Recent news
MSC.1/Circ.1392
27 May 2011
GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATION AND REPLACEMENT OF
LIFEBOAT RELEASE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS
1 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its eighty-ninth session (11 to 20 May 2011),
approved the Guidelines for evaluation and replacement of lifeboat release and retrieval
systems, set out in the annex, as per SOLAS regulation III/1.5, following the recommendations
made by the Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Equipment, at its fifty-fifth session, and the
Ad Hoc Working Group on Lifeboat Release Hooks (16 to 18 March 2011).
2 Member Governments are invited to use the annexed Guidelines when applying SOLAS
regulation III/1.5, as adopted by resolution MSC.317(89), and to bring them to the attention of all
parties concerned.
MSC.1/Circ.1206
26 May 2006
MEASURES TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS WITH LIFEBOATS
1 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its eighty-first session 10 to 19 May 2006, recalled that at
its seventy-fifth session (15 to 24 May 2002), it had considered the issue of the unacceptably high
number of accidents with lifeboats in which crew were being injured, sometimes fatally, while
participating in lifeboat drills and/or inspections, and noted that most accidents fell under the
following categories:
.1 failure of on-load release mechanism;
.2 inadvertent operation of on-load release mechanism;
.3 inadequate maintenance of lifeboats, davits and launching equipment;
.4 communication failures;
.5 lack of familiarity with lifeboats, davits, equipment and associated controls;
.6 unsafe practices during lifeboat drills and inspections; and
.7 design faults other than on-load release mechanisms.
MSC.1/Circ.1277
23 May 2008
INTERIM RECOMMENDATION ON CONDITIONS FOR AUTHORIZATION OF
SERVICE PROVIDERS FOR LIFEBOATS, LAUNCHING APPLIANCES AND
ON-LOAD RELEASE GEAR
1 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its eighty-fourth session (7 to 16 May 2008),
approved the Interim Recommendation on conditions for authorization of service providers for
lifeboats, launching appliances and on-load release gear, set out in the annex, following the
recommendations made by the Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Equipment, at its fifty-first
session.
