Emergency Escape Breathing Device

An Emergency Escape Breathing Device provides a short-duration air supply — typically lasting around ten minutes — allowing a crew member to escape from a smoke-filled space without a full fire-fighting set. SOLAS Chapter II-2 and the FSS Code require EEBDs to be stowed in accommodation spaces and machinery spaces, positioned to be reachable before smoke concentration reaches dangerous levels. The device is not intended for fire-fighting; that role belongs to the SCBA. The EEBD is a one-way escape tool, and crew must practise donning it in under thirty seconds, often whilst wearing gloves in low visibility. Officers brief their teams during fire drills on the location and operation of EEBDs for each compartment. Port state control inspectors look for EEBDs to be within service life, properly stowed, and accessible. An expired or missing EEBD in a high-risk space such as the engine room or paint store is a detainable deficiency. Crew must also understand that overheating can cause the device to fail, so it must never be stowed near hot surfaces or in direct sunlight for extended periods.