Muster Station

The muster station — also called the assembly station — is the designated location to which crew and passengers proceed upon hearing the general emergency alarm. SOLAS Regulation III/37 requires a muster list to be posted throughout the ship, assigning every person on board a specific station and detailing their duties during emergencies such as fire, flooding, or abandon ship. For a seafarer on watch, the muster station is the point from which emergency duties are co-ordinated. Officers direct crew to don immersion suits, prepare life-saving appliances, and await orders from the master. Passengers require guidance to their muster stations, particularly on passenger vessels where large numbers must be managed under the passenger safety management system. Muster drills must be conducted within twenty-four hours of departure for vessels carrying passengers on voyages longer than twenty-four hours, and at regular intervals for crew. SOLAS requires new crew joining a vessel to receive a safety familiarisation briefing before departure. Port state control officers assess whether crew can reach their muster stations promptly, don survival equipment correctly, and articulate their assigned duties — these are among the most frequently tested items during inspections.