Everything You Need to Know About EPIRB for Maritime Safety

Posted on Jan 13, 2025 at 08:01 AM

Safety on water is a highly important point for everyone working in the maritime industry to guarantee the safety of working crew, passengers, and transmitted cargo on vessels, therefore, the usage of EPIRB becomes mandatory.

Additionally, the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) is a crucial distress rescue beacon that all vessels need to use, especially the ones with international shipping freight.

Continue reading our article if you want to learn more about the beacon EPIRB emergency position indicating radio and how it works to save lives in distress situations.

What Is an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)?

The EPIRB is a floating emergency beacon device that is used in the maritime sector to send alerting signals for search and rescue teams in distress situations via satellite, this digital signal usually includes important registration details like accurate location and unique identification.

Moreover, EPIRB stands for Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon and is used by mariners to send an emergency alert and improve the vessel's survival chances in distress and emergencies with fast response from nearby boats and stations.

The EPIRB applications are vital for commercial and transporting ships on the global level to guarantee safe shipping on the sea and get help in critical situations.

Usually, the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon is fitted or mounted in an easy-to-access location on the ship to help mariners release manual rescue signals or alerts if necessary.

What Happens When an EPIRB Is Activated?

When the carried Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon is activated, whether manually or automatically, the beacon EPIRB sends a distress signal or alert to satellites in the Cospas-Sarsat System, which redirects the signal to rescue ground stations on the coast.

This shared rescue signal shares the EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) unique identification code and location, usually, the EPIRB unit emergency signal continues till manually shuts down or the battery runs out.

The Main Types of EPIRBs:

The designed Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons are one of the most important rescue technologies and devices based on professional Maritime Safety Courses in London.

Moreover, the EPIRBs are categorised based on brands, MHz service length, or activation method as we are going to explore next:

Category 1 EPIRB (Automatic Float Free):

This Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon type is ideal for boat types that may sink quickly in a risky condition, as this equipment offers hand-free relocating and activating once it is submerged in a short time with a high signal accuracy level that lasts for hours.

Category 2 EPIRB (Manual Deployment and Activation):

This beacon type needs to be manually removed from its bracket and activated, so, although it has a flexibility advantage, however, this Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) requires direct action during an emergency.

What Is the Difference Between PLBs and EPIRBs?

Before exploring the main differences between EPIRB and PLB beacons, let us mention the similarity point between both beacons, as they both are transmitters and used to send helping signals in emergencies.

The Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs):

These beacons are designed for land or non-maritime activities, are smaller than EPIRBs, and need manual activation.

The Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs):

The EPIRBs are suitable for maritime activities, and these beacons have an automatic activation feature.

So, both beacons help rescue teams to search and place people in distress and rescue them.

The Benefits of EPIRBs:

As with any other tools and techniques, like EEOI, the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRBs) also have their unique advantages to maritime companies:

Enhance Safety:

The Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) shares fast and reliable rescue signals with ground stations, thus, it facilitates rescue services and ensures the safety of the working team.

Cost Effective:

Although ship owners have to buy EPIRBs, these beacons or tools not only save lives in distress but also increase the possibility of rescuing vessels and cargo from total loss.

Easy to Use:

The great thing about EPIRB is that it is easy to use and does not require special training, so, in an emergency, anyone can reach and activate the beacon device.