SURVIVAL TRAINING
We train in the following areas
On BOARD FIRE PREVENTION
We train you to respond to onboard fires on your own vessel.
Flooding & damage control
We train you to respond to flooding and damage control.
Life raft Deployment & Use
We train you to respond to life raft deployment and use.
Man Overboard Safety Training
We train you on man overboard safety training on your own vessel.
Survival Training – How we train.
Every fishing vessel has a unique personality. No fishing vessels are alike when it comes to physical or handling characteristics. Hercules SLR (US) will conduct survival training on your vessel. This isn't just to make your training easier to plan, it increases the level of familiarity of the actual ship your crew works on and improves their reaction time in the case of a real emergency. Hercules SLR, (US) follows training regulations set by AMSEA (USCG Approved). Though each training differs in specifics, there are 4 key points that are always focused on: Roles, Communication, Repetition, and Proper Utility Use.
We customize our training to be ship-specific, meaning that our training is tailored to your vessel and it's specific design. Your crew will be effectively trained to handle various emergency situations on your ship.
ROLES: Every crew member has preassigned roles, this ensures that everything runs efficiently in the case of an emergency. We know all too well what can happen if a fire breaks out or the ship starts to take on water. It's called panic, the most basic human reflex. Typically your heart rate goes up, and you start to breathe heavily. This isn't the time to call a group meeting to formulate a plan. You should be prepared for this.
COMMUNICATION: When an emergency strikes, it is time to speak up. Of the foremost importance, to the authorities, letting them know of your location and the situation. As well as communicating the information that your crew needs to know as they are handling the situation through their own role.
REPETITION: The foundation of handling an emergency safely is knowing what to do and acting upon it immediately. Panic and fear can be minimized when the crew understands that they have been trained for emergency situations. This gives them confidence. We develop safety training so that you act on instinct. You are responsible for continuing the drills. The more you practice the smoother things will go.
PROPPER UTILITY USE: We’ll teach you how to use everything you’ll need to stay alive in the case of a catastrophic event, from signals to survival suites. This includes life rafts, EPIRBs, survival suits, fire extinguisher equipment, like the DSPA aerosol generator, first aid kits, and other survival equipment.
On Board Fire Prevention
Fire is a serious hazard no matter where you are, but when you're aboard a ship it can easily become destructive and deadly. Short of jumping into a life raft, a crew must remain onboard and fight the fire themselves.
Studies have stated that fire is the second largest hazard for the crew and members of a ship. And an estimated 70 percent of fires are associated with fishing vessel-related cases*. By nature, fishing vessels in themselves are fire hazards: tons of fuel, hydraulic oils, engines, boilers, and electrical equipment to name a few. At Hercules Marine Supply we know this, and we train you and your crew the procedures you need to be aware of and the precautions to take.
What you'll learn:
- How to identify fire hazards and learn the dangers of flammables
- Good housekeeping practices to ensure your ship is safe
- How to fight fires on board your ship, and the different kinds of equipment used to fight fires
- How to deploy a CO2 fire system and what to look for before deploying it
- How to use a fire extinguisher
- How to use a DSPA 5 and when to use it
Initially, we will conduct an inspection of your ship and bring any fire hazards we find to your attention, then give you professional consulting on what to do to fix them. Along with that, tactics to take in the future to maintain that level of safety on your ship, and our recommended practices and equipment. Our top recommendation for on ship fire extinguishers.
*NAP-edu
Flooding & Damage Control
Flooding leading to foundering can be sudden. However, flooding does not necessarily lead to sinking.
One of the scariest events that can take place on a ship is flooding, easily causing panic to unequipped crews. Knowing a vessel's capabilities—including stability—is critical to safe operation. Flooding can happen suddenly, and you have to take the right steps as quickly and efficiently as possible.
What you'll learn:
- How to pump your boat (USCG required)
- Everything about flood holes: identifying the location, how to plug different sizes, and if an area is worth plugging
- How to properly seal a door
- How to activate the high water alarm on your ship
- Learn how to identify if the roll of the ship establishing if it's different due to flooding
- How to make radio and visual distress calls
- How to use a signal flare and knowing when and when not to use them
Our rigorous Flooding & Damage Control training equips you and your crew to remain calm and act immediately in face of ship flooding. Being taught on your ship will make a big difference if the time ever comes to use this training. Fishermen in the northeast coast have trusted us for over 14 years on our ability to give them the knowledge they need in these situations. Using AMSEA (USCG Accepted) training regulations, you know that what you'll learn is the best in the business.
Life Raft Deployment & Use
A safe vessel requires dedicated involvement by the owner, operator, and crew. Some fishermen may not know the mechanics of maintenance, so increasing their knowledge and skills could, for example, help when it comes to understanding the importance of regular equipment checkups and inspections. Of critical importance is the life raft and fire extinguishers and survival suits to name a few.
Effective voluntary self-inspection within the fishing industry, some level of compliance activity is needed to motivate improvement in safety.
What you'll learn:
- How to efficiently deploy your life raft in a matter of seconds
- How to send radio and visual distress signals
- How to safely get into the life raft from the ship
- How to safely get an injured crew member into the life raft
- The survival contents of the life raft
- How to use the survival contents of the life raft in their intended ways, and other ways they can be used
- How to turn on an EPIRB
- Survival tactics that can be used in the ocean and in the life raft
When an emergency situation forces a captain to give the orders to abandon ship, a life raft should be deployed. This normally requires two crew members to perform this operation which includes securing the life raft to the vessel. This should all happen within moments of the order being given. This is where your training and abilities are tested and why we focus on ensuring that you are able to deploy a life raft, turn on the EPIRB, send a signal of distress, and get in your survival suit.
Man Overboard Safety Training
An accident out at sea occurs and a fishing vessel begins taking on water; within minutes it lists and capsizes, and the captain and crew end up in the water. In another accident, a boat rolls in heavy seas and a crewman on deck loses his footing on the slippery surface. In an instant, he is tossed overboard.
What you'll learn:
- The danger locations on your ship based on its design
- Precautionary methods that can be taken to increase crew safety
- The importance of flotation, and methods to stay afloat
- The roles of crew members when a man first goes overboard
- The importance of communication
- How to retrieve a man overboard
- What to do after (checking for injury/hypothermia)
- How to treat for hypothermia
These are typical tragic scenarios in which fishermen have died because they were not wearing protective clothing, available life jackets, or survival suits. Not to mentioned lack of training. We train you and your crew the buddy system, keeping an eye on one another and announce an alert in the event of a man overboard. Your crew is trained to throw flotation devices to the crew member and to treat for hypothermia.
In all but a few incidents, fishermen incorrectly worn immersion suits survived their ordeal. The continuing yet preventable loss of life among fishermen calls for a special assessment to identify ways that equipment can improve survival.
CPR/First-Aid
Though not immediately thought of as being a fisherman's survival training, CPR/First-Aid is even more necessary at sea. An emergency requiring CPR/First-Aid can happen anywhere, and when you're miles away from land and help, it is more important than ever to have the ability to save your crew member. Our training teaches you the proper techniques, what signs of distress are, and how to handle the person in need of help.
Where seconds matter, being able to identify distress and then act immediately is what we'll teach you.