Action checklist based on
IMO MSC.1/Circ.1245 GUIDELINES FOR DAMAGE CONTROL PLANS AND INFORMATION TO THE MASTER
for a ship that has experienced damage:
Damage Control Plan and Information Checklist
1. Initial Assessment:
- Evaluate the extent of damage and flooding.
- Determine if there is any progressive flooding through openings.
- Assess the ship's loss of stability.
2. Activate Watertight and Weathertight Closures:
- Immediately close all watertight and weathertight closing appliances.
- Ensure all doors and openings are secured.
3. Personnel and Safety:
- Establish the safety of all persons on board.
- Sound tanks and compartments to determine the extent of damage.
- Continuously monitor rates of flooding.
4. Follow General Instructions:
- Refer to the damage control booklet for specific guidance.
- Follow instructions on closing appliances, sounding, and assessing damage.
5. Accessing Watertight Compartments:
- Ensure access and escape routes for damage control parties below the bulkhead deck are clear.
- Facilitate movement within watertight compartments as needed.
6. Alert Ship Management and Coordination:
- Coordinate with ship management and relevant organizations for assistance, if required.
- Stand by to provide information and updates as necessary.
7. Use of Damage Control Booklet:
- Refer to the damage control booklet for additional details and guidance.
- Consult piping diagrams, flooding detection systems, tank vents, and pump capacities.
8. Evaluate Non-Watertight Openings:
- Identify non-watertight openings with non-automatic closing devices.
- Consider the possibility of obstructions causing unsymmetrical flooding.
9. Use Visual Guidance:
- Utilize damage consequence diagrams to quickly assess damage consequences.
10. Subdivision and Stability Analysis:
- If applicable, refer to results of subdivision and damage stability analyses.
- Understand that these results assist in estimating relative survivability.
11. Communicate and Correlate Analysis Results:
- Communicate the criteria on which analyses were based.
- Understand that analysis assumptions may not correlate with actual damage conditions.
12. Permanently Exhibited Information:
- Ensure that the damage control plan is permanently exhibited or readily available on the navigation bridge.
- For passenger ships, also ensure it's available in the ship’s control station, safety center, or equivalent.
- For cargo ships, ensure it's available in the cargo control room and navigation bridge.
13. Language Accessibility:
- Ensure that the plan and information are provided in the working language of the ship.
- If not in an official SOLAS Convention language, provide a translation in one of the official languages.
14. Regular Training:
- Conduct regular damage control drills involving crew members with damage control responsibilities.
- Vary drill scenarios to simulate different damage conditions.
15. Stay Informed:
- Stay informed about any updates or amendments to the damage control plan and information.