ALERT Portable DIY Man Overboard Alarm System

Man Overboard – Are AIS SARTS the Best MOB Devices?

Man Overboard – Are AIS SARTS the Best MOB Devices? was an article written on March 2, 2012, by gCaptain’s John Konrad. It’s been over seven years since this article was written. As a manufacturer of Man Overboard MOB devices, we wanted to see how the MOB personal beacon market has changed in those seven years.

Has the Reason for a Man Overboard Incident Changed?

Reasons a Man Overboard incidents occur haven’t changed. The most obvious fact that has not changed in the past seven years is “If the man overboard is not found, he or she will not be recovered.”

Mr. Konrad writes about two different systems on the market to increase the chance of a man overboard recovery, AIS SART devices, and DSC systems. Generally led by aggressive marketing budgets by AIS SART device manufacturers, many maritime writers are unfamiliar with our MOB alerting solution that has been on the market for over 20 years. Emerald Marine Products has worked hard to educate mariners about the pros and cons of these systems. Twelve years ago, Mr. Konrad did not cover our product. Suffice it to say, our ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System is better than these two technologies because it provides the most important function of MOB recovery – speed in the notification of a man overboard.

Why is the ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System Different from AIS SARTS Systems?

The ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System is an automatic water-activated beacon. Within seconds the boat the person fell off of is notified of a MOB. Those seconds are the difference between a successful rescue and a prolonged search and rescue. The devices Mr. Konrad outlines in the article are not automatic, and not capable of doing what it reports to do unless properly registered and understood. The actual time of MOB awareness with these devices could be in the minute range as opposed to seconds.

In the 2012 article, Mr. Konrad asked, “What is the future?” He then goes on to write…

“While some believe that DSC based SARTS are the answer, I’ve seen too many false alarms broadcast over the system in recent years. I like the AIS SARTS a lot but I think the ultimate solution will be a hybrid of the existing systems and I believe that AIS will soon replace the 121.5 homing signal still present in most 406 epirbs.”

Mr. Konrad’s prediction is correct that more 406 epirbs are on the market than 121.5 homing signals as the 121.5 Mhz frequency is no longer monitored for SAR. Just recently gCaptain reported that Sea Tow, a respected maritime rescue company, will no longer offer VHF Marine Radio checks. Again, we see technology that is being replaced or abandoned at an alarming rate. Our ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System’s technology is simple to use and doesn’t require third party support to function.

Has Technology of ManOverboard Personal Beacons Changed in the Past Seven Years?

Mr. Konrad then writes…

“But what I like most is a simple waterproof radio so I can talk to nearby ships from the water. So the perfect system for me would be a bluetooth handheld VHF with integrated AIS that I can clip to my lifevest. Here are the features I’d have in my ideal unit I would like to clip to my lifejacket:

I’d like the unit to serve as a microphone to a base VHF (I have the RS-82 system abroad the gCaptain test boat) when in bluetooth range. When out of bluetooth range (like if I fell overboard) an alarm sounds on the base unit.
Water Activated, I’d like the following to go off when the unit is immersed
- Strobe light
- AIS tracking
Integrated GPS EPIRB
Two batteries
- One for the emergency functions & one for the rest”

Emerald Marine Products’ Refresh of Personal Beacon Technology

In 2017, Emerald Marine Products began the development of its new generation of the ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System. We too looked at some of the technology that Mr. Konrad requested in 2012 but three very important reasons made our decision to stick with our 418MHz technology.

Number one was the ability to provide automatic alerting. The ability to alert a mariner within seconds, and not a minute, was imperative to a successful MOB rescue. Hundreds of companies that use our product agree.

Second, cost. We understood that to put in some of the technical components Mr. Konrad outlines in his article, it would drive the production costs up so high, even mariners willing to spend “the big bucks” on life-saving equipment would be turned off by the cost.

Finally, our third reason is we already had technology in our product that could extend the alerting of a MOB far beyond the boat itself. Our man overboard personal beacon is not dependent on third-party software, hardware, certification, or registration to operate properly.

