BA control
Governing: STCW Code Table A-VI/3; REG Yacht Code Part A chapters 15A and 15B. Builds on: Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting (FPFF).
Table A-VI/3 makes it a criterion that personal safety during fire control activities is safeguarded at all times. The biggest threat to your own crew in a fire is running out of air or losing their way. BA control exists to prevent both.
What the yacht carries
For yachts under 500 GT, REG Part A Table 15A.1 requires two fireman's outfits, each with an approved breathing apparatus. There must be an onboard means of recharging cylinders used in drills, or 2 spare cylinders for each SCBA set. Yachts of 500 GT and over meet SOLAS II-2/10 through chapter 15B, with the same spare cylinder rule. Many yachts carry more sets than the minimum; the muster list must match what is actually aboard.
Entry rules
- Teams enter in pairs, never alone.
- A hose line in: it is also the guideline out.
- A standby team of the same strength, dressed and ready, at the entry point.
- Radio contact throughout, on a dedicated channel.
- Entry only on the order of the on-scene commander.
Entry control
A named officer or senior crew member keeps an entry control record at the access point.
| Name | Time in | Cylinder pressure at entry | Calculated time of whistle | Time out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deckhand A | 21:14 | 290 bar | 21:48 | |
| Bosun | 21:14 | 300 bar | 21:50 |
Worked duration (illustrative). A 6.8 litre cylinder at 300 bar holds 6.8 x 300 = 2,040 litres of free air. At an assumed working consumption of 50 litres per minute, total duration is 2,040 / 50 = about 41 minutes, of which a reserve must be kept for the exit. Heavy work in heat can double consumption. Use your own sets' data and the figures taught on your approved course.
Turn-around
The team leader turns the pair round when the first member reaches their turn-around pressure, not the average. Exit takes at least as long as entry, and longer if the team is tired or carrying a casualty.
WARNING - Low pressure whistle The whistle is a warning that you should already be leaving, not the signal to start. Plan so that nobody hears it inside the space.
Emergencies
The entry control officer declares a BA emergency if:
- a team is overdue on its calculated time;
- radio contact is lost and cannot be restored;
- a distress signal unit sounds.
The standby team goes in along the hose line; the on-scene commander is told immediately; a fresh standby team is dressed.
After use
Cylinders are recharged or replaced, sets cleaned and checked, and defects reported before the set goes back on its hook. The Code's spare cylinder rule exists because drills empty cylinders; a yacht that cannot refill at sea must keep the spares.
TIP - Rotate the wearers On a small crew the same two deckhands always wear BA in drills. Rotate so that more of the crew can do it, and so that your best two are not the only ones who can.