New Passenger Mustering & Crowd Control Training

A new program from Videotel highlights the importance of psychology in effective passenger evacuation, a topic which has been the focus of much attention in the industry since the highly charged events off Isola del Giglio in January 2012.

Making the Difference - Passenger Mustering and Crowd Control looks at all aspects of passenger mustering, in particular the flow of passengers on stairways and the care and control of passengers once they are assembled in their designated muster stations.

Nigel Cleave, CEO of Videotel, explained, “Without doubt, Muster Station Personnel and Stairway Guides are key players in a maritime incident where passengers are involved. They are the public face of the emergency and well trained and drilled personnel enable the Captain and his team to concentrate on the important task of resolving the situation at source.

“One of the key aspects of this program is the emphasis it places on understanding human behavior. Individuals respond to stress in very different ways and when crowds gather there is always the potential for disorder if an emergency should happen. Fear, anger, aggression are all basic instincts and it is the responsibility of the muster team to understand how these fundamental reactions come into play during emergency situations and how best to deal with them.”

In response to the revised STCW Code resulting from recent events, Videotel has worked closely with Princess Cruises to develop a new training video package demonstrating the importance of a professional and effective passenger evacuation procedure for crew members of passenger cruise ships, Ro-Pax and passenger ferries. Using role play, actors portray typical characters found in many crowds. The video shows what to look out for and how to muster passengers and manage crowds safely.

Making the Difference - Passenger Mustering and Crowd Control is available as Videotel On Demand (VOD), VOD Online, DVD and includes a supporting reference workbook. It is targeted at all crew members with a responsibility for passenger mustering; in particular Stairway Guides and Muster Station Personnel.