ALERT Portable, DIY Man-Overboard Alarm System

ALERT Portable, DIY Man Overboard Alarm System ™, combines ALERT2 Receiver, two ALERT418 Transmitters, heavy-duty stand, antenna, cable, and 110volt power converter. Set-up within minutes. No programming needed. No third-party installation required. You are ready for any fall-overboard alert within seconds. In addition to the internal alerting, the unit can be wired to perform engine kill or other external alerting capabilities.

$1,795.00

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Let’s Review

The best chance of surviving a man overboard incident is rescuing from the boat itself. Isn’t it imperative that the alerting of a man overboard happens within seconds and the boat launches the rescue? In the event, the boat can’t launch the rescue, the captain or able-bodied crew member can get on the radio and broadcast coordinates of the MOB within seconds, again less time than any other technology would offer. The chances of both a visual of the MOB and a coordinated rescue can happen quickly with the ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System.

ALERT Portable, DIY Alarm System, making it even easier to protect your crew

Recently we introduced the ALERT, Portable DIY Alarm System which allows you to walk on a vessel with our system, plug it into a 110-volt outlet, hand out the transmitters for the crew to attach to themselves, and the crew is protected. Within minutes. No need to register technology or teach how the technology works or send the items back for annual certification. Mentioned in National Fisherman.

It’s always gratifying to see members of the Maritime Industry write articles about Man Overboard awareness and the solutions that are in place to help a MOB from becoming a fatality. At Emerald Marine Products our total focus in Man Overboard Alerting. Next time you look into a MOB solution for your crew, look at our solution before you simply pick-up a box at the local marine supply store.

No Commitment Trial

Still don’t believe that the ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System is the easiest and quickest response MOB alerting product? Contact us to explore a trial usage of our man overboard alarm system.

Cost of a Man-Overboard Alarm System

Cost of implementing a man-overboard alerting system may be a barrier to saving lives. Knowing if a man-overboard situation (MOB) has occurred on your premises is what keeps executives and safety personnel up at night. Fortunately, a solution for detecting a MOB has been around for 20 years. Sometimes referred to as MOB Beacons, Marine Survivor Locator Device, or Locator Beacons, it’s all about technology that will alert of a fall overboard. Making a decision to invest in a man-overboard beacon system should be imperative for a company with employees working on or near water. However, the cost and time to implement a MOB alerting system can seem daunting.

Emerald Marine Products has been protecting employees working on or near water for over twenty years so we have a clear understanding of the costs and time to implement a solution. We have a solution that is easy to implement and very cost-effective.

Understanding True Cost of Ownership of a Man-Overboard Alerting System

In regards to the cost of implementing a system, you want to not just look at the initial purchase price, but the total cost over the lifetime of a product for the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). We recently had the opportunity to put our mathematical skills to work to calculate the TCO of our ALERT Man-Overboard devices. Why is this important? There are competing products in the MOB Beacon/Locator Beacon marketplace, so it’s important to consider what MOB alarm systems will last longer and understand associated maintenance costs.

Important Purchase Factor: How Long Will the MOB Beacon System Last?

If you are involved in purchasing safety technology, one of your concerns is how long with MOB alerting technology last? Emerald Marine Products is proud of the fact that our man-overboard alerting devices have been serving the maritime industry for over twenty years. It is doubtful many of today’s Man Overboard Beacon vendors will be around that long. In our twenty-year span of business, we have seen other MOB Alerting products and technology go out of business

Bluetooth and AIS man-overboard products are very sexy and the rage for “the latest technology” but the truth is, Bluetooth and AIS man-overboard products can be very costly in the long run. Any technology that relies on Apps for use will require updates and continued technical support of its software. Bluetooth and AIS are reliant on other vendors’ products and this doubles or triples the concern for long-term longevity and support. Most systems are not “commercial-grade” and are not expandable.

ALERT MOB alarm products do not require any software to operate. The ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System relies on the decades-old wireless transmission on the 418MHz frequency. No need for costly software or updates to keep the technology current. Bluetooth and AIS alerting systems may have an initial price less than our ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System but the TCO may take on a different cost once the longevity of the system is considered.

