CHAPTER VI
LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT
1 General Provisions
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1.1 Each item of lifesaving equipment carried on board a vessel whether required to be carried or not, shall comply with the technical specifications of the LSA Code, US Coast Guard (for personal floatation devices, (PFD 1)), or where these are not applicable, be approved to an appropriate standard by the Administration.
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1.2 Lifesaving appliances on existing vessels shall be in compliance with recognized standards.
2 Number and Type of Survival Craft
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2.1 Vessels certified to operate in exposed waters and those making international voyages shall carry lifeboats or liferafts sufficient to accommodate the total number of persons on board.
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2.2 Vessels making voyages in coastal waters shall carry lifeboats, liferafts, or buoyant apparatus, and passenger vessels operating solely in protected waters shall carry liferafts or buoyant apparatus, approved in accordance with regulation I/4, sufficient to accommodate the total number of persons on board.
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2.3 Where the life-saving appliances and their launching appliances, where applicable, are not accessible from both sides of the vessel, additional life-saving appliances shall be fitted as required by the Administration.
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2.4 The means and arrangements for embarkation into the survival craft shall be adequate, clearly marked and illuminated and approved by the Administration.
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2.5 The manufacturer's model identification, the number given by the approving administration and number of survivors for which the apparatus was approved shall be recorded on a tag or label and affixed to the apparatus.
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2.6 The manufacturer's model identification, the number given by the approving administration and number of survivors for which the apparatus was approved shall be recorded on a tag or label and affixed to the apparatus.
3 EPIRB, SART and Radar Reflector
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3.1 Each vessel certified to operate in exposed waters, or is on an international voyage and is certified to carry more than 12 passengers shall carry—
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.1 a 406 MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), installed to automatically float free and activate, and
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.2 a 121.5 MHz Search and Rescue Radar Transponder (SART) so stowed that can be easily utilized. The SART need not be carried if the 406 MHz EPIRB required under VI/3.1.1 has a 121.5 MHz transmitting capability.
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3.2 The EPIRB required by VI/3.1 must be—
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.1 installed in an easily accessible position;
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.2 ready to be manually released and capable of being carried by one person into a survival craft;
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.3 capable of floating free if the ship sinks and of being automatically activated when afloat; and
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.4 capable of being activated manually,
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.5 registered with the appropriate authority.
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3.3 Where practicable, as determined by the Administration, all vessels shall be provided with an efficient radar reflector.
4 Distress signals
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4.1 All vessels to which the Code applies shall carry—
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.1 six hand held red flare signals.
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.2 six buoyant orange smoke signals.
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.3 six rocket parachute flares.
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Provided that vessels operating solely in protected areas may carry six hand held red flare signals, two buoyant orange smoke signals and two rocket parachute flares.
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4.2 Distress pyrotechnics shall be stowed in a portable watertight container carried at the operating station.
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4.3 Each distress signal shall be clearly marked with the date of manufacture and the date of expiry.
5 Lifebuoys
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5.1 A vessel of less than 10m (32 feet) in length shall carry a minimum of one ring lifebuoy of not less than 610mm (24 inches) in diameter.
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5.2 A vessel of 10m (32 feet) or more in length, but not more than 20m (65 feet), shall carry a minimum of two lifebuoys of not less than 610mm (24 inches) in diameter.
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5.3 A vessel of more than 20m (65 feet) in length shall carry a minimum of three lifebuoys of not less than 762mm (30 inches) in diameter.
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5.4 Each ring life buoy on a vessel shall—
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.1 be readily accessible;
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.2 be stowed in a way that it can be rapidly cast loose;
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.3 not be permanently secured in any way;
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.4 be orange in colour; and
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.5 be marked with the vessels name, identification number and port of registry where applicable.
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5.5 At least one of the ring life buoys required by VI/5.1, VI/5.2 or VI/5.3 shall be fitted with a lifeline. Where more than one ring life buoy is carried one shall not have a lifeline attached.
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5.6 For vessels operating between the hours of sunset and sunrise, a lifebuoy light shall be attached to one of the buoys required by VI/5.1, VI/5.2 or VI/5.3.
