1 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its seventieth session (7
to 11 December 1998), recalled that the International Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) Code,
which entered into force on 1 July 1998, contains requirements for position-indicating
lights and requires that new lights installed after that date meet such requirements.
2 The Committee, having considered recommendations
made by the Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Equipment (DE), at its forty-first session,
adopted, by resolution MSC.81(70), a Revised Recommendation on testing of life-saving
appliances, which apply to the life-saving appliances to be installed on board on or after 1
July 1999 and which contains, inter alia, revised test procedures for position-indicating
lights for life-saving appliances, including:
- lifejacket lights;
- exterior canopy lights for lifeboats and liferafts; and
- lifebuoy
self-igniting lights.
3 In order to ensure that position-indicating lights meet the
requirements of the LSA Code in a timely manner, Member Governments are invited to apply, as
soon as possible, the test procedures specified in section 10 of the Annex to resolution
MSC.81(70) to all new position-indicating lights installed on board ships flying their
flag.