(Continued from page 202) hammers and crowbars to break windows and glass partitions, aluminium ladders, harnesses, slings, folding basket stretchers and as many portable lights as possible.

Delegates were also able to draw useful comparisons between different pieces of rescue equipment. Norway introduced a pneumatic line thrower which attracted considerable interest.

Because it uses compressed air and no explosives to fire the line, it is safe to use even in inflammable situations. The projectile carrying the line is plastic and would not produce a spark on impact. It is also buoyant and bright orange and therefore easy to locate in the water.

The line gun has a range of 300 metres and is economical to use as it is easily reloaded, using the same projectile, and the air cylinder can be recharged aboard the lifeboat.

The effects of cold and equipment needed to combat it was the subject of some discussion at the conference. The us Coastguard presented a paper on the findings of an experiment to discover likely survival times of people in the water wearing different types of protective clothing. A dry suit or survival suit they concluded, amongst other observations, provided the best protection for prolonged immersion in cold, rough seas.

The best treatment for hypothermic survivors on board a lifeboat is still the matter of considerable debate. South Africa is experimenting with a body heating device which consists of a tank containing water/glycol fluid and a heating coil. Warm fluid is pumped into a heating sheet which in turn is wrapped around the patient. Temperature of fluid can be carefully and gradually controlled so as not to subject the survivor to rapid change of temperature.

This method, some countries felt, was still unable to overcome the Hazardous cargoes problem of providing internal reheating to the severely hypothermic patient. A satisfactory method of achieving this aboard a lifeboat is still to be found.

Ships in distress carrying hazardous cargoes are a constant cause for concern to lifeboat crews throughout the world.

A paper by the RNLI underlined how essential it was to give accurate and concise details to a coxswain of how to deal with vessels carrying hazardous or potentially hazardous cargoes such as gas or chemicals. A recent important development has been the instalment of EXIS computer terminals at HM Coastguard Marine Co-ordinating Centres.

EXIS (Export Information System) will, on receipt of the United Nations number or chemical name, provide fast, succinct information on the substance's characteristics and on how to deal with its spillage or fire.

The work of lifeboatmen is growing daily more complex; not only in the variety of casualty for which they have to be prepared but in the operation of the lifeboats themselves. Two papers on training lifeboatmen were presented at the Conference. The first dealt with the us Coastguard's Motor Lifeboat School near Cape Disappointment at the mouth of the Columbia River, Washington State. Here, where rough seas and heavy surf can be practically guaranteed, crews are given intensive training in how to handle 44ft lifeboats in the most hostile of environments.

Recently two RNLI coxswains who have been operating 44ft Waveney class lifeboats for some years, flew out to the school (thanks to the sponsorship of Virgin Airlines) to sample lifeboat handling drills the American way.

The second training paper was the RNLI's description of its training facilities, including the recently opened centre at Poole headquarters where lifeboat crews, about to receive a new class of lifeboat at their station, spend a week of familiarisation. Half of the time is spent in the classroom and the other half at sea in their new boat, getting to know the latest in communication and navigation equipment and learning how to operate faster, more powerful craft..