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5.7 Each lifeline on a ring life buoy shall—
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.1 be buoyant;
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.2 be of at least 18.5 m (60 feet) in length;
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.3 be non-kinking;
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.4 have a diameter of at least 8 mm (5/16 inch);
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.5 have a breaking strength of at least 510kg (1,124 pounds); and
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.6 be of a dark colour where synthetic, or of a type certified to be resistant to deterioration from ultraviolet light.
6 Lifejackets
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6.1 A number of adult sized life jackets shall be provided equivalent to the maximum number of persons permitted to be carried in a vessel. In addition, a number of child size life jackets shall be carried equal to at least 10% of the total number of persons carried or such greater number as may be required to provide a lifejacket for each child. Children's lifejackets need not be carried where the vessel's Certificate of Inspection is endorsed “for the carriage of adults only”.
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6.2 Each life jacket carried on a vessel certified for operation in exposed waters shall have a life jacket light and a whistle firmly secured by a cord. Each life jacket light shall be securely attached to the front shoulder area of the life jacket.
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6.3 Unless otherwise stated in this Chapter, lifejackets shall be stored in convenient places, marked to the satisfaction of the Administration, distributed throughout accommodation spaces.
7 Stowage of survival craft
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7.1 Each survival craft shall be—
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.1 stowed in a position that is readily accessible to crew members for launching, or else provided with a remotely operated device that releases the survival craft into launching position or into the water;
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.2 stowed in a way that permits manual release from its securing arrangements;
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.3 ready for immediate use so that crew members can carry out preparations for embarkation and launching in less than 5 minutes;
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.4 provided with means to prevent inadvertent movement of the survival craft in relation to its stowage arrangements;
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.5 stowed in a way that neither the survival craft nor its stowage arrangements will interfere with the embarkation and operation of any other survival craft at any other launching station;
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.6 stowed in a way that any protective covers will not interfere with launching and embarkation;
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.7 fully equipped as required under this Chapter; and
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.8 stowed, as far as practicable, in a position sheltered from breaking seas and protected from damage by fire.
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7.2 In addition to the requirements of VI/7.1, liferafts shall be secured to the vessel by a painter system with a float-free arrangement which complies with the requirements of paragraph 4.1.6 of the LSA Code.
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7.3 In addition to the requirements of regulation VI/7.1, buoyant apparatus shall comply with the following—
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.1 each buoyant apparatus shall be attached permanently to the vessel by a painter and float free unit. The weak link used in the float free unit shall have a breaking strain, which is less than that of the painter;
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.2 the means used to attach the float-free link to the vessel shall—
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.1 have a breaking strength of at least the breaking strength of the painter; and
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.2 where synthetic, be of a dark colour or of a type certified to be resistant to deterioration from ultraviolet light; and
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.3 where metal, be corrosion resistant.
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7.4 A mechanical, manually operated device to assist in launching a survival craft shall be provided where the survival craft weighs more than 90kg. It shall also be provided where survival craft requires lifting more than 300mm (one foot) in a vertical direction to be launched.
8 Special provisions for buoyant apparatus
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8.1 Buoyant apparatus shall be of adequate capacity for the number of survivors indicated on its identification tag.
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8.2 Where the buoyant apparatus does not have a painter attachment fitting, a means for attaching the painter shall be provided by a wire or line that—
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.1 encircles the body of the device;
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.2 will not slip off;
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.3 has a breaking strength that is at least the strength of the painter; and
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.4 where synthetic, is of a dark colour or is of a type certified to be resistant to deterioration from ultraviolet light.
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8.3 Where the vessel carries more than one buoyant apparatus in a group, then each group shall be secured by a single painter.
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8.4 The combined weight of each group of buoyant apparatus shall not exceed 180kg (400 pounds);
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8.5 Each buoyant apparatus shall be individually attached to the painter by a line long enough that each buoyant apparatus can float without contacting any other buoyant apparatus in the group. The strength of the float-free link and the strength of the painter shall be determined by the combined capacity of the group of buoyant apparatus.
