Safety, Quality & Environment Management Manual
SQEMM
14-00 Emergency Preparedness & Response 		Doc No.: SQEM-14-00
Revision: 01
Date: 15 Oct 2024
Issued by: DPA
Approved by: MD

14.1. PURPOSE

The Company shall provide for measures ensuring that shore base and shipboard organizations can respond at any time to hazards, accidents and emergency situations, especially those involving managed vessels.

The purpose of this procedure is to highlight SQEMS requirements for preparing and responding to any environmental consequences arising out of an incident or emergency. These requirements have been integrated into the ECP.

14.2. SCOPE

This procedure shall apply to all incidents that may result in an emergency requiring immediate measures to control the sequence of incidents and prevent any harm or potential harm to personnel, property, ship and the marine environment.

14.3. RESPONSIBILITY

The President/COO/MD shall command the overall response to major emergency situations. Designated groups within the company shall maintain overall procedures for Emergency Preparedness and Response. The Captain shall be responsible for handling and coordinating emergency response on board.

14.4. EMERGENCY CONTINGENCY PLANS

  1. ) The Company shall establish and maintain documented procedures to identify, describe, prepare for and respond to hazards, accidents and emergency situations, actual or potential, both shipboard and shore based. These procedures shall include preventing and mitigating the adverse environmental impacts that may be associated with them.
  2. ) Emergency planning is continual with the Company’s risk management program, assisting with emergency planning and response, and shall be contained as per the procedure laid down in Emergency Contingency Procedures (ECP).
  3. ) The Plan encompasses:
    1. ) Clearly defined responsibilities for key office and shipboard personnel;
    2. ) Procedures to be followed by the Captain and/or Senior Officers on board the vessel in danger, including allocation of responsibilities, notification of the Company, request for third-party assistance, etc.;
    3. ) Procedures to establish an emergency team comprising relevant office-based staff and procedures to be followed by this team once established. This also includes the establishment of a back-up team in case of a prolonged emergency;
    4. ) The establishment of communication channels between the vessels and the shore-based team;
    5. ) Information checklists to be communicated through communication channels, including details of casualties;
    6. ) Comprehensive shipboard reference material to assist the Captain and/or Senior Officers in an emergency. The material should include names, telephone numbers to Company staff members, international organisations, salvage companies, etc.;
    7. ) Responses/actions required to prevent and mitigate environmental impacts;
  4. ) The Company recognises the importance of allocating enough resources during an emergency, including the relief of key personnel from routine duties and appointment of specialists as required.
  5. ) The Company also recognises the need to maintain effective communication and procedures to ensure that the crew's next of kin is notified and kept informed about the development. Likewise, it is important that media is promptly briefed throughout the emergency.

14.5. PREPAREDNESS

  1. ) The Company shall establish a program of drills and exercises to prepare for emergency actions. These drills and exercises shall include, to the extent practicable, the periodic testing of emergency plans. After a major accident or emergency, the Company shall review, and where necessary, revise its emergency preparedness and response procedures.
  2. ) As per Company procedure, drills are conducted on board fleet vessels per the Procedure for Emergency Drills (ECP Chapter 04-00).

14.6. RESPONSE

The Company has established a CART (Casualty and Accident Response Team) to deal with emergency situations under the guidance of the COO/MD and TD.

14.7. RISK MANAGEMENT FOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

  1. ) For appropriate safeguards to be developed, it is necessary that potential environmental hazards are identified and risks assessed.
  2. ) To determine potential harm to the environment, risk assessments shall be conducted for all critical environmental activities, starting with a review of the activities, environmental aspects and potential impacts considering any special operational attributes, contract conditions, studies, and conditions imposed by statutory authorities.

ISM Code: 1.4.5, 8.0, ISO 9k- 5.1.1, 4.4.1, 6.1.1, ISO 14k- 5.1, 6.1.1, 8.2

Refer - ECP Manual for detailed procedure

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