REMINDER New Infant Life Jacket SOLAS Required On PassengerShips Posted by Erin under Marine Safety, U.S. Marine Safety Association [3] CommentsEffective 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 IIILIFE-SAVING APPLIANCES AND ARRANGEMENTSRegulation 7 Personal life-saving appliances4 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 17Infant 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, therequirements 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.

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 Adjustedon 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).