Dependence on Other Technology to Support a MOB Alerting System

Many MOB Beacon App-based systems have a life expectancy of 2-3 years based on supporting software technology by the manufacturer or the operating system the apps need to function. Constant updating for bug fixes and security concerns are guaranteed. The ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System requires no software updates to remain functional. So when looking at the CTO of the ALERT MOB system, you simply need to look at the initial purchase price and any costs associated with new batteries or replacing a worn pouch or outer shell.

TCO of the ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System

Last month, we received 40 ALERT2 Man-Overboard Alarm System Transmitters for a service check-up. This group of 40 allowed us to see how our man-overboard transmitters have fared over a span of time. We are happy to report that other than updating some worn pouches, outer shells, and batteries, the ALERT2 Transmitters were fully functioning. This proved that units in five-plus years of heavy maritime use may require a new pouch or batteries, but nothing more.

In reviewing this sample group of 40 units, and many other servicing checks over the years, we have confirmed our products last 7plus years. Based on a lifetime of 7 years (at a minimum) at an initial cost of $274 plus one set of new batteries, the total cost for one transmitter per day for 7 years is $0.05/day. Assuming one ALERT2 Receiver will be needed to support five ALERT2 Transmitters (numbers will vary so we took an average). We calculated that the average life of a receiver is $0.44/day. As you increase the number of employees, you decrease the TCO of man-overboard alarm protection.

Your Company Can Be Protected from a Multi-Million Dollar Lawsuit of a Man-Overboard Fatality

We have all heard of the analogy, “for the cost of a coffee at Starbucks you can…” We hate to use that analogy, but when it fits it fits. Using these sample figures previously outlined, a crew of five can be protected for $0.69 per day over a five-year period, A fleet of 10 boats and 40 crew can be protected for $6.40/day over a five-year period. If the TCO doesn’t convince your financial department, think of the money spent on a lawsuit for an injury or fatality when a life-saving product exists and wasn’t used.

Now Easier Than Ever to Implement a Fall-Overboard Alerting Solution

Finally, with the simplicity of costs now comes, the simplicity of operation. With our newly released ALERT Portable, DIY Man-Overboard Alarm System you can have an ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System functional at a job site (vessel or dockside) within minutes. We are so confident in the life-saving capabilities of our ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System, we will make it available for a no-risk 30-day evaluation to qualified companies. Further information about the financial, technical, or operational aspects of keeping your employees working on or near water safe, contact Emerald Marine Products at 800-426-4201 or email info@emeraldmarineproducts.com.

Marine Terminals Need Fall Overboard Alerting

Maybe your employees aren’t on boats. Yet they work dangerously close to water. The ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System protects employees working near the water with alerting devices for fall overboard awareness. If your a dredging, marine construction, or terminal operations, alerting employees within seconds of a fall in the water situation is crucial. Water that could sweep them out of sight or, in cold weather, send them into shock and restrict their muscles within minutes. A video describing how the ALERT System saved a deckhand from a near-fatal barge accident is at youtube video.

Alerting Devices for Fall Overboard Awareness

Used by scores of Marine Terminals across the United States, The ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System is fast becoming the defacto standard for reliable, affordable, and expandable alerting devices to alert of a fall in the water. Sometimes the “buddy system” of keeping track of a fellow employee is physically impossible to administer. In the current operating conditions imposed by the COVID-19 crisis, employees are also tasked with more social distancing and the wearing of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) that might hamper visual awareness of other employees near their surroundings.

Marine Terminals Pose Specific Issues for Fall in the Water Protection

The ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System provides the technology to span over 1,000 feet of coverage. Let Emerald Marine Products guide you on what system will work best for your specific locations. Conversly, because some of the locations are remote, expanding the alerting functionality of a fall overboard situation is imperative! The ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System has a mryiad of ways to expand alerting capabilities of alerting devices for fall overboard awareness. As a reult, our clients use external alarms, strobes, remote autodial, cell phone alerting trees, pre-broadcast to HF radios and even internet enabled alarms. Again, let Emerald Marine Products guide you through expanded alerting functionality.

