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Statutory Alert: Equipment servicing within survey range dates a reminder of SOLAS requirements
Applicabilty: All owners and operators of new and existing ships The SOLAS Convention requires various navigation equipment, life-saving appliances (LSA) and satellite EPIRBs to be serviced and tested within the safety equipment survey range dates. There have been cases recently of servicing and testing mistakenly being carried out outside the relevant survey range dates. This has led to unnecessary expense and inconvenience for ship operators due to the need for repeat servicing and testing and further confirmation surveys. The following is a reminder of the relevant SOLAS requirements. Regulation III/20.11 launching appliances and on-load release gear SOLAS Regulation III/20.11 requires periodic servicing of launching appliances and on-load release gear for life-saving appliances (LSA) on all cargo ships and passenger ships within the safety equipment survey range dates. Survival craft and rescue boat launching appliances are required to be examined and tested, by competent persons, annually within the safety equipment survey range dates. Survival craft and rescue boat on-load release gear (including free-fall lifeboat release systems) and davit-launched liferaft automatic release hooks are required to be examined and tested, by competent persons, annually within the safety equipment survey range dates. Launching appliances and on-load release gear for LSA on all cargo ships and passenger ships are additionally required to be over-hauled and tested, by competent persons, within the safety equipment survey range dates, at five-year intervals. This testing does not necessarily have to be carried out at the time of renewal survey. The testing shall be done in the presence of a surveyor. Regulation IV/15.9 satellite EPIRBs SOLAS Regulation IV/15.9 requires annual testing of the satellite EPIRBs on all cargo ships and passenger ships. The testing may be conducted on board the ship or at an approved testing station but is required to be done within the safety radio survey range dates. Regulation V/18.8 voyage data recorder systems SOLAS Regulation V/18.8 and MSC Circ. 1222 require annual testing of the Voyage Data Recorder system (VDR or S-VDR) on all cargo ships and passenger ships. The testing should be carried out by the manufacturer or a person authorized by the manufacturer and is required to be done within the safety equipment survey range dates. Regulation V/18.9 automatic identification systems MSC Circ. 1252 and SOLAS Regulation V/18.9 (after 1 July 2012) require annual testing of the automatic identification system (AIS) on all cargo ships and passenger ships. The testing should be carried out by a qualified radio inspector and is required to be done within the safety equipment survey range dates. What should owners and operators do now? Shipowners and operators should ensure annual servicing and testing of LSA and satellite EPRIBs is carried out within the safety equipment survey range dates of the vessel.

For further information, contact your local Lloyds Register Group office or:
william.millar@lr.org +44 (0)20 7423 1670

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