Operational Guide · Registers & Logbooks

# Crowd Management: Managing the Flow to Assembly Stations

Evacuation analysis calculates on paper whether evacuation times fall within the required limits; crowd management is what the crew does in real time when frightened passengers freeze, misunderstand instructions, or head toward familiar spaces instead of the safe assembly points.

crowd management STCW A-V/2 IMO Model Course 1.41 passenger flow management

## Operational Explanation

Crowd management is the operational competence, distinct from the design-stage calculation of evacuation analysis, by which the crew manages in real time the behaviour and movement of passengers toward the assembly and embarkation stations during an emergency. It is a mandatory STCW competence, governed by Section A-V/2 and Table A-V/2-1 of the STCW Code, and elaborated in the IMO Model Course 1.41 (Passenger Ship Crowd Management Training).

The training covers how passengers actually react in an emergency (they may freeze, panic, misunderstand instructions, or instinctively head toward familiar spaces instead of their assigned assembly points), how to communicate instructions clearly, how to guide movement along corridors and stairways, how to reduce fear, how to assist the most vulnerable passengers, and how to maintain order during the emergency itself.

## Regulatory Reference

STCW Code, Section A-V/2 and Table A-V/2-1: mandatory crowd management competences for passenger ship personnel, concerning the implementation of onboard emergency plans for passenger muster and evacuation and assisting passengers along the route to the assembly and embarkation stations. IMO Model Course 1.41: dedicated training course on crowd management on passenger ships.

## Scope of Application

Onboard personnel of every passenger ship, with crowd management competences required per STCW Section A-V/2 according to the role assigned in the muster list.

## Procedure / How to Complete It

1. Verify that personnel with crowd management responsibilities in the muster list have completed the training required per STCW A-V/2.
2. Include realistic passenger behaviour scenarios (panic, freezing, misunderstanding of instructions) in periodic exercises, not only the linear route to the assembly station.
3. Train the crew to communicate clear, short instructions, repeated if necessary, while managing passenger flow.
4. Identify in advance the passengers who will require additional assistance moving toward the assembly stations (PRM, families with children, the elderly).
5. Coordinate crowd management with the ship's evacuation plan resulting from its evacuation analysis, without confusing the design-stage calculation with actual operational management.

## Practical Example

Example: during a realistic exercise, crew trained in crowd management manage a group of passengers who, in a crowded corridor, tend to head toward the lift instead of the stairs as required by procedure: staff intervene with clear, repeated instructions, physically guiding the flow toward the correct route.

## Real Cases

Crowd management training stems from the recognition, documented by several real incidents, that passenger behaviour in an emergency systematically departs from that assumed in theoretical evacuation calculations: people may freeze, head back to their cabin, or ignore directions unless actively guided by trained, visible staff.

## Common Mistakes Mistake Library

Mistake | Consequence | How to avoid it
--- | --- | ---
Emergency exercises conducted only with linear routes and cooperative passengers, without panic or misunderstanding scenarios | Crew unprepared for actual passenger behaviour in a real emergency | Include realistic non-cooperative behaviour scenarios in periodic exercises
Passengers with additional assistance needs not identified before the emergency | Late or insufficient assistance during movement toward the assembly stations | Proactively identify passengers with special needs, integrating them into the crowd management plan
Personnel with crowd management responsibilities in the muster list lacking the required STCW A-V/2 training | STCW non-compliance and personnel unprepared for the assigned role | Verify that every crowd management role in the muster list is covered by personnel trained per STCW A-V/2

## PSC Observations

PSCOs may check, through crew interviews and training record checks, that personnel with crowd management roles in the muster list have completed the required STCW A-V/2 training.

## Operational Tips

- Do not train only for the ideal route: the most useful exercises include realistic, non-cooperative passenger behaviour scenarios.
- Identify in advance, not during the emergency, the passengers who will need additional assistance moving toward the assembly stations.
- Remember that crowd management is a role distinct from design-stage evacuation analysis: one is calculation, the other is real-time human management.

## Checklist

- Personnel with crowd management roles in the muster list trained per STCW A-V/2
- Periodic exercises that include realistic passenger behaviour scenarios
- Passengers with additional assistance needs identified and integrated into the plan
- Procedures for clear, repeated communication of instructions during flow movement
- Coordination between operational crowd management and the ship's design evacuation plan

## FAQ

What is crowd management on a passenger ship?
The operational competence by which the crew manages in real time the behaviour and movement of passengers toward the assembly stations during an emergency, distinct from the design-stage calculation of evacuation analysis.
Which STCW competences govern crowd management?
Section A-V/2 and Table A-V/2-1 of the STCW Code, which include implementation of emergency plans for passenger muster and evacuation.
How do passengers typically behave in a real emergency, according to crowd management training?
They may freeze, panic, misunderstand instructions, or instinctively head toward familiar spaces instead of their assigned assembly points.
🎬 Additional photos, videos and interactive diagrams for this topic will be available in a future version of the platform.

## Related Topics

Evacuation Analysis on Passenger Ships Passenger Accounting: The Accuracy of the Roll-Call after Costa Concordia

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