Looking to Implement Fall in the Water Awareness

It’s easy to quickly implement fall in the water awareness. Here is a link of an article covering the aspects of protecting your employees working near water with awareness, training and retreival. To discuss a solution that works best for your company’s operations and budget contact Emerald Marine Products at 800-426-4201 or use our contact page.

Commercial Fisherman with ALERT2 MOB Device

Commercial Fisherman Need a Man-Overboard Alerting Device

Lore and TV Shows showcase the danger involved in making a living as a commercial fisherman. It’s that time of the year when commercial fishermen leave their loved ones to provide a decent working wage fishing.

Whether you’re a solo fisherman or part of a crew, your exposure to the dangers of the high seas. Long hours, rouge waves, misplaced objects, improperly placed stowage, are all opportunities to create a man-overboard situation. If you or a crew member falls overboard and no one knows about it, a fatality is sure to occur. A fatality that affects loved ones emotionally and finacially for generations.

The ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System protects crews and solo fisherman who wear the lightweight and durable Transmitter. This device is automatically activated in the event of a fall-overboard, and its Spray-Tight Pouch will protect from false alarms when working in wet conditions. Should a simple mistake take a person over the side of a boat, the ALERT System will instantly notify the vessel. If you are a solo fisherman, the boat can be wired for engine-kill which could give you the opportunity to swim back to the boat.

We encourage you to take a look at our line of Man-Overboard Alerting Devices made with industrial-grade products for years of lasting protection. Your loved ones will be glad you took the time and made the investment to save your life.

Man-overboard protection continues during COVID-19 crisis

Man-Overboard incidents continue, so we are continuing operations

We hope that you and your teams are healthy and safe.

On March 22, 2020, Washington Governor Insley issued Proclamation 20-25 requiring Washitonians to stay at home, closing specified retail businesses, and requiring social distancing measures and other restrictions. We want to let you know that Emerald Marine Products is not included in the list of businesses prohibited from operating.

Emerald Marine Products’ diverse customer base in marine transportation, commercial fishing, water rescue personnel, and terminal services qualifies us as an Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce. The Man-Overboard Alerting devices we provide to our customers are critical for maintaining the continuity of safety products to Critical Infrastructure Sectors as defined by Homeland Security and CISA.

Now might be a good time to inspect your ALERT Transmitters

Occasionally we receive ALERT Transmitters to inspect and repair. We are pleased to see well-worn transmitters. It shows that they are being used in heavy industrial applications protecting employees. It also shows the reliability of our man-overboard transmitters, as some of these transmitters are in their fifth or sixth or even longer year of service.

If your company is experiencing a slow-down due to the Coronavirus, or weather, this might be a great time to inspect your ALERT Man-Overboard Alerting products to make sure they are functioning properly. For testing procedures and other important videos on maintaining your ALERT products, click here.

This may also be a good time to make sure the batteries in the unit are at the voltage they should be. For ALERT2 Transmitters make sure the unit has 3.6-volt lithium batteries. Never put 1.5-volt Alkaline batteries in the unit. The alkaline batteries may produce enough power to provide a positive test of the unit but do not provide the needed voltage for transmission strength and longevity. For proper placement of batteries for ALERT2 Transmitters, click here.

Do not hesitate to reach out to us with questions and to communicate any impacts this situation may be having on your operations.

SCF Lewis & Clark Fleeting have excellent MOB procedures and testing in place!

When Deckhands or Shore-Side Workers go Missing

We are not addressing work stoppage, strikes or just plain no-show incidents. We are addressing when a worker who executes their job on or near water suddenly disappears. Potentially into the water!

Any company that has employees working on or near water grapples with the concern of a Fall Overboard or MOB incident. It’s in the back of their safety-conscious mind every day. Does it keep them up at night? Hopefully not. The truth is most companies that work on or near water have a plethora of safety issues to deal with. In Emerald Marine Products’ experience, a MOB is one of those “put it on the back shelf” concerns. Statistically, it’s not a top safety concern but the implications of an MOB are far greater than a fall, collision, or medical issue.

