MSC.1/Circ.1490/Rev.1
25 November 2016
REVISED
UNIFIED INTERPRETATION OF SOLAS REGULATION III/31.1.4 (MSC.1/CIRC.1490)
1 The Maritime
Safety Committee, at its ninety-seventh session (21 to 25 November 2016), with
a view to providing more specific guidance on arrangements for remotely located
survival craft, approved a unified interpretation of SOLAS regulation
III/31.1.4, prepared by the Sub-Committee on Ship Systems and Equipment at its
third session (14 to 18 March 2016), as set out in the annex.
2 Member States
are invited to use the annexed revised unified interpretation as guidance when
applying SOLAS regulation III/31.1.4 to the liferafts to be installed on board
ships constructed on or after 21 November 2014 and to bring the unified interpretation
to the attention of all parties concerned.
3 This circular
supersedes MSC.1/Circ.1490.
ANNEX
REVISED
UNIFIED INTERPRETATION OF SOLAS REGULATION III/31.1.4 (MSC.1/CIRC.1490)
Arrangements
for remotely located survival craft
1 Liferafts required
by SOLAS regulation III/31.1.4 should be regarded as "remotely located
survival craft" with regard to SOLAS regulation III/7.2.1.4.
2 The area where
these remotely located survival craft are stowed should be provided with:
.1 a minimum number of two lifejackets and
two immersion suits;
.2 adequate means of illumination complying
with SOLAS regulation III/16.7, either fixed or portable, which should be
capable of illuminating the liferaft stowage position, as well as the area of
water into which the liferaft should be launched; portable lights, when used,
should have brackets to permit their positioning on both sides of the vessel;
.3 an embarkation ladder or other means of
embarkation enabling descent to the water in a controlled manner* as per SOLAS
regulation III/11.7; and
.4 self-contained battery-powered lamps (i.e.
luminaires) may be accepted as means of illumination for complying with SOLAS
regulation III/16.7. Such lamps should be capable of being recharged from the
ship's main and emergency source of electrical power, and should be stowed
close to the liferaft and embarkation ladder they are intended to serve, under
charge. When disconnected from the ship's power, the lamp should give a minimum
duration of three hours of undiminished performance. The lamps should comply
with the requirements of section 1.2.3 of the LSA Code. The lamps (i.e.
luminaires) should meet the requirements of Ingress Protection rating IP 55.
The batteries for the subject lamps should comply with IACS Unified Requirement
(UR) E18 requirements irrespective of whether the expiry date is marked by the
manufacturer or not.
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* Controlled manner: a knotted rope is not
acceptable for this purpose.
3 With regard to the
distance between the embarkation station and stowage location of the liferaft
as required by SOLAS regulation III/31.1.4 (remotely located survival craft),
the embarkation station should be so arranged that the requirements of
regulation III/13.1.3 can be satisfied.