Requirements & Guidelines

Immersion suits – requirements and guidelines

The IMO Resolution MSC.152(78) requires the provision of an increased number of immersion suits on board newbuildings as well as on existing ships. GL has prepared a guideline covering the application and details of these regulations. Several flag state authorities have published their own national requirements.

EEBDs - Emergency Escape Breathing Devices

SOLAS 2000 amendments, in force since 1 July 2002, require the provision of EEBDs on newbuildings as well as on existing ships. GL has prepared a guideline covering the application of these regulations. Certain flag state authorities have their own national requirements.

Maintenance and inspection of safety equipment

Survival crafts, lifejackets and fire extinguishers need to be maintained and inspected on a regular basis and GL provides a compact and practical tool for shipowners, operators and surveyors. New maintenance requirements for such equipment are published irregularly and in various IMO documents and chapters, which makes it cumbersome and time-consuming to keep track of all changes. The list on the right-hand side of this webpage contains all requirements regarding safety equipment and also includes requirements and recommendations by GL.

Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT)

Since 31 December 2008, GL Surveyors, authorised to conduct Cargo Ship Safety Radio Surveys or Passenger Ship Safety Surveys on behalf of the Flag State administration, verify the implementation of LRIT on vessels operating in GMDSS sea areas A1+A2+A3. The LRIT system provides for the global identification and tracking of ships.

The obligations of ships to transmit LRIT information and the rights and obligations of Contracting Governments and of Search and Rescue Services to receive LRIT information are established in regulation V/19-1 of the 1974 SOLAS Convention, adopted by Resolution MSC.202(81), together with associated performance standards. LRIT is a mandatory requirement for all passenger ships and cargo ships of 300 GT and above ( including HSC and MODUs ) on international voyages.

For newbuilding vessels, a conformance test as per MSC.1/Circ.1307 has to be conducted and completed before the Initial Ship Safety Radio Survey. This conformance test shall be carried out by an authorized Application Service Provider (ASP). IMO has published MSC.1/Circ.1377 that indicates authorized Service Providers and provides information whether the Flag State or the ASP will issue the Conformance Test Report to the ship.

For ships in service, a new conformance test is necessary after replacement of any LRIT equipment or occasions of changes of flag where the present Conformance Test Report was issued by an ASP not authorized by the gaining Flag State.

All ships subject to SOLAS V/19-1 shall hold onboard a valid Conformance Test Report for LRIT.

Disclaimer

These guidelines have been prepared using the best information currently available. They are intended purely as guidance; their use is at the user’s own risk.