Ingangsdatum: 04-11-1993
Geldig tot en met: 29-05-1996
General
1 Administrations
should ensure that the periodic survey of inflatable liferafts is performed at servicing
stations that have demonstrated competence to service and repack rafts, maintain an adequate
facility and use only properly trained personnel. In order to be approved, servicing stations
should have demonstrated this capability for inflatable liferafts of each manufacturer whose
liferafts they are competent to service and should comply with the following:
.1 servicing of inflatable liferafts should be carried out in fully enclosed spaces
only. There should be ample room for the number of inflatable liferafts expected to be
serviced at any one time; the ceiling should be sufficiently high to allow the largest
liferafts to be serviced to be turned over when inflated, or an equally efficient means to
facilitate inspection of bottom seams should be provided;
.2 the
floor should be provided with a clean surface sufficiently smooth to ensure that no damage
will occur to the liferaft fabric;
.3 the servicing space should be
well lit, provided that direct rays of sunlight do not enter the space;
.4 the temperature and, when necessary, the relative humidity in the servicing space
should be sufficiently controlled to ensure that servicing and repairs can be effectively
carried out;
.5 the servicing space should be efficiently ventilated,
but be free from draughts:
.6 separate areas or rooms should be
provided for:
.6.1 liferafts awaiting servicing, repair or delivery;
.6.2 the repair of glass fibre containers and the painting of compressed gas cylinders;
.6.3 materials or spare parts;
.6.4 administrative purposes;
.7 means should be provided in the liferaft storage space to ensure that liferafts in
containers or valises are neither stored on top of each other in more than two tiers unless
supported by shelving nor subjected to excessive loads;
.8 spare and
obsolete pyrotechnics should be stored in a separate, safe and secure magazine well away from
the servicing and storage spaces;
.9 sufficient tools should be
available for the servicing of liferafts and release gear in accordance with the requirements
of the manufacturer, including:
.9.1 suitable and accurate manometers or pressure gauges,
thermometers and barometers which can be easily read;
.9.2 one or more air
pumps for inflating and deflating liferafts, together with a means of cleaning and drying the
air and including the necessary high-pressure hoses and adapters;
.9.3 a
scale for weighing inflation gas cylinders with sufficient accuracy;
.9.4
sufficient gas for blowing through the inlet system of the liferafts;
.10 procedures
should be established to ensure that each gas cylinder is properly filled and gastight before
fitting to a liferaft;
.11 sufficient materials and accessories
should be available for repairing liferafts, together with replacements of the emergency
equipment to the satisfaction of the manufacturer;
.12 when
servicing davit-launched liferafts, adequate means should be provided for overload testing of
such liferafts;
.13 servicing and repair work should only be carried
out by qualified persons who have been adequately trained and certificated by the liferaft
manufacturer. The training procedure should ensure that servicing personnel are made aware of
changes and new techniques;
.14 arrangements should be made for the
manufacturer to make available to the service station:
.14.1 changes to servicing
manuals, servicing bulletins and instructions:
.14.2 proper materials and
replacement parts;
.14.3 bulletins or instructions from the Administration;
.14.4 training for servicing technicians;
.15 smoking should not be
allowed in the servicing and packing areas.
2 After
initial approval, Administrations should arrange for the frequent inspection of servicing
stations to ensure that manufacturer support is up to date and effective and that the
requirements of this Recommendation are complied with.
3 Administrations should ensure that information regarding servicing facilities for
inflatable liferafts is made available to mariners.
Servicing of inflatable liferafts
4 The following
tests and procedures should be carried out, except where noted otherwise, at every servicing
of an inflatable liferaft fitted as life-saving equipment.
