Why are survival suits provided for crew?

GabrielTurner

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I've been on a few passenger ships, and I've noticed that survival suits are provided for the crew in the event of an emergency. However passengers are not provided with them. If it's considered safe not to provide them to passenger, then why is it that crew need to be provided with them?
 

Rappey

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Taking a guess, crew can easily be identified by passengers and gives crew a longer survival time whilst trying to help passengers?
 

scottie

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Has this not been raised recently and determined that as survival suits need to be fitted that it is not practical to sort out for passengers on a time basis alone if for no other reason
 

zoidberg

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Passenger survival suits....

If this is a 'thing' for you, take your own. Seriously....

Thermal Protective Aids ( TPAs ) are recommended kit for yottie survival grab bags. Last I looked, they retailed at under £10 and packed to the size of a plastic raincoat.
 

GabrielTurner

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Passenger survival suits....

If this is a 'thing' for you, take your own. Seriously....

Thermal Protective Aids ( TPAs ) are recommended kit for yottie survival grab bags. Last I looked, they retailed at under £10 and packed to the size of a plastic raincoat.
Yes, but why is there such a thing then?

No I didn't mean those, they are of zero value if you end up in the water!
 

zoidberg

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Yes, but why is there such a thing then? No I didn't mean those, they are of zero value if you end up in the water!

Go try 24 hours in a liferaft, in sodden wet clothing..... then come back and tell me about 'zero value'.

Of course, if you manage to don a TPA and still end up in the water, without benefit of flotation, then the Coastguard/Lifeboat types will thank you when, after a week or three, they fish you out....... for all your putrid bits will be in the one place. :cool:
 

GabrielTurner

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Go try 24 hours in a liferaft, in sodden wet clothing..... then come back and tell me about 'zero value'.

Of course, if you manage to don a TPA and still end up in the water, without benefit of flotation, then the Coastguard/Lifeboat types will thank you when, after a week or three, they fish you out....... for all your putrid bits will be in the one place. :cool:
No I mean if you don a lifejacket then a TPA on top (they are meant to be used together!), they are still no good if you end up in the water. I'll happily do that, I might have to deal with wearing sodden wet clothing, but at least I'll still be alive. Whereas in the water with a TPA, I could easily end up dead.
 

zoidberg

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in the water... I could easily end up dead.

Yep. That's the most likely outcome. Whatever you're wearing. Even the 'Gold Standard' immersion/survival suit does little more than improve your already-poor chances.
Which is all a liferaft does.

It's easy to persuade oneself that all the expensive kit - euphemistically called 'Safety Equipment' - will sort out the problem for you. Well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news.....

You need to have done the courses ( and I don't mean the RYA/swimming pool thing ). You need to have a bloody-minded fatalistic hard-nosed awareness that 'going in the water unplanned' is quite likely to kill you. Then you need to start work on changing the odds where you can.

Hypothermia.
Hypothermia and drowning.
Or, missing out the first bit, plain ol' drowning.
 

GabrielTurner

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Yep. That's the most likely outcome. Whatever you're wearing. Even the 'Gold Standard' immersion/survival suit does little more than improve your already-poor chances.
Which is all a liferaft does.

It's easy to persuade oneself that all the expensive kit - euphemistically called 'Safety Equipment' - will sort out the problem for you. Well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news.....

You need to have done the courses ( and I don't mean the RYA/swimming pool thing ). You need to have a bloody-minded fatalistic hard-nosed awareness that 'going in the water unplanned' is quite likely to kill you. Then you need to start work on changing the odds where you can.

Hypothermia.
Hypothermia and drowning.
Or, missing out the first bit, plain ol' drowning.
Agree, but with a TPA combined with a lifejacket that prevents you from swimming anywhere, plus it's a safety risk.
 

zoidberg

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I'm not planning on swimming anywhere, my friend.
Having taught the 'Survival Swimming' course decades ago, I can assure you that despite 'global warming' the principles still apply.
 

GabrielTurner

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Yep. That's the most likely outcome. Whatever you're wearing. Even the 'Gold Standard' immersion/survival suit does little more than improve your already-poor chances.
Which is all a liferaft does.

It's easy to persuade oneself that all the expensive kit - euphemistically called 'Safety Equipment' - will sort out the problem for you. Well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news.....

You need to have done the courses ( and I don't mean the RYA/swimming pool thing ). You need to have a bloody-minded fatalistic hard-nosed awareness that 'going in the water unplanned' is quite likely to kill you. Then you need to start work on changing the odds where you can.

Hypothermia.
Hypothermia and drowning.
Or, missing out the first bit, plain ol' drowning.
I haven't done any courses, but I'd imagine that if I were to wear a passenger survival suit, then I'd be alright without one, hence why it's a passenger suit. Am I right?
 

zoidberg

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This thread recalls the old Parachute Packer's quip to a rookie in 3 Para...

"It's OK, son. If this one doesn't work, bring it back and I'll issue you with a brand new one."
 

zoidberg

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How is that relevant?

Well, 'GT' New member, firstly I'm probably twice your age.... perhaps even four times your age.... and I got this old by paying close heed to the advices of my elders and betters who had 'been there, done that'.

In the interests of a long life ( 'and prosper' ) I commend that principle to you.
 
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