Crowd Management: Managing the Flow to Assembly Stations
How to guide passengers towards muster stations: duties, communication, assistance and changes of route according to the ship’s plans.
Operational Explanation
Crowd management concerns people moving towards muster and embarkation stations. Assigned personnel make instructions understandable, cover the points identified in the plan, assist people who need help and report difficulties to the emergency organisation. Knowing the route is only one part of the task: personnel must coordinate their section with those receiving passengers at the station.
The muster list and ship plans identify duties, substitutes, communication links and routes. If a route cannot be used, movement is coordinated through the ship’s procedure: avoid conflicting directions and communicate the change to the points before and after the affected location.
Regulatory Reference
STCW V/2 and A-V/2. V/2.7 training covers masters, officers, ratings qualified under chapters II, III and VII, and other personnel designated on the muster list to assist passengers in emergencies. Table A-V/2-1 sets crowd-management competence standards; it does not prescribe one universal time for moving a group.
For personnel subject to V/2.7–9, V/2.4 provides for refresher training at intervals no longer than five years or evidence of achieving the standard within the previous five years; V/2.10 requires documentary evidence of completed training. Familiarisation, direct-passenger-service safety training and crisis management are separate requirements according to role. STCW V/2.3–10.
Scope of Application
This page addresses preparation and passenger movement during an emergency or drill, according to the organisation of the individual ship. For STCW training, V/2.1 concerns passenger ships on international voyages; the Administration determines applicability to domestic voyages. Establish the operational duty, required training and evidence separately: assignment to a station does not complete the competence check.
Procedure / How to Complete It
Familiarisation sequence to read alongside the ship’s plans and SMS:
- Prepare the role. Identify the assigned position, person in charge, substitute, destination station and communication method; check assistance needs with the responsible personnel.
- Check the routes. Recognise designated access points, stairs and passageways, planned alternatives and lift restrictions. Report obstructions or unsafe conditions before directing the group.
- Give directions. Use short, understandable instructions consistent with announcements; check understanding using the communication arrangements provided for the ship.
- Guide and assist. Manage movement through the assigned section and provide the planned assistance in coordination with colleagues. Do not leave a person assigned to your care without assistance: request support or make an explicit handover.
- Manage a change. Report the location, difficulty and assistance needed to the designated coordinator; follow instructions and the plan for an alternative route, informing the connected positions.
- Confirm follow-up. Hand over information at the station and report discrepancies or people to be located according to the ship’s counting procedure. In the debrief record observations, actions, the responsible person and follow-up verification.
Practical Example
Training example. During a drill, the coordinator announces that one stairway on the normal route is to be treated as unavailable in the scenario; the simulation does not physically block the escape route. The assigned guide reports the situation, receives confirmation of the planned alternative and gives the group consistent directions. The colleague assigned to assistance accompanies the person who needs help using the ship’s arrangements and method; the receiving station confirms the handover.
| Debrief observation | Action and verification |
|---|---|
| One position did not receive the diversion message. | Clarify the communication link and responsible person; use a later exercise to verify that the message reaches both positions. |
| A person needs assistance different from that discussed in the briefing. | Review assistance with the responsible personnel and update the information used, according to the SMS. |
What Typically Goes Wrong
Movement breaks down when connected positions receive different directions, an obstruction is not reported or assistance has no assigned owner. A group arriving at the station does not by itself complete passenger accounting: discrepancies must reach those coordinating the search and verification. In the debrief distinguish observed management of the route from declared knowledge alone.
Common Mistakes Mistake Library
| Mistake | Consequence | How to Avoid It |
|---|---|---|
| Changing the route without informing connected positions. | Conflicting directions and groups converging on the same point. | Use the planned coordination arrangements and confirm that relevant guides received the message. |
| Assuming every passenger can follow the group unaided. | Delayed assistance or interrupted movement. | Check the planned needs, personnel and assistance arrangements; communicate changes. |
| Treating a training document as sufficient knowledge of the ship. | Uncertainty about positions, routes and communications. | Check familiarisation and the actual duty as well as evidence of training and updating. |
What the PSCO Checks
The PSCO may check whether personnel know their duties and positions, communicate effectively and can adapt movement to conditions represented in a drill. Training records and the muster list should correspond to the actual people and duties. Operational control takes place within the inspection’s scope without jeopardising safety. A.1206(34), Appendix 7, §§4, 7 and Part 2 §2.
Operational Tips
- At the briefing, ask each guide to describe the link with the previous position, receiving station and coordinator.
- Prepare simple messages for planned situations; check understanding and consistency with announcements.
- Use controlled exercises to practise diversions and assistance requests; stop if unsafe conditions arise.
- Record observed performance and follow-up actions in the debrief, avoiding unsupported phrases such as “all satisfactory”.
Preparation checklist
- Duty, substitute, communication link and destination for each position can be identified in ship documents.
- The normal route and planned alternatives have been checked; observed difficulties have been reported.
- Personnel know the means and messages for communicating with colleagues, the coordinator and passengers.
- Assistance needs, personnel and planned arrangements have been checked with those responsible.
- Station handover, counting and reporting of discrepancies follow the ship’s procedure.
- Evidence of training, familiarisation and updating has been checked for the relevant personnel.
- The drill report and open actions identify the observation, responsible person and planned verification.
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Certified substantive revision: 12 October 2026 · page fingerprint eff0ca4ce72e