5 Inflatable liferaft servicing should be carried out in accordance with the
appropriate manufacturer's servicing manual. Necessary procedures should include, but not be
limited to, the following:
.1 inspection of the container for damage;
.2 inspection of the folded liferaft and the interior of the
container for signs of dampness;
.3 a gas inflation (GI) test should
be carried out at 5-year intervals, and when undertaking a gas inflation test, special
attention should be paid to the effectiveness of the relief valves. The folded liferaft should
be removed from its container before activating the fitted gas inflation system. After gas
inflation has been initiated, sufficient time should be allowed to enable the pressure in the
buoyancy tubes to become stabilized and the solid particles of CO2 to evaporate. After this
period the buoyancy tubes should, if necessary, be topped up with air, and the liferaft
subjected to a pressure holding test over a period of not less than one hour during which the
pressure drop will not exceed 5% of the working pressure;
.4 each
liferaft should be subjected to the necessary additional pressure (NAP) test as described in
appendix 1, at yearly intervals after the tenth year of the liferaft's life unless earlier
servicing is deemed necessary as a result of visual inspection. After allowing sufficient time
for the liferaft to regain fabric tension at working pressure, the liferaft should be
subjected to a pressure holding test over a period of not less than one hour during which the
pressure drop should not exceed 5% of the working pressure;
.5 when a
NAP or GI test is not required, a working pressure (WP) test should be carried out (see
appendix 2), by inflation of the liferaft with dry compressed air, after removing it from the
container shell or valise and from its retaining straps if fitted, to at least the working
pressure, or to the pressure required by the manufacturer's servicing manual if higher. The
liferaft should be subjected to a pressure holding test over a period of not less than one
hour during which the pressure drop will not exceed 5% of the working pressure;
.6 while inflated, the liferaft should be subjected to a thorough
inspection inside and out in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions;
.7 the floor should be inflated, checked for broken reeds and tested in accordance
with the manufacturer's instructions;
.8 the seams between floor and
buoyancy tube should be checked for slippage or edge lifting;
.9 with
the buoyancy tubes supported by a system which leaves the floor seams unsupported, at a
suitable height above the service floor as shown in appendix 3, a person weighing not less
than 75 kg should walk/crawl around the perimeter of the floor for the entire circumference
and the floor seams should be checked again. Manufacturers may substitute this test with
another test which will determine the integrity of the floor seam until the next inspection is
due. This test should be carried out at yearly intervals after the tenth year of the
liferaft's life;
.10 after deflation, arch roots should be checked in
accordance with the manufacturer's instructions;
.11 all items of
equipment should be checked to ensure that they are in good condition and that dated items are
replaced at the time of servicing if there is less than 6 months remaining before the expiry
date approved by the Administration;
.12 davit-launched liferafts
should be subject to a 10% overload suspension test at every second servicing;
.13 a check should be made to ensure that the liferaft and the
atmosphere are dry when the liferaft is being repacked;
.14 the
required markings should be updated and checked;
.15 a record of
servicing should be maintained for at least 5 years after the date of service;
.16 statistical records should be prepared on all liferafts serviced,
indicating, in particular, defects found, repairs carried out and units condemned and
withdrawn from service. Such statistics should be available to the Administration.
Responsibilities of manufacturers, Administrations and shipowners
6 In order to ensure that the servicing of inflatable liferafts is
effectively conducted to provide reliable survival craft in an emergency, manufacturers,
Administrations and shipowners have parallel and overlapping responsibilities; these include,
but are not limited to the following:
.1 Manufacturers are
responsible for:
.1.1 ensuring that their liferafts can be adequately serviced in
accordance with this Recommendation or with any additional requirements necessary for that
particular product and design and thereto accredit a sufficient number of servicing stations;
.1.2 ensuring that each servicing station accredited by them for servicing
and repair of their liferafts has qualified persons whom they have adequately trained and
certificated to perform such work and who are aware of any changes or new techniques;
.1.3 keeping Administrations fully informed as to the list of servicing
stations accredited by them and any changes thereto;
.1.4 making available
to service stations
- changes to servicing manuals, servicing bulletins and
instructions;
- proper materials and replacement parts;
-
bulletins or instructions from the Administration;
.1.5 keeping
Administrations fully informed of any shipping casualties known to them and involving their
liferafts; and also of any failures of liferafts, other than failures during inspections which
are known to them; and
.1.6 informing shipowners whenever possible of any
deficiency or danger known to them and related to the use of their liferafts and taking
whatever remedial measures they deem necessary;
.2 Administration are
responsible for conducting periodic checks of servicing stations to determine compliances with
this recommendation and for checking quality assurance by spot checks or inspections that are
deemed to be adquate to achieve compliance;
.3 Shipowners are
responsible for ensuring, as a minimum requirement, that all liferafts fitted as life-saving
equipment are approved and are serviced at the appropriate intervals at an approved servicing
station. Whenever practicable, a representative of the shipowner should be in attendance
during service.