Al Safwan Marine
Al Safwan Marine
Get a quote Call +971 55 659 9860

Fire-fighting equipmentLesson 5 of 7

EEBDs: what they are for and how they are checked

You will know what an EEBD may and may not be used for, how many a ship needs and where, and how to check, test and replace them.

13 minutes · For signed-up learners, free · Rules checked 20 October 2026

Start here

An emergency escape breathing device (EEBD) is a hood or mask with about ten minutes of air or oxygen. It is made for one job: getting out of a space full of smoke or toxic gas. In a machinery space fire, or after an accidental CO2 release, it buys the time to climb an escape ladder and reach fresh air. Ten minutes is plenty to get out and nowhere near enough to go in.

Because EEBDs are small, cheap and hung all over the ship, they are easy to misuse and easy to forget. This lesson covers the rules on what they are, how many the ship needs and where, how they are checked, and four decisions an officer has to get right.

Continue this lesson free

The rest of this lesson, the interactive Four EEBD decisions on a product tanker and the quiz are open to signed-up learners. It's free, takes a minute, and opens every lesson in all 14 courses.

We use your details to save your progress and to understand who uses the Academy. Already signed up? Get a sign-in link.

In this lesson

  • Try it: Four EEBD decisions on a product tanker
  • In plain words
  • In detail
  • What the rules say
  • Flag and class notes
  • Key numbers
  • What inspectors find
  • Questions people ask
  • Quiz: 6 questions

Sources

  1. 1 IMO Resolution MSC.98(73), International Code for Fire Safety Systems (FSS Code), adopted 5 December 2000, chapter 3, section 2.2. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.98(73).pdf
  2. 2 IMO Resolution MSC.99(73), revised SOLAS chapter II-2, adopted 5 December 2000, regulations II-2/13.3.4, 13.4.3, 14.2.2.3 and 15.2.2.2 (consolidated numbering). https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.99(73).pdf
  3. 3 IMO MSC/Circ.849, Guidelines for the performance, location, use and care of emergency escape breathing devices (EEBDs), 8 June 1998, annex sections 2, 4, 5 and 6 (copy published by the German flag administration). https://www.deutsche-flagge.de/de/redaktion/dokumente/interpretationen/solas/ii-2/msc-1-circ-849-guidelines-for-the-performance-location-use-and-care-of-emergency-escape-breathing-devices-eebds.pdf
  4. 4 IMO MSC/Circ.1081, Unified interpretation of the revised SOLAS chapter II-2, 13 June 2003, interpretations of regulations II-2/13.3.4 and 13.4.3 (copy published by Traficom, Finland). https://www.traficom.fi/files/media/regulation/22660-MSC_1-Circ_1081_-_tulkinta_SLS_II-2.pdf
  5. 5 IMO MSC.1/Circ.1432, Revised guidelines for the maintenance and inspection of fire protection systems and appliances, 31 May 2012, paragraphs 4.5 and 7.8.3 (copy annexed to Cayman Islands Shipping Notice 01/2014 Rev 2). https://www.cishipping.com/system/files/notices/documents/CISN%202014_01%20Rev%202%20with%20Annex.pdf
  6. 6 Liberia Maritime Authority, Marine Notice FIR-001 Rev. 02/26, Fire-protection systems and appliances, section 8. https://www.liscr.com/sites/default/files/online_library/FIR-001.pdf
  7. 7 Republic of the Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator, Marine Notice 2-011-14 Rev. Aug/2025, section 11. https://www.register-iri.com/wp-content/uploads/MN-2-011-14.pdf
  8. 8 Bahamas Maritime Authority, Marine Notice 81 version 1.1, Emergency escape breathing devices (EEBDs), 31 January 2023, sections 4 to 7. https://www.bahamasmaritime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/MN081-Emergency-Escape-Breathing-Devices-EEBDs.pdf
  9. 9 Cyprus Shipping Deputy Ministry, Circular No. 41/2021, section 8 (annexed to IRClass Technical Circular 008/2022). https://www.irclass.org/media/5913/technical-circular-no008.pdf
  10. 10 Tokyo MOU, Report of the 2023 Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Fire Safety, section 2.1 and table 1. https://www.tokyo-mou.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/CIC-ON-FIRE-SAFETY-2023-Report-public.pdf

Free awareness training. Al Safwan Marine is not an approved training provider, so no certificate is given, and these courses are not a qualification. They don't replace STCW training, manufacturer training or the certification technicians need for this work. The manufacturer's manual and your flag's rules always come first.

Sign in to save your progress.

This lesson is also published by our sister site vslsafety.com.