Circular Letter
MSC.1/Circ.1205
GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE MANUALS FOR LIFEBOAT
SYSTEMS
(26 May 2006)
1.
The Maritime Safety Committee, at its eighty-first session (10 to 19 May 2006),
taking into account the number of casualties with lifeboat systems, further
recognizing the need to improve manuals for operation and maintenance of
lifeboat systems, and having considered proposals by the Sub-Committee on Fire
Protection at its fiftieth session, approved the Guidelines for developing
operation and maintenance manuals for lifeboat systems, as set out in the
annex.
2.
Member Governments are invited to bring the annexed Guidelines to the attention
of all parties concerned with their application, as appropriate.
Annex.
GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE MANUALS FOR LIFEBOAT
SYSTEMS
1. Scope and purpose
of the guidelines
Seafarers
often change ships and sometimes are not familiar with the lifeboats on their
ships. Casualties with lifeboat systems are often caused by poor understanding
of the lifeboat systems, especially release gear systems. User-friendliness of
manuals for lifeboat systems is, therefore, important to help prevent
casualties.
The
purpose of these guidelines is to encourage development of user-friendly
manuals for operation and maintenance of lifeboat systems including launching
appliances. These manuals should be easy to understand. The guidelines
demonstrate the appropriate level of detail and use of illustrations in
explaining the safe use of critical systems. Manufacturers of lifeboats and
launching/recovery appliances are invited to make manuals easy to understand,
taking into account these guidelines. The use of video materials in conjunction
with printed manuals can be an effective tool for mariners who may not be
inclined to read a manual.
These
guidelines are not applicable to the emergency instructions required by SOLAS
regulation III/8, operating instructions such as posters and signs required by
SOLAS regulation III/9 or other brief instructions for operation of lifeboats.
These
guidelines are for manuals to be carried on ships for use by seafarers, and
accordingly the section on weekly and monthly inspection and maintenance does
not refer to detailed maintenance/repair work. Detailed maintenance/repair work
should be conducted by the manufacturer’s representative or a person
appropriately trained and certified by the manufacturer for the work in
accordance with MSC.1/Circ.1206.
2. Collaboration of
manufacturers of the lifeboat and the launching appliance
A
manual for a lifeboat system including launching appliance should be developed
with the collaboration of manufacturers of the lifeboat and the launching
appliance and preferably be a single document. As a minimum, the use of
different words for the same gear/parts of the lifeboat system should be
eliminated by the collaboration of manufacturers of the lifeboat and the
launching appliance to prevent misunderstanding by seafarers. Hereafter, these
guidelines assume a manual for a lifeboat system includes the launching
appliance as a minimum, but separate lifeboat, release gear, and launching
appliance manuals may be effective if adequately co-ordinated and using the
same style of presentation per these guidelines.
3. Contents of a
manual for a lifeboat system
An
operation and maintenance manual for a lifeboat system should include, as a
minimum, the following items:
.1 overview and
specification of the lifeboat system;
.2 explanation
of the structure and working principle of the major parts of the lifeboat
system including release gear systems;
.3 operation of
the lifeboat system; and
.4 routine
inspection and maintenance of the lifeboat system.