A non-fatal MOB will most certainly cause a work stoppage, a potential medical issue and possibly a lawsuit. A fatal Mob will most certainly cause a work stoppage, an investigation by law enforcement, a potential medical issue and most certainly a lack of confidence from the employees and a lawsuit. The financial cost of a non-fatal or fatal MOB can be drastic. “That’s what we have insurance for” is not a defense for not having awareness of MOB issues and address the concern. Insurance may take care of some financial aspects of an MOB incident, but damage to the employees’ confidence, the company’s reputation and the soul retching guilt of the incident can be caustic to the companies future. On the last point alone, we have heard of a non-fatal MOB cause a suicide because the person in charge of the person who fell in the water (but survived) felt so guilty they didn’t better protect them.

You know MOB awareness, protection and rescue needs to be addressed, but where do you begin? As with any procedural change in an organization, change begins with education. Educate yourself and all stakeholders on what a MOB situation is. How vulnerable are your employees to such an incident? If your employees work on or near water, of course, the potential is there. But is the potential of a MOB increased due to; long work shifts, employees out-of-sight from other employees, weather extremes, inexperience, etc? As the potential grows, the implementation of a MOB plan is essential. What’s next?

You are determined to put an operational procedure in place to train your employees on both the hazards of an MOB and most important a response to a MOB. Emerald Marine Products has been manufacturing MOB alerting products for over twenty years. It is with our partnership with C-Hero, manufacture of MOB retrieval products, that our ability to offer companies a complete solution in awareness and retrieval of MOB incidents is complete. Emerald Marine Products and C-Hero have taken the mystery out of MOB awareness, operational execution and continued compliance.

First, begin with awareness. Outfitting any employee working on or near the water with proper protection such as Personal Floating Device (PFD), head, hand, footgear, VHF radio, personal light beacon, and our ALERT Man-Overboard Transmitter. Train your employees of root causes of potential fall situations (tripping on lines, fatigue, misplace objects). All employees working on or near water should be tested in MOB procedures regularly.

Actual MOB procedures can be easily found and adopted by your company if not already implemented. However, in our research, we have found most implementation is lax and irregular. Demand that all supervisors adhere to strict execution on both the exercise and frequency of the MOB test. Outfitting your company with a life-like victim such as our OSCAR – Water Rescue Training Dummy will provide years of easily maneuvered MOB testing procedures. An MOB drill should not use anything less than a full-grown adult victim in both size and weight. Using any training device not the size and weight of an adult is an affront to both your commitment to properly trained employees and the true readiness in the event an actual MOB occurs.

Realistically, what is the ability of your employees to provide a MOB retrieval in a timely manner? If your operation is shore-side and the water has a fast-moving current, how quickly will the person in the water be out of sight? Out of range of a local retrieval? This is a concern that needs to be addressed quickly. If the retrieval will come from another source, do employees in the rescue process know who to contact? Test it! If a local retrieval is possible (such as the boat the person just fell off of), is the rescuer’s ability to properly navigate the rescue boat and able to get the MOB out of the water in a timely fashion? Again, test it!

C-Hero makes several retrieval products to fit your company’s needs and budget. But in all safety procedures, the budget should not drive the solution. If your operation requires a device to lift a person out of the water, and no device exists on your boat, you need to budget for a lift. If all you need to get the MOB to the area where they can be safely lifted out of the water, then explore what type of retrieval product(s) will work best for the physical abilities of your employee. It is the repeated testing of a MOB drill that you will discover or confirm that your process is effective. If testing is frequent and consistent, you will see the level of confidence grow in your employees. Empowering them to be aware of a fall overboard concern will increase their vigilance of fellow employees’ whereabouts. Increasing the safety net within your company’s safety culture.

