the general emergency alarm signal or the fire alarm signal is sounded, including

    • (i) closing the watertight doors, fire doors, valves, scuppers, side scuttles, skylights, portholes and other similar openings in the vessel,

    • (ii) equipping the survival craft and the other life saving appliances,

    • (iii) ensuring that the radio life saving equipment is placed on board the appropriate survival craft,

    • (iv) preparing and launching the survival craft,

    • (v) generally preparing the other life saving appliances,

    • (vi) mustering the passengers,

    • (vii) using the radiocommunication equipment,

    • (viii) performing the duties of fire parties, and

    • (ix) performing any special duties assigned in respect of the use of the fire fighting equipment and installations;

  • (e) the substitutes for key persons who may become disabled;

  • (f) the crew member responsible for each survival craft and, if applicable, that member’s second-in-command;

  • (g) the crew member assigned as principal communicator in accordance with section 267 of the Marine Personnel Regulations; and

  • (h) the crew members who are assigned to ensure that the life saving appliances and fire fighting equipment and installations are maintained in good condition and are ready for immediate use.

• Marginal note:Additional contents

  (2) The master of a vessel that carries passengers shall ensure that, in addition to the information set out in subsection (1), the muster list contains the following information:

  • (a) a list of the actions to be taken by the passengers when the general emergency alarm signal or the fire alarm signal is sounded; and

  • (b) a description of the duties assigned to crew members and to be performed by them in relation to the passengers during an emergency, including

    • (i) warning the passengers of the emergency,

    • (ii) ensuring that the passengers are adequately dressed for protection against exposure and have donned their lifejackets correctly,

    • (iii) assembling the passengers at their designated muster stations,

    • (iv) locating and rescuing passengers who are trapped in their staterooms or who are otherwise unaccounted for during an emergency,

    • (v) keeping order in the passageways and on the stairways and generally controlling the movements of passengers, and

    • (vi) ensuring that a supply of blankets is taken to the survival craft.

Marginal note:Additional requirements

8 In preparing a muster list, the master of a vessel shall

• (a) ensure that the number of certificated persons required to be on board and employed for each survival craft under Division 2 of Part 2 of the Marine Personnel Regulations are assigned to that survival craft;

• (b) ensure that each available certificated person is assigned duties in connection with the preparation and launching of survival craft;

• (c) in assigning members of the vessel’s crew to the crews of the survival craft, ensure an equitable distribution of certificated persons, deck officers and persons trained to assist others;

• (d) if the vessel carries motorized survival craft, ensure that a person capable of operating the motor and carrying out minor adjustments to it is assigned to each motorized survival craft; and

• (e) in selecting substitutes for key persons in case those persons become disabled, take into account that different emergencies may call for different actions.

Rescue Boat Muster List

Marginal note:Contents

• 9 (1) The master of a vessel shall ensure that a rescue boat muster list contains the following information:

  • (a) a description of the signal that will be sounded to muster the rescue boat crew to its designated position;

  • (b) the members of the rescue boat crew who are to report to the designated position; and

  • (c) the duties to be performed by each member of the rescue boat crew when that signal is sounded.

• Marginal note:Certificated persons

  (2) In preparing a rescue boat muster list, the master of the vessel shall ensure that the number of certificated persons required to be on board and employed for each rescue boat under section 209 of the Marine Personnel Regulations are assigned to that rescue boat.

Measures Respecting Vessels that Carry Passengers

Passenger Count and Details

Marginal note:Passenger count

10 The master of a vessel that carries passengers shall, before the vessel embarks on a voyage, ensure that the following information is both communicated to him or her and recorded:

• (a) the number of persons on board; and

• (b) details respecting all persons who have declared a need for special care or assistance during an emergency.