Question 1

Your examiner asks: "Immersion suits and lifejackets do not get 'serviced' in quite the same sense as an inflatable liferaft. What periodic examination requirement still applies to them, and by whom?"

Accepted Answer

Even though immersion suits and (non-inflatable) lifejackets are not sent away for the same kind of approved-station servicing as an inflatable liferaft, SOLAS/LSA Code still requires periodic EXAMINATION — immersion suits are typically examined at a routine interval (commonly monthly, as part of the ship's life-saving appliance inspection cycle) by the ship's crew, checking for damage, deterioration of material and seams, correctly functioning zips/closures, and overall serviceability; guidance also exists for periodic testing of immersion suit seams and closures at a longer interval. Lifejackets similarly receive routine monthly-type visual/functional checks plus a more thorough annual inspection. In addition, immersion suits are commonly required to be sent for approved-station SERVICING at a defined interval (commonly a small number of years from purchase, with the interval typically SHORTENING as the suit gets older) — distinct from the routine on-board crew examination, and analogous in principle to the extended/hydrostatic-test concept already seen for other equipment: routine in-house checks plus periodic, more rigorous professional examination. This closes a gap candidates sometimes fall into: because immersion suits and standard lifejackets are not "serviced" in quite the same visible way as an inflatable liferaft (which is sent away in its canister on a strict cycle), some candidates assume they have no periodic examination requirement at all. In fact SOLAS/LSA Code guidance requires both routine crew-level examination (checking material condition, seams, closures) at a regular interval, AND, for immersion suits particularly, periodic approved-station servicing at defined intervals that typically shorten as the suit ages — reflecting that material degradation accelerates over the item's working life.

Question 2

You're asked to test a deck crane grab after electrical repairs nearby. As the grab is hoisted, what should have happened first?

Accepted Answer

The area within the grab's swing radius should be cleared of personnel before the lift On the bulk carrier Fairfield Eagle, a crew member working nearby was struck and fatally injured when a grab being test-lifted after repairs swung unexpectedly. The investigation found the area should have been cleared and barriered before the test lift began.

Question 3

A toolbox talk held before a lifting operation should explicitly cover which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Who must remain clear of the exclusion zone while the lift takes place A toolbox talk exists to make sure everyone present understands the danger zones, the abort signal, and — critically — who must not be in the area while the lift happens. The RMIMA investigation into the Fairfield Eagle fatality found the toolbox talk had not made this clear.