应急示位标Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon
E.P.I.R.B. stands for Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, it's purpose is alert other vessels that a vessel is in distress, before E.P.I.R.B. came on the go, lots of vessel where disappearing without trace, no-one knew where the vessel had sank at, the E.P.I.R.B. has also a second function, if you have time when launching a liferaft and taking it with you, you and your crew will be picked up quicker as the resource services can home on your position quicker. False alerts have been caused because of an E.P.I.R.B. breaking free from it's cradle and activating a distress on 406Mhz, if this happens, contact the Coastguard, under no circumstances do you go and switch the E.P.I.R.B. off until the Coastguard tell you to do so. The E.P.I.R.B. has a test and a activation switch on it, the test should be carried out every muster drill and this should also be logged.
In the U.K. every E.P.I.R.B. has to be registered to the M.R.C.C. in Falmouth, if you buy a second-hand vessel then re-register it.
Every vessel over 300Grt and every registered fishing vessel must carry an E.P.I.R.B. E.P.I.R.B. should be serviced every year and the Lithium battery replaced every 5 years |