29Distress and urgency messages

29 Distress and urgency messages
[SOLAS V/33]

29.1 Obligations and procedures

The master of a ship must discharge the obligations and follow the procedures specified in Regulation 33 of Chapter V of SOLAS.

29.2 Prescribed signal of distress

For the purposes of this Part, the prescribed signal of distress is the spoken word 'MAYDAY'.[29]

29.3 Use of prescribed signal of distress

A person must not transmit a prescribed signal of distress, except in connection with the transmission of:

(a) a distress call and a distress message;
(b) the acknowledgment of a distress message; or
(c) other distress traffic,

as prescribed by this Part.

29.4 Serious and imminent danger

Despite anything contained in this Part, a person who is operating the radio station of a ship that is in serious and imminent danger and is unable to comply with the provisions of the Part may use any means available to attract attention, to make known the ship's position and to obtain help.

29.5 Duties on activation of a distress watch receiver.

29.5.1 Where any of the following equipment is actuated:

(a) the DSC distress frequency watch receiver;
(b) the Inmarsat EGC receiver distress alarm,

the person in charge of the ship radio station must commence watch on the relevant distress frequency or, if a frequency is specified in the distress or urgency message, on that frequency.

29.5.2 Such watch is to be kept for a sufficient time to ensure that:

(a) the distress or urgency message is received, or
(b) a distress or urgency message would have been received if one had been transmitted and the ship had been within range of the transmitting station, or

the person in charge of the ship radio station is satisfied that the actuation was due to:

(c) a fault in the radio installation, or
(d) an electrical storm.

29.5.3 A person receiving a distress or urgency message must immediately inform the Master of the details of the message.

29.6 Duties of a person hearing a distress or urgency signal

29.6.1 A person who hears a distress or urgency signal must continue to listen on the appropriate frequency and must not resume normal radio service until:

(a) if no message follows the signalthe expiration of at least three minutes, or
(b) if a message follows the signalthe person has informed the master of the details of the message and the master has permitted resumption of normal radio service.

29.6.2 Where a message that follows the activation of a DSC or EGC distress alert is not addressed to all radio stations, or is addressed to all ships in a geographical area not including the current position of the ship, the person in charge of the ship radio station may resume normal communication on frequencies other than that used for the distress or urgency communication.

29.7 Prescribed urgency signal

29.7.1 For the purposes of this Part, the prescribed urgency signal is the words 'PAN PAN' spoken 3 times.[30]

29.7.2 A person must not transmit a prescribed urgency signal except for the purpose of giving notice that the calling radio station has a very urgent message to transmit concerning the safety of a ship, an aircraft, a vehicle or a person.

29.7.3 Subject to 29.8.1, the radio frequency to be used for a prescribed urgency signal and the following message, is the distress frequency.

29.7.4 A prescribed urgency signal has priority over all other radio communications except distress traffic.

29.8 Urgency messages

29.8.1 Where the urgency message that follows a prescribed urgency signal is a long message, a medical call or, in an area of heavy radio traffic, a repeated message, the radio frequency used for that message:

(a) must be a frequency other than that referred to in 29.7.3; and
(b) must be specified at the end of the urgency signal.

29.8.2 A person must not interfere with the transmission of an urgency message that follows the transmission of a prescribed urgency signal.

29.8.3 An urgency message, other than a message dealing with medical matters, that follows a prescribed urgency signal must be in plain language.

29.8.4 When the master of a ship is satisfied that action called for by an urgency message is no longer necessary, the master must cause a further message to be transmitted cancelling the urgency message.

29.9 Authority for transmission of urgency signal

29.9.1 A person on board a ship must not transmit a prescribed urgency signal unless the transmission of that signal is authorised by the master of the ship.

29.9.2 A person at a coast radio station must not transmit a prescribed urgency signal unless the transmission of that signal is authorised by the Senior SARO Maritime.