REMINDER New Infant Life Jacket SOLAS Required On Passenger Ships

Posted by Erin under Marine Safety, U.S. Marine Safety Association

[3] Comments
Effective 1 July 2010, SOLAS requires infant jackets for passenger ships. The text below is taken from
the IMO MSC 80 June 2006 Report (see US Marine Safety Association web site).
CHAPTER III
LIFE-SAVING APPLIANCES AND ARRANGEMENTS
Regulation 7 Personal life-saving appliances
4 In paragraph 2.1, the following new subparagraphs .1 and .2 are inserted:
.1 for passenger ships on voyages less than 24 h, a number of infant lifejackets equal to at least 2.5% of
the number of passengers on board shall be provided;
.2 for passenger ships on voyages 24 h or greater, infant lifejackets shall be provided for each infant on
board;
and the existing subparagraphs .1 and .2 are renumbered as subparagraphs .3 and .4. The word and is
moved from the end of renumbered subparagraph .3 to the end of renumbered subparagraph .4.
A copy of the applicable sections of the following IMO Resolutions may be found on the USMSA web site
within the IMO MSC Reports They are annexed to the reports.
MSC.200(80)-Adoption of Amendments to the Revised Recommendation on Testing of Life-
Saving Appliances:
MSC.201(80)-Amendments to the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as
Amended, Chapter III, Life-Saving Appliances and Arrangements; and
MSC.207(81)-Adoption of Amendments to the International Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) Code.
From the Testing code see MSC 80/24/Add.1 ANNEX 17
Infant and child test subjects
2.9.1 For child-size lifejackets, tests should be carried out with at least 9 able-bodied
persons, and for infant-size lifejackets, tests should be carried out with at least
5 able-bodied persons. All test subjects should be selected according to table 2.2 portable 2.3 as
follows:
.1 One subject should be selected per each cell containing a .1..
.2 Remaining subjects should be selected from cells containing an .X., without repeating a cell.
.3 At least 40% of the subjects should be male and at least 40% female.
.4 Devices for infants should be tested on infants as small as 6 kg mass.
.5 A manikin or manikins may be substituted for infant lifejacket test subjects if the manikin or
manikins have been demonstrated to provide representative results compared to human
subjects.
Table 2.2 Selection of child test subjects
Height Weight range (kg) range
(cm) 14-17 17-20 20-22 22-25 25-28 28-30 30-33 33-36 36-38 38-41 41-43
79-105 1 X
90-118 X 1
102-130 1 X
112-135 X 1
122-150 1 1 X
145-165 X 1 1
Table 2.3 Selection of infant test subjects
Height range Weight range (kg) (cm) Less than 11 11-14 14-17
Less than 83 1 X
79-105 X 1 1
90-118 X
2.9.2 When conducting water performance tests under 2.8, infant and child-size
lifejackets should meet the following requirements for their critical flotation stability
characteristics:
.1 Turning time: The average turn time for all subjects in the candidate lifejacket should not
exceed the average time in the appropriate size RTD;
.2 Freeboard: The average results for clearance of the mouth above the water for all subjects
should not be less than the average for the appropriate size RTD;
.3 Torso angle: The average of all subjects. results should be not less than the average for the
appropriate size RTD minus 10;
.4 Faceplane (head) angle: The average of all subjects. results should be not less than the
average for the appropriate size RTD minus 10; and
.5 Mobility: Mobility of the subject both in and out of the water should be given consideration in
determining the acceptability of a device for approval and should be compared to mobility when
wearing the appropriate size RTD when climbing out of the water, going up and down stairs,
picking up an article from the floor, and then drinking from a cup.
2.9.3 With the exception of reducing freeboard and self-righting performance, the
requirements for infant lifejackets may be relaxed if necessary in order to:
.1 contribute to the rescue of the infant by a caretaker;
.2 allow the infant to be fastened to a caretaker and contribute to keeping the infant close to
the caretaker;
.3 keep the infant dry, with free respiratory passages;
.4 protect the infant against bumps and jolts during the evacuation; and
.5 allow a caretaker to monitor and control heat loss by the infant

