Recovery of Persons from Water Management Plan - 1st Edition (2026)

This Recovery of Persons from Water Management Plan provides a ready-to-use framework for meeting the mandatory requirement of SOLAS Chapter III, Regulation 17-1, under which every ship must hold ship-specific plans and procedures for recovering persons from the water. It brings the governing IMO guidance, a ship-specific risk assessment and recovery plan, and the underlying instruments together in a single volume.

Section 1 – Introduction sets out the purpose, objective and scope of the plan and its place in the regulatory framework. It explains that the plan is developed from the IMO Guidelines for the development of plans and procedures for recovery of persons from the water (MSC.1/Circ.1447) and implemented and kept current within the ship’s safety-management arrangements.

Section 2 – Principles of Operation describes the core principles that govern a safe recovery: that the decision to begin or continue an operation rests falls under the Master’s discretion, that any suitable lifesaving equipment on board may be used, and that recovery should, where practicable, be carried out horizontally to reduce the risk of cardiac arrest in hypothermic casualties. It sets out the anticipated conditions (manoeuvrability, freeboard, weather and sea state, available crew) that determine whether a recovery can be attempted safely.

Section 3 – Roles and Responsibilities defines who does what during a recovery: the Master's authority to initiate, continue or abort the operation, and the duties of the crew as set out in the ship's drill organisation and Emergency Station Bill. This reflects the requirement of SOLAS Chapter III, Regulation 17-1 that plans identify the arrangements and personnel involved in recovery.

Section 4 – Competence and Familiarisation covers the drills and familiarisation that keep the crew competent and provides an exercise record for logging recovery drills. It follows the requirement that drills ensure crew familiarity with the plans, procedures and equipment.

Annex I – Risk Assessment provides the documented, ship-specific risk assessment that MSC.1/Circ.1447 recommends as the basis for a recovery plan under SOLAS Chapter III, Regulation 17-1. It works through the anticipated conditions and ship characteristics, a recognised likelihood-and-severity framework, a hazard register with controls reduced to As Low as Reasonably Practicable (ALARP), and derived operational limits, giving the ship manager an auditable basis for the arrangements chosen.

Annex II – Ship-Specific Recovery Plan is the operational plan itself, describing the vessel's recovery equipment, step-by-step procedures, responsibilities, communications and drill schedule.

Appendix – IMO Guidelines reproduces the primary IMO source material in full for on-board reference: the Guidelines for the development of plans and procedures (MSC.1/Circ.1447), the Guide to Recovery Techniques (MSC.1/Circ.1182/Rev.1) and the Guide for Cold Water Survival (MSC.1/Circ.1185/Rev.1), so the crew has the underlying guidance to hand without needing separate documents.

How to Use this Management Plan

Systematic use of this Management Plan enables the Master and crew to:

• Provide evidence of compliance with SOLAS Chapter III, Regulation 17-1 during port state control inspections, flag state surveys and ISM audits

• Carry out planned, ship-specific recovery operations that minimise the risk to the casualty and the crew

• Evidence of the documented risk assessment and the controls adopted to reduce risk

• Support crew competence through recorded drills and familiarisation.

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