What about a safety culture once set and then management changes break down the compliance? C-hero has built a robust training and compliance application that is easy to administer. It allows for a step-by-step approach in MOB retrieval training. Once trained, the employee is video recorded in their participation in the training procedure. The video is then reviewed by management and given an approval rating. Annual compliance of each employee can be easily administered. The process can become the “heavy hand” that further institutes compliance within your company.

If Deckhands and Shore-Side Workers going missing is a concern of yours. If the responsibility of your employee’s well-being is a concern of yours, there are products and plans available to easily implement into your safety culture. Contact Emerald Marine Products to discuss your needs when addressing the issue of your employees working on or near water. Addressing your concerns now; before an unexpected event brings a costly accident to your attention.

Three Missing After Towing Vessels Collide

RC Creppel. File Photo: MarineTraffic.com / Craig Creppel

Please note that the purpose of this article is to educate the maritime industry of our products and the solution they can offer.

As a manufacturer of products specific to fall overboard alerting and retrieval, we monitor the news for fall overboard incidents. Just today we read once again about an incident where a fall overboard product may have helped save lives. Many times, when companies research our product, they are amazed it exists and see it as an affordable solution to head off the tragedy of a fall overboard incident. We don’t want to be the maritime industry’s best-kept secret; we want to be top of mind if protecting your employees from fall overboard situations that may concern you.

It was reported today that three persons are missing after two towing vessels collide on the Mississippi River. G Captain online report stated, “The U.S. Coast Guard says watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report at 5:37 a.m. (Sunday, January 26th) that the towing vessel RC Creppel and the towing vessel Cooperative Spirit had collided. Four crew members of the RC Creppel were initially reported missing. One person was recovered from the water by a Good Samaritan. The search for the other three is ongoing.
Local media reported that one person was rescued and taken to the hospital where they are in stable condition. The Cooperative Spirit was reportedly transiting upbound on the river when it entered a barge fleeting area and allied with barges before colliding with the towing vessel RC Creppel, the Coast Guard said in a statement. The cause of the collision is under investigation.”
For the full article, visit gCaptain.

When crew members wear a fall overboard alerting device, such as our ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm Transmitter, the automatic water-activated device begins to transmit within seconds that a fall overboard has occurred to the vessel’s ALERT Receiver installed on the boat they just fell off of.
Our products are not to be confused with Emergency Positioning Indicator Radio Beacon (EPIRBs) which are ideal when a person needs to abandon ship. ALERT2 and ALERT418 products work when the abandon ship was totally involuntary, such as a fall overboard induced from a myriad of reasons, a collision from another vessel is one of them.
In the case of the event outlined above the fall overboard alerting would have been just one of many calamities occurring at once. However, ALERT products continue to transmit up to 40 hours. The 418MHz frequency can be heard with a portable direction finder, providing an opportunity to find the FOB before the rescue turns into a recovery.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and survivors and their families of this latest maritime tragedy. Emerald Marine Products is dedicated to alerting, training and recovery of fall overboard situations. We hope that these types of tragedies can be averted in the future

Are App-Based Alarms Reliable for Man-Overboard Rescue?

Fall overboard (FOB) occurrences are much more common than we would like to believe. A simple trip on the deck or dock, excessive speed, or even a storm can cause people to fall off the boat. The problem is that within seconds, the fall overboard victim can drift at least 100 feet from the boat, making it difficult to find the person who fell overboard. It is critical to wear a PFD, but just as important is to invest in an alarm to notify the boat and crew of the man-overboard for immediate rescue. This testimonial highlights how fast a fall overboard can happen.

As the reliance on our smartphones continues to increase, so does the usage of apps as utilities and even man-overboard alarms. Over the last 3 years, several apps have been created to serve as man-overboard alarms. These apps rely on Bluetooth technology to notify the app of a loss signal i.e. man-overboard and trigger an alarm on the phone. I decided to do a little research to better understand the reliability of these apps as a man-overboard alarm. I summarized my learnings below. Although an app can appear cheap and easy to use, there are a lot of variables to manage – fully charged phone battery, open application, phone/tablet readily available, reliable Bluetooth connection, and more. In conclusion, when it comes to boat safety and preventing needless man-overboard injuries and fatalities, it is worth it to invest in an alarm system that you can set and forget.

