It is Company's policy to ensure that the Company's organisation can respond at any time to hazards, accidents and emergency situations involving the ships.
The Company, in order to identify potential emergency situations and prepare itself for promptly and efficiently responding to such situations:
- Ensures that each ship is equipped with all necessary Life-Saving and Fire-Fighting appliances, security equipment and arrangements required by SOLAS / MARPOL/ Flag State.
- Has developed and implements a Safety Drills Programme.
- Has developed:
- A "Shore Emergency Response Plan" and a “Ship-Board Contingency Plan” providing instructions, guidelines and communication details for Emergency response purposes to both Shore Based personnel and Sea Going personnel.
- "Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plans (SOPEP)" for each vessel, regarding onboard mobilisation in case of emergency outside U.S.A. waters.
- Vessel Response Plans for each vessel regarding vessel response in case of oil pollution, in U.S.A. waters.
- Ensures that the above Emergency Plans developed are drilled and exercised.
The Master has the final and overriding authority and responsibility to make decisions in respect to safety and security of the ship, her crew and the environmental protection, regardless of any commercial considerations and to request the company’s assistance as may be necessary.
In case of an emergency, the Master must decide as a matter of urgency whether assistance, including salvage assistance, is needed or if the situation can be handled using the ship’s own resources.
The Master should take whatever action is possible to remedy the situation. Once the Master has decided that assistance is necessary, he should act promptly to request it from any available source using the most expeditious means at his disposal and keep the officials advised of his actions.
Prior to commencing any salvage operation, the Master should seek to agree to a contract for assistance. Lloyd's standard form of Salvage Agreement, known as Lloyd's Open Form (LOF 2000), is the form most usually offered and should be agreed upon to avoid any delays.