The lifeboat release and the retrieval systems must comply with LSA Code
There are regular accidents during routine lifeboat drills and maintenance. Personnel in the lifeboats at the time often suffer injury and even death. There were many causes for these accidents, not just the failure of the release function of on-load release hooks. The Japan P&I Club focuses on fall preventer devices; how to prevent accidents.
In the early 2000’s, the international shipping industry associations and UK government thus analyzed lifeboat accidents and reported its results. The report dealt with new design criteria for on-load release hooks and training, testing and maintenance procedures on vessels. One of the objects of the report was to prevent a lifeboat inadvertently falling from a ship.
As a result, amendments to SOLAS III/1.5 were adopted by IMO MSC89 in May 2011, the lifeboat release and the retrieval systems (LRRS) must comply with LSA Code IV amended by Res.MSC.320(89) not later than the next scheduled dry-docking after 1 July 2014, and not later than 1 July 2019.
Additionally, Fall Preventer Devices (FPDs) may be required until such time as the said devices have undergone the necessary design review and performance test, and have been either confirmed compliant with the relevant requirements of the revised LSA Code or replaced with compliant devices. In case that a Flag State Administration requires FPDs to be employed, the FPDs shall be approved by an Administration or a Recognised Organization in accordance with IMO circular MSC.1/Circ.1327.
However, defects are still being found in FPDs during PSC vessel inspections and condition surveys. In the document below , the Japan P&I CLub focuses the defects and how to prevent similar accidents in the future.
Source: The Japan P&I Club
