Thematic module · third module developed

# SOLAS Operations Live

Safety of life at sea: lifeboats, emergency generator, GMDSS, ECDIS, passage planning, fire drill, musters, Permit to Work, Ship Security Plan/ISPS, liferafts/EPIRB/SART, watertight doors, helicopter operations, immersion suits, fixed CO2/water-mist firefighting systems, escape routes, Ro-Ro/vehicle space fire detection, SOLAS Regulation II-1/3-13 lifting appliances, pilot transfer arrangements, fuel safety and flashpoint declaration.

Each topic below brings together, in a single place: an operational explanation, the regulatory reference, scope of application, procedure, practical example, real cases, common mistakes, PSC observations, operational tips, a checklist and FAQ — regulations verified as of July 2026.

### Lifeboat Inspection (Inspection and Maintenance of Life-Saving Boats)

Weekly, monthly and the annual thorough examination of lifeboats: where most serious injuries during drills originate, and how to prevent them.

### Emergency Generator Test

The periodic emergency generator test and the black-out test: the difference between a successful start in a routine test and one that is truly reliable in an emergency.

### GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System)

The system that connects a ship in distress to the whole world: what changed with the modernisation in force since 2024, and how to stay compliant with the new RMSS terminology.

### ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System)

Carriage requirement, back-up arrangement and ENC updating: the most common errors that turn ECDIS from a safety tool into a source of PSC deficiencies.

### Passage Planning

The four phases — appraisal, planning, execution, monitoring: how to build a berth-to-berth passage plan that truly holds up against the reality of the route.

### Fire Drill and Fire Safety

The minimum frequency of fire drills, equipment inspection, and the mistakes that turn a routine exercise into a PSC deficiency.

### Musters and Abandon Ship Drill

The muster list, new crew familiarisation and the frequency of abandon ship drills: the first thing a PSC inspector checks on boarding.

### Permit to Work System

Seven types of permit, one principle: no hazardous work on board begins without a documented authorisation that genuinely verifies safety conditions, not just a signature.

### Ship Security Plan and the ISPS Code

Since 2025 a Ship Security Officer without a valid certificate is, in itself, grounds for detention: security has moved out of the 'documentary' area and become a full PSC inspection priority.

### Life-Saving Appliances: Liferafts, EPIRB and SART

Beyond lifeboats, a ship's real survival basket depends on equipment that is rarely checked and taken for granted to work: liferafts, EPIRBs and SARTs.

### Watertight Doors and Compartment Integrity

Watertight doors left open during navigation defeat the entire logic of watertight subdivision: SOLAS Regulation II-1/22 requires them to remain closed at sea, with strictly limited operational exceptions.

### Helicopter Operations and Helideck Safety

Helicopter operations require dedicated firefighting personnel during refuelling, safety devices on the helideck and rigorous coordination with the flight crew: an area often neglected in general crew training.

### Immersion Suits and Thermal Protection

Less than 2 minutes: the maximum time within which an immersion suit must be able to be donned without assistance, including clothing and lifejacket.

### Fixed Firefighting Systems: CO2 and Water Mist

A CO2 system requires recharging 100% of the reserve cylinders, while other extinguishing agents only require 50%: a detail that clearly distinguishes these systems in maintenance planning.

### Means of Escape and Emergency Escape Routes

Every Category A machinery space requires two independent means of escape, but the exact meaning of 'lower part of the space' remains subject to differing interpretations among Administrations: an issue reopened by the IMO SDC sub-committee in 2026.

### Ro-Ro and Vehicle Spaces: New Fire Detection and Protection Requirements (2026)

From 1 January 2026 smoke and heat detectors in vehicle, special category and ro-ro spaces must be individually addressable: it is no longer enough to know that a detector has sounded, you need to know exactly which one.

### Shipboard Lifting Appliances: The New SOLAS Regulation II-1/3-13 Regime

Cranes, winches and hoists used for handling bunkering hoses come under direct SOLAS control for the first time: from 2026 a valid test certificate is needed, not just internal maintenance practice.

### Pilot Transfer Arrangements: The New SOLAS V/23 Performance Standard

The pilot ladder is no longer just a technical requirement in the text of the regulation: MSC 110 moves it into a new, standalone mandatory performance standard, with a long implementation timeline that nonetheless needs planning now.

### Ship Fuel Safety: Flashpoint Declaration

Before every bunkering operation, the supplier must now certify the fuel's flashpoint in writing: a fire-safety requirement, distinct from the already-familiar environmental compliance of the Bunker Delivery Note.

Coming in future updates to this module: updated requirements for special category spaces on cruise ships, coordination between Regulation II-1/3-13 and existing planned maintenance programmes, progress on the goal-based revision of SOLAS Chapter III and the LSA Code (safety objectives in SOLAS, technical requirements in the Code), first practical application of the new para. 4.7.7 on the safety factor for free-fall lifeboat testing equipment, and first operational feedback on the new performance standard for Pilot Transfer Arrangements (MSC 110 amendments) ahead of entry into force in 2028/2029.

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