Lifeboat drill

A muster drill (also sometimes referred to as a lifeboat drill or a boat drill) is an exercise conducted by the crew of a ship prior to embarking on a voyage. The purpose of a muster drill is to prepare passengers for safe evacuation in the event of an emergency while on board the ship and to familiarize crew and passengers with escape routes. In a muster drill, passengers are educated on the use of life vests and escape routes from the ship. It is typically conducted approximately 30 minutes prior to the ship's scheduled departure time and all guests must remain silent during the drill so that everyone will be able to hear the safety announcements from the captain. To alert that the drill is in progress, a general emergency alarm is sounded and after the signal, the captain explains what the passengers need to do.

As required by the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, a passenger muster drill must be conducted by the ship within 24 hours of departure. However, in the wake of the Costa Concordia Disaster, many cruise lines choose to conduct the drill before the ship departs port for the first time. It is the responsibility of the crew to ensure that a muster drill is held and that every passenger and crew member is aware that it is being held. If a muster drill cannot be held, a report in the logbook must be made stating the circumstances.

Laws in some places hold crew members liable to face civil charges if they voluntarily do not attend the muster drill. For example, in some U.S. states, those who do not attend are fined varying amounts, depending on their rank.

Muster drills are typically not conducted and are usually not required for short trips on the water, such as those taken on ferries, dinner cruises, and riverboats. On ferries, a safety briefing delivered through the PA system alerts passengers to the sound pattern of the emergency alarm, and what to do if this signal is heard.

Generally, the muster drill is taken in simple instructions:

1. An announcement is normally made to passengers, informing them that a mandatory muster drill will begin shortly.

2. After this, another announcement is made, informing crew and passengers, that the "General Emergency Alarm" is about to be sounded, for exercise purposes only.

3. After the alarm has been sounded, passengers are told to then make their way to their Muster Station.

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Wikipedia