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Spares and repair equipment
10.18.6 Spares and repair equipment should be provided for life-saving appliances and their
components which are subject to excessive wear or consumption and need to be replaced
regularly.
Weekly inspections
10.18.7 The following tests and inspections should be carried out weekly:
.1 all survival craft, rescue boats and launching appliances should be visually
inspected to ensure that they are ready for use. The inspection should include, but
not be limited to, the condition of hooks, their attachment to the lifeboat and
checking that the on-load release gear is properly and completely reset;
.2 all engines in lifeboats and rescue boats should be run ahead and astern for a total
period of not less than 3 min, provided the ambient temperature is above the
minimum temperature required for starting and running the engine. During this
period of time, it should be demonstrated that the gear box and gear box train are
engaging satisfactorily. If the special characteristics of an outboard motor fitted to
a rescue boat would not allow it to be run other than with its propeller submerged
for a period of 3 min, a suitable water supply may be provided;
.3 lifeboats, except free-fall lifeboats, should be moved from their stowed position,
without any persons on board, to the extent necessary to demonstrate satisfactory
operation of launching appliances, if weather and sea conditions so allow; and
.4 the general alarm system should be tested.
Monthly inspections
10.18.8 Inspection of the life-saving appliances, including lifeboat equipment and emergency
lighting, should be carried out monthly using the checklist required by SOLAS regulation III/36
to ensure that they are complete and in good order. All lifeboats, except free-fall lifeboats,
should be turned out from their stowed position without any persons on board, if weather and sea
conditions so allow. A report of the inspection should be entered in the logbook.
Servicing of inflatable liferafts, inflatable lifejackets, marine evacuation systems and
maintenance and repair of inflated rescue boats
10.18.9 Every inflatable liferaft, inflatable lifejacket and marine evacuation system should be
serviced:
.1 at intervals not exceeding 12 months, provided where in any case this is
impracticable, the Administration may extend this period to 17 months;
.2 at an approved servicing station which is competent to service them, maintains
proper servicing facilities and uses only properly trained personnel40; and
40
Refer to the Recommendation on conditions for the approval of servicing stations for inflatable liferafts, adopted
by the Organization by resolution A.761(18).
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.3 in addition to or in conjunction with the servicing intervals of marine evacuation
systems under paragraph 10.18.9.1, each marine evacuation system should be
deployed from the ship on a rotational basis at intervals to be agreed by the
Administration provided that each system is to be deployed at least once every
six years.
10.18.10 All repairs and maintenance of inflated rescue boats should be carried out in
accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Emergency repairs may be carried out on board
the unit; however, permanent repairs should be carried out by an approved servicing station.
Periodic servicing of hydrostatic release units
10.18.11 Hydrostatic release units, other than disposable hydrostatic release units, should be
serviced:
.1 at intervals not exceeding 12 months, provided where in any case this is
impracticable the Administration may extend this period to 17 months41;
.2 at a servicing station which is competent to service them, maintains proper
servicing facilities and uses only properly trained personnel.
Periodic servicing of launching appliances and on-load release gear
10.18.12 Periodic servicing of launching appliances and on-load release gear
.1 Launching appliances should be:
.1.1 maintained in accordance with instructions for on-board maintenance in
paragraph 10.18.2;
.1.2 subject to a thorough examination at the annual surveys in section 1.6; and
.1.3 upon completion of the examination referred to in paragraph 10.18.12.1.2,
subjected to a dynamic test of the winch brake at maximum lowering
speed. The load to be applied should be the mass of the survival craft or
rescue boat without persons on board, except that, at intervals not
exceeding five years, the test should be carried out with a proof load
of 1.1 times the mass of the survival craft or rescue boat and its full
complement of persons and equipment.
.2 Lifeboat or rescue boat on-load release gear, including free-fall lifeboat release
systems should be:
.2.1 maintained in accordance with instructions for on-board maintenance in
paragraph 10.18.2;
41
Refer to Servicing of life-saving appliances and radiocommunication equipment under the harmonized system
of survey and certification (HSSC) (MSC/Circ.955).
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