Infant is a child of less than three year old Life jacket to suit children of weight less than 15 kg and height
less than 1oo cm

Life Boats and Liferafts are provided in ships as a means of life saving in case of emergency.
The number of lifeboats and liferafts provided is calculated on the basis of carrying capacity of
these life saving appliances and the number of ships crew.
The life saving appliances are to be surveyed periodically as per the regulations to ensure
seaworthiness.
Safety awareness posters on procedures to launch life boats and liferafts are prominently
displayed in ships.
Easy access/approach to these appliances is necessary to use these life saving appliances
without any time delay.
Drills on using life saving appliances are to be conducted periodically to ensure ships crew are
confident to use these appliances in case of emergency.
1.Six easy steps to launch an open life boat are given below which are self explanatory.



A lifeboat must carry all the equipments described under SOLAS and LSA codes, which are passed for the
survival at sea. This includes rations, fresh water, first aid, compass, distress signalling equipments like
rocket etc. A ship must carry one rescue boat for the rescuing purpose, along with other lifeboats. One
of the lifeboats can be designated as a rescue boat, if more than two or more lifeboats are present
onboard a ship.

Types of Lifeboat:
There are three types of lifeboats used on merchant vessels:
Open Lifeboat:
As the name suggests, the open lifeboat has no roof and is normally propelled by manual power by using
hand propelled ores. Compression ignition engine may also be provided for the propulsion purpose.
However, open lifeboats are becoming obsolete now because of stringent safety norms, but one may
find them on older ship.

The open lifeboat doesnt help much in rain or bad weather and the possibility of water ingress in the
highest.
Closed lifeboat:
Closed lifeboats are the most popular lifeboats that are used on ships, for they are enclosed which saves
the crew from sea water, strong wind and rough weather. Moreover, the water tight integrity is higher
in this type of lifeboat and it can also get upright on its own if toppled over by waves. Closed lifeboats
are further classified as Partially enclosed and fully enclosed lifeboats.

Free fall life boat:
Free fall lifeboat is similar to an enclosed lifeboat but the process of launching is entirely different. They
are aerodynamic in nature and thus the boat can penetrate the water without damaging the body when
launched from the ship. The free fall life boat is located at the aft of the ship, which provides a maximum
clear area for free fall.






2.Six easy steps to launch a enclosed life boat are given below which are self explanatory.






3.Five easy steps to launch a liferaft are given below which are self explanatory.





4.Six important activities required after launching liferaft.













LR: Carrying Capacity of Liferafts Adjusted
on 12 December 2011.
According to Lloyds Register (LR), amendments to Chapter IV of the International Life-Saving Appliance
(LSA) Code, introduce an increased assumed mass of occupants for the approval of liferafts.
From Jan. 1, 2012, all inflatable and rigid liferafts should be constructed on the basis of an average
person mass of occupants of 82.5kg (increased from 75kg).
Lloyds Registers interpretation of the impact of this change on ships is as follows: All ships constructed
(having their keel laid) on or after Jan. 1, 2012, should carry liferafts approved on the basis of an average
person mass of occupants of 82.5kg. The safe working load (SWL) of any davits used for launching these
liferafts should be adequate for their fully laden weight.
All ships constructed before January 1, 2012, may continue to use liferafts approved on the basis of an
average person mass of occupants of 75kg. It is acceptable for 75kg liferafts on these vessels to be
exchanged at service intervals with 82.5kg liferafts and vice versa at a subsequent service. It is also
acceptable for these vessels to have both 75kg and 82.5kg liferafts onboard at the same time.
On passenger ships constructed before January 1, 2012, Circular MSC.1/Circ. 1347 permits the
determination of the required SWL of a liferaft launching appliance to continue to be based on an
assumed occupant mass of 75kg, even though the liferaft has been tested to a higher weight standard.
The installation and periodic lowering test" should also continue to be based on an assumed occupant
mass of 75kg.
The amendments were adopted at the 87th session of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 87) through
Resolution MSC.293(87).