MARINE EMERGENCY DUTIES - Transport Canada

Transport Canada
Marine Safety
Marine Emergency Duties
Training Courses
7.1 General
Issue Date: May 1998
Date of revision: June 2007
Small Non-Pleasure Vessel Basic Safety
(MED A3)
Small Non-Pleasure Vessel Basic Safety (MED A3)
Ref.: TP 4957E
Page 32 of 82
Chapter 7
Revision No 1
1) This chapter describes a course providing basic safety training for crew members of nonpleasure
vessels of not more than 150 gross tonnage operating not more than 25 nautical
miles from shore.
2) Refer to section 205 of the Marine Personnel Regulations for details regarding the
applicability of this course, depending on vessel type and voyage class.
7.2 Equipment requirements
1) One approved lifejacket, one immersion suit and one Personal Flotation Device;
2) Two approved life buoys, one with line and the other with light;
3) One dry chemical portable extinguisher;
4) Hand flares and parachute flares (a live demonstration by Coast Guard Boating Safety
may be substituted);
5) Visual or audio-visual presentation of cold water shock, swimming failure, hypothermia,
post-rescue collapse, their effects, and ways of overcoming them.
7.3 Duration
Minimum 8 hours, including 1.5 hours for practical exercises and 0.5 hours for
evaluation, assuming some pre-course reading is assigned. Training providers are
cautioned that students who do not complete a certain amount of pre-course reading may
require more than 8 hours to complete this course.
7.4 Specific instructor qualifications
The main course instructor must hold a Master certificate not lower than a Fishing
Master, Fourth Class certificate, a Master, Limited certificate or a Watchkeeping
Engineer, Motor-driven Fishing Vessel certificate. If the course is under the supervision
of more than one instructor, the assistant instructors must hold qualifications related to
the marine industry or have related skills and be approved in accordance with the Quality
Management Manual – Marine Personnel Standards and Pilotage, referred to in
Chapter 3.
7.5 Goals and criteria
To provide course participants with:
a) a basic understanding of the hazards associated with the marine environment and
their own vessel, and of how to prevent shipboard incidents including fire;
b) the knowledge necessary to raise and react to alarms and deal with emergencies;
c) an ability to provide assistance in fire and abandonment situations;