search.noResults

search.searching

dataCollection.invalidEmail
note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
AN OPEN LETTER FROM THE UK MARITIME & COASTGUARD AGENCY - ACCEPTANCE OF LEISURE LIFERAFTS ON UK COMMERCIAL VESSELS


1. I’m writing to advise you that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has identified cases where ISO 9650 liferafts have been sold to, or serviced for, owners of UK Small Commercial Vessels and Fishing Vessels without the requisite arrangements being in place, or without a specific service instruction.


2. The objective of this open letter is to raise awareness of the statutory requirements for the correct manufacture, servicing, sale and carriage of ISO 9650 liferafts for use on UK Small Commercial Vessels and Fishing Vessels, and to highlight the phase-out of ORC liferafts. This is to ensure that the standard of safety for abandonment intended by the MCA’s carriage requirements is upheld.


Standards of ISO 9650 Liferafts on UK Small Commercial Vessels and Fishing Vessels 3.


For an ISO 9650 liferaft to be used on a UK Small Commercial Vessel or Fishing Vessel MGN553, and Section 4 of that Notice in particular, sets out the conditions of acceptance. As such, MGN553 is relevant to manufacturers, service stations sales agents and hire agents marketing liferafts for the UK commercial market, and it’s important that vessel owners are aware of the requirements that it explains.


4. We note that in some cases the Category C medical kit required for the carriage of a liferaft on a UK commercial vessel is being installed post- manufacture inside the canister or valise of leisure (ISO/ORC) liferafts. The service interval for liferafts must account for the expiry date of any equipment stowed inside.


5.


For an ISO 9650 liferaft to be acceptable on a UK Small Commercial Vessel or Fishing Vessel, the manufacturer and service stations must ensure that the ISO 9650 requirements on instructions and servicing are followed, specifically: -


• •


• •


A detailed list of the points to be serviced, the procedures to be followed, the items to be replaced, etc. shall form the subject of a precise documentation supplied to the service station;


All items having an expiry date shall normally be changed when this date arrives prior to the next scheduled service, barring any specific listed cases;


All inspections carried out shall be recorded and kept by the [service] station;


The servicing date, the name of the service station, its stamp and signature shall figure on a document given to the owner and on the service record placed in the liferaft.


It is also a requirement of IS09650 to detail on the outside of the canister the contents of the life raft and any grab-bag required to supplement the equipment in the raft for ISO compliance.


6.


If an authorised surveyor finds an ISO liferaft on a UK Small Commercial Vessel or Fishing Vessel with evidence that the above requirements have not been met, they are entitled to note a deficiency and require corrective action which may, in certain cases, include the replacement of the liferaft. Such action will then need to be addressed by the vessel owner with the manufacturer and service station to maintain commercial vessel certification with a compliant liferaft on board.


Phase-out of ORC Liferafts on UK Small Commercial Vessels, Fishing Vessels and Class XII Pleasure Vessels 7.


8. 9.


Service stations, sales agents and hire agents servicing and supplying ORC liferafts to UK Small Commercial Vessels, Fishing Vessels and Class XII Pleasure Vessels need to be aware of the MCA’s phase-out of acceptance of ORC liferafts as described in MGN553 (commercial vessels) and MGN599 (Class XII).


It’s also worth noting that the phase-out of ORC liferafts is also applicable to fishing vessels, where we ask that the owner of the fishing vessel declares which area category they operate within so that the phase-out arrangements in MGN553 can be followed by surveyors and service stations.


If an ORC liferaft on a UK commercial vessel has not been annually serviced then the attending surveyor or inspector may insist at their next attendance that the liferaft is replaced with either an ISO or SOLAS liferaft because the phaseout conditions have not been followed.


10. We have asked our network of Certifying Authority surveyors and MCA inspectors to pay close attention to service records of liferafts to check for evidence of the issues raised in this letter. Any questions or comments on the above should be directed to this email address: marinetechnology@mcga.gov.uk


The Report • March 2019 • Issue 87 | 25


Member News


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88