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.
Operational Explanation
The basket includes throw-overboard or davit-launched liferafts, EPIRBs and search-and-rescue locating devices: radar SART or AIS-SART. Each device is tested according to its type and maker instructions.
Regulatory Reference
SOLAS Chapter III and the LSA Code (International Life-Saving Appliance Code): equipment requirements, periodic servicing of liferafts at approved service stations, EPIRB and SART requirements in Chapter IV. The citations have to be given on the text in force, which since 1 January 2024 is the one set by res. MSC.496(105), a complete replacement of Chapter IV: the EPIRB is today required by regulation IV/7.1.5, and the locating device — radar SART or AIS-SART — by regulation IV/7.1.3. Regulation III/6, which used to govern them for survival craft, now has its paragraphs 1 and 2 marked [Reserved]: those requirements moved into IV/7.
The HRU has its own deadline, to be checked separately from the liferaft. SOLAS III/20.9 requires non-disposable HRUs to be serviced at a competent station at intervals not exceeding 12 months; the Administration may permit 17 months where servicing is impracticable. Disposable HRUs must be replaced within their manufacturer-specified service life.
Liferaft intervals: III/20.8.1.1 normally sets 12 months, with extension to 17 only where authorised by the Administration because servicing is impracticable. III/20.8.3 permits extended intervals for approved novel arrangements, subject to specific conditions and checks; this is not an extension for any liferaft. The Malta notice documents approved 30-month systems; check the approval, flag requirements and instructions for the particular installation. Transport Malta SLS.37 Rev.2.
EPIRB: distinguish the maker’s self-test, annual testing and shore-based maintenance. SOLAS IV/15.9 requires annual testing on board or at an approved station: for passenger ships within three months before certificate expiry; for cargo ships within three months before expiry or within three months either side of the certificate anniversary date. Shore-based maintenance at an approved facility is required at intervals not exceeding five years. MSC.496(105).
For davit-launched liferafts distinguish raft servicing from the automatic release hook: SOLAS III/20.11.3 requires annual examination/testing and overhaul with the prescribed load test at least every five years. Hook and launching-appliance regimes.
Scope of Application
Liferafts, HRUs and suits follow SOLAS chapter III and the equipment plan; EPIRBs and radar/AIS-SARTs follow chapter IV and the applicable Record of Equipment.
Procedure / How to Complete It
- Check servicing of throw-overboard or davit-launched liferafts and their HRUs.
- Check EPIRB and battery under the applicable procedure.
- Identify whether the locating device is radar SART or AIS-SART and perform the maker-prescribed self-test.
- Check suits and equipment against the equipment plan.
Practical Example
Monthly verification example: check liferaft, HRU and EPIRB battery deadlines and certificates separately; perform the self-test only when due under manufacturer instructions. Also check EPIRB annual testing and shore-based maintenance, scheduling work before the applicable deadline.
What Typically Goes Wrong
Common Mistakes Mistake Library
| Mistake | Consequence | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Applicable liferaft servicing interval exceeded | Serious deficiency, possible detention | Check any approved III/20.8.3 extended regime; under the ordinary regime schedule within 12 months (III/20.8.1.1); the extension to 17 months is not an automatic tolerance, the Administration grants it where the service is impracticable |
| Liferaft periodic service scheduled at the last minute, risking expiry during the voyage | Liferaft formally non-compliant, serious PSC deficiency | Schedule the service well in advance, integrating it into the general maintenance calendar |
| EPIRB battery replaced only after expiry, instead of in advance | Risk of malfunction at the critical moment of a real emergency | Replace the EPIRB battery with adequate lead time before the indicated expiry date |
| Immersion suits checked only visually, without verifying actual seal and integrity | A suit apparently intact but not actually watertight in real use | Include a more thorough integrity check of the suits in periodic checks, not just a visual one |
What the PSCO Checks
Operational Tips
- Schedule the liferaft service well in advance, don't leave it to managing deadlines at the last minute.
- Replace the EPIRB battery with adequate lead time before the indicated expiry, not right at expiry.
- Check the integrity of immersion suits more thoroughly than a simple visual inspection.
Preparation checklist
- Liferafts and HRUs in date
- EPIRB and battery checked
- Radar SART/AIS-SART type identified
- Maker-prescribed self-test completed
- Suits checked against equipment plan
FAQ
Related Topics
Last substantive revision of this page: 16 September 2026 · page fingerprint 01c1204c5359