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Technical Notices
New requirements for the maintenance and inspection of LSA- Resolution MSC.402(96)
IMO Maritime Safety Committee’s 96th session adopted amendments to SOLAS regulations III/3 and III/20. These amendments enter into force on 1 January 2020 and introduce mandatory new requirements for the maintenance and inspection of lifeboats and rescue boats, launching appliances and release gear to be carried out by ‘certified personnel’ as per Resolution MSC.402(96)
MAIN TOPICS:
Equipment covered by the new requirements include:
- lifeboats (including free-fall lifeboats), rescue boats and fast rescue boats; and
- launching appliances and on-load and off-load release gear for lifeboats (including primary and secondary means of launching appliances for free-fall lifeboats), rescue boats, fast rescue boats and davit-launched liferafts.
The following inspection intervals are described:
Weekly and monthly inspections and routine maintenance of such equipment must be carried out by authorized service providers, or by shipboard personnel under the direction of a senior ship’s officer in accordance with the maintenance manual(s).
Annual thorough examinations and operational tests must be carried out by certified personnel of either the manufacturer or an authorized service provider. The service provider may be the ship operator, provided they are authorized.
Five-year thorough examination, any overhaul, overload operational tests and repairs of such equipment, must be carried out by certified personnel of either the manufacturer or an authorized service provider. This shall be done in the presence of a INSB surveyor.
The scope is further described in the IMO Resolution MSC.402(96), sections 6.1 (general), 6.2 (annual maintenance) and 6.3 (five yearly maintenance). Instructions for on-board maintenance are described in SOLAS regulation III/36.
AUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDERS
Are entities authorized by the flag administration in accordance with Sections 3 and 7 of Resolution MSC.402(96). It is important to note that the requirements apply equally to manufacturers when they are acting as authorized service providers. In other words, a service branch of a manufacturer needs to obtain authorization.
In cases where a manufacturer is no longer in business or no longer provides technical support, administrations may authorize other service providers for the equipment based on prior authorization for the equipment and/or long-term experience and demonstrated expertise as an authorized service provider
Certification is issued by authorized service providers to their personnel. Each authorized service provider must certify its personnel for each make and type of equipment to be worked on, as well as for the specific work activities to be carried out, such as annual or five-yearly inspections. Completion of relevant education and training, including a competence assessment using the equipment for which the personnel are to be certified, is a prerequisite for certification.
ACTIONS TO BE DONE:
Shipowners and operators should be prepared for the new requirements by updating onboard procedures/PMS for inspection/maintenance of the above-mentioned equipment and establishing an overview of authorized service providers in relevant areas prior to the requirement entering into force on 1 January 2020.
We also take this opportunity to remind operators of the importance of proper onboard crew training as insufficient onboard procedures and crew competence have been identified as contributing factors in many lifeboat and rescue boat accidents.
REFERENCES:
Resolution MSC.402(96): Requirements for maintenance, thorough examination, operational testing, overhaul and repair of lifeboats and rescue boats, launching appliances and release gear
Resolution MSC.404(96): Amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended, containing amendments to SOLAS III/3 and III/20