Connection Reliability and False Alarms

These app-based systems trigger an alarm when the beacons or devices worn by the person lose connection with the phone app. This connection is relying on Bluetooth. Unfortunately, Bluetooth on a good day has a range of about 150 feet and can be much less on a phone. This reliability on Bluetooth on a boat has resulted in triggering many false alarms. The person wearing the beacon may just be going down to the galley of the boat, lose Bluetooth connection, and then the app triggers the man-overboard alarm. These false alarm triggers can become exhausting to manage and even result in losing trust in the application, never knowing if the alarm is indicating a real man-overboard situation or just another false alarm. When it comes to investing in a man-overboard alarm, it is critical to have a system in place that you can trust the connection, signal, and viability of the alert to be able to respond immediately.

Charged Phone or Tablet Battery and Battery Consumption

Reliance on an app also means that you are reliant on your phone or tablet. Unfortunately, this means that your phone needs to be fully charged, readily available, and most likely connected to power as the Bluetooth will quickly drain battery life on the device. The reality is that most people don’t have a fully charged device on hand. If the device is charged, it will not stay charged for long, in which case it needs to be connected to a power source and therefore not as readily available in case of a fall overboard emergency.

Software and Hardware Compatibility

Most of these app-based systems require your smartphone or tablet to have Bluetooth 4.0 or higher. They also have hardware requirements i.e. iPhone/iPad 5 or later. Hardware and software systems are constantly evolving, which may require investments in hardware and software on a more regular basis to ensure that the app can be used.

Phone or Tablet Location and Availability

The reliance on the app’s device may require a dedicated tablet or phone just for this app-based man-overboard alarm system. We are used to living with our phones tethered to our bodies – in our pockets, hands, and sometimes we even forget where we leave them. This app will not be effective if it is in the man overboard’s pocket or somewhere else on the boat that is not easily accessible.

Alarm System Setup and Pairing Devices to the App

As easy as it can be to download an app to a tablet or smartphone, it can still be challenging to pair the man-overboard beacons to the app. Some of the forums that I came across indicated that it was sometimes very challenging to pair the beacons to the app.

When it comes to man-overboard safety, it is critical to know that the connection between the transmitter or beacon and the receiver or app is reliable and constant. When it comes to setting up any system, ease-of-setup is essential and the ALERT Transmitter and Receiver are created to automatically connect and maintain that connection at all times.

Fall-Overboard Rescue

When it comes to an actual fall overboard situation, it is critical that the alarm immediately alerts the crew and that there is a way to locate the man-overboard person. Some of these apps can take 5-10 seconds to sound the alarm after losing connection. In a man-overboard situation, every second counts. By 10 seconds a person may already have drifted 100 yards. Click here for an article about the activity of a fall overboard situation within the first minute.

There is a high likelihood that someone could fall overboard when it is dark or there is low lighting. Ideally, there is lighting on the man-overboard device to help find the person who fell overboard. It is best to have a device that has a strong light on it to help identify the person in the water. Some app-based systems don’t have LED lights on the units attached to the person involuntarily in the water. This could mean the difference between life and death.

There is a lot of confusion in the marketplace for effective fall overboard alerting. Emerald Marine Products has compiled both a presentation and an article to hopefully clarify the strengths and weaknesses of the products and technology acting as fall overboard alarms. Emerald Marine Products specializes in products specific to fall overboard situations. Alerting, training, retrieval, and recovery – the complete package to put you and your crew at ease when concerned about someone involuntarily entering the water.

Learn more about Emerald Marine Products’ set it and forget it man-overboard alarm system. For additional information about preventing fall overboard occurrences, check out Key Learnings from the American Waterways Operator’s committee panel discussion.

Confusing terms of man-overboard alerting products.

Confusion About Man Overboard Alerting Devices?

MSLD, EPIRBs, Personal Locator Beacons, are all search terms that define a device to alert of a person unintentionally in the water. Regardless of the term, our product if the most proven and defined Fall Overboard Alerting Product on the market.