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8.6 Buoyant apparatus shall not be stowed in tiers more than 1.22m (4 feet) high. When stowed in tiers, the separate units shall be kept apart by spacers.
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8.7.1 Each buoyant apparatus shall be fitted with a lifeline, pendants, a painter, paddles, and a light.
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8.7.2 The equipment required for buoyant apparatus shall meet the following specifications—
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.1 Lifeline and pendants. The lifeline and pendants shall be as furnished by the manufacturer with the approved buoyant apparatus.
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.2 Painter. The painter shall comply with the requirements of paragraph 4.1.3.2 of the LSA Code.
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.3 Paddles. Each paddle shall be of at least 1.22m (4 feet) in length, buoyant and lashed to the apparatus to which it belongs.
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.4 Light. A light, capable of floating to the satisfaction of the Administration, shall be attached around the body of the buoyant apparatus by a 12-thread manila, or equivalent, lanyard of at least 5.5m (18 feet) in length.
8A Servicing of life saving appliances
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8A.1 Mechanical float free arrangement
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8A.1 All mechanical float free arrangements shall be serviced at intervals of not more than 12 months. Where the mechanical float free arrangement is a hydrostatic release unit, it shall be serviced—
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.1 at intervals not exceeding twelve months; however, in cases where it appears proper and reasonable, the Administration may extend this period up to a maximum of eighteen months;
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.2 at an approved service station which is competent to service them, maintains proper servicing facilities and uses only properly trained personnel.
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8A.2 Inflatable survival craft, inflatable liferafts and inflatable lifejackets
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Every inflatable survival craft, inflatable liferaft and inflatable lifejacket shall be serviced—
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.1 at intervals not exceeding twelve months; however, in cases where it appears proper and reasonable, the Administration may extend this period up to a maximum of seventeen months;
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.2 at an approved service station which is competent to service them, maintains proper servicing facilities and uses only properly trained personnel.
8B Repair of inflatable survival craft
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All repair and maintenance of inflatable survival craft shall be carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Emergency repairs may be carried out on board the ship; however, permanent repairs should be effected at an approved servicing station.
8C Record of repair and servicing
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The owner shall maintain a record of all servicing and repair of the lifesaving appliances for at least eighteen months, or as determined by the Administration. In the case of inflatable liferafts, the date of service shall be recorded on a tag or label which shall be affixed to the liferaft.
9 Survival craft equipment
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9.1 Each item of survival craft equipment shall be of good quality, and efficient for the purpose it is intended to serve. Unless otherwise specified in this Chapter, each item of equipment carried, whether required under this Chapter or not, shall be secured by lashings, stored in lockers, compartments, or brackets, or have equivalent mounting or storage arrangements that shall not—
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.1 reduce survival craft capacity;
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.2 reduce space available to the occupants;
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.3 interfere with launching, recovery, or rescue operations; or
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.4 adversely affect seaworthiness of the survival craft.
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9.2 Each survival craft shall be fitted with a lifeline, pendants, two paddles, a painter and a light, and such other equipment as the Administration may require taking into account the operation area for which the vessel is certified.
10 Retro-reflective Material
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All survival craft, buoyant apparatus, lifebuoys and liferafts shall be marked with retro reflective material as indicated in Annex 1 of IMO Resolution A.658(16)* IMO Resolution A.658(16) – Use and fitting of retro-reflective materials on lifesaving appliances.. The standard of the material used shall be to that prescribed by the Administration.
11 Rescue and retrieval of persons from the water.
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11.1 A rescue retrieval system approved by the Administration shall be provided for the retrieval of persons from the water.
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11.2 A vessel which is accepted as being able to act as its own rescue boat shall demonstrate the practical effectiveness of the retrieval arrangements provided on board by functional tests carried out under controlled safe conditions to the satisfaction of the Administration.
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11.3 When a vessel is manned by the helmsman and one crew the demonstration required by the VI/11.2 shall include retrieval of the crew member from the water (the crewmember can be assumed to be conscious).