There are about a dozen products on the market that are identified as fall-overboard locator beacon products. Two commonly used terms now used to market these devices are “Maritime Survivor Locating Devices (MSLD)” and a more recently introduced term, “Personal Man Overboard Beacons”. They are generally placed in five different categories:

In our article that goes into detail about these different type of alerting devices, we hope to clear up some of the confusion. To read the article, click here.

United States Coast Guard Issues Safety Alert Reassessing Man-Overboard Risks

On April 24th, The United States Coast Guard released a Safety Alert reassessing man-overboard risks in response to a fatality that occurred while a personnel exchange was taking place at sea. You can read the full Safety Alert here In the Alert it was stated, “The ship’s Boatswain and Ordinary Seaman (OS) were manning the port side shell access port and pilot embarkation space behind a hydraulically operated bi-fold hatch door and were preparing for the pilot’s arrival. The port was located forward of the house and approximately 13-feet above the waterline. The Boatswain and OS were unable to monitor the seas from their position behind the hatch door. As the two crew members were in the process of opening the door, seas unexpectedly struck and violently forced it open, flooding the space. The OS was not wearing a harness or safety line nor a personal flotation device; he was subsequently swept out to sea. The Boatswain was forced onto the deck whereby the pilot ladder fell on him, fracturing his leg. The side shell door also sustained structural damage during the incident. Coast Guard Sector New York launched an extensive search and rescue mission that was terminated with no success after 28 hours. The OS was lost and presumed dead.”

The Safety Alert goes on to state, “This casualty reiterates the dangers of personnel exchanges at sea, especially in heavy weather conditions”. Emerald Marine Products agrees that casualty can occur in heavy weather conditions but we have historically seen casualties and near fatalities relating to man-overboard incidents occurring even in calm weather conditions. As reported in the past, man-overboard incidents are caused from many conditions, such as tripping on misplaced objects, dehydration, exhaustion, poor training. Regardless of weather, actions should be taken by companies to assure their employees are protected.

The Safety Alert goes on to state; “The Coast Guard strongly recommends owners and operators of deep draft vessels:

Review vessel Safety Management Systems, procedural manuals and guidance that relate to pilot transfers and update as appropriate, considering risks revealed by this casualty;
• Reinforce the importance for crew members to wear personal protection devices and safety lines when working over the side of a vessel, when exposed to the elements or when there is an absence of a barrier that prevents an accidental water entry;
• Ensure officers and crew identify potential hazards and conduct a risk assessment, to include consideration of weather conditions, prior to opening the side shell port hatches;
• Ensure crew communications between Navigation Watch Officers and crew are clear and provide suitable supervision of activities, considering sea state and other changing conditions.”

Emerald Marine Products has heard that more Form CG-835V have been issued to companies that don’t fully comply with Management Safety Systems (SMS) or Towing Safety Management Systems (TSMS). In light of this latest Safety Alert, we are sure the US Coast Guard will be actively looking at many companies compliance with SMS or TSMS.

When companies review their SMS or TSMS policies they should seriously look at the ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System. In the case of the tragedy outlined earlier, the use of the ALERT system would have helped to track the seaman who was swept out to sea. The ALERT Man-Overboard System is recognized as the leading and fastest indicator of a man-overboard situation. Our automatic water activated transmitters report to the wheelhouse or other monitoring station within seconds of a MOB. A visual of a person in the water will assure a quick response and will be integral in the execution of your MOB recovery outlined in your SMS or TSMS. Why not invest in an alerting system that compliments your mandated MOB procedures? The investment is a fraction of your cost to implement a SMS or TSMS and will pay dividends by providing your employees with the confidence that in the event of a man-overboard incident, the crew will be notified within seconds, and tracking in the event that the MOB is lost will help in their quick recovery.

For more information about our products and how we help companies comply with their Safety Management System or Towing Safety Management System procedures, contact Emerald Marine Products via this contact link or call, 800-426-4201.