3.1 Personal life-saving appliances
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Resolutions - Assembly - IMO Resolution A.520(13) – Code of practice for the evaluation, testing and acceptance of prototype novel life-saving appliances and arrangements – (Adopted in 1983) - Annex - Recommendation on Testing of Life-Saving Appliances - 3 Appliance Criteria and Testing of Prototypes - 3.1 Personal life-saving appliances

3.1 Personal life-saving appliances

  3.1.1 Buoyancy equipment intended to support and enable detection of persons in the water should:

  • .1 where required to be fitted with a buoyant lifeline, have a lifeline equal in length to at least twice the height at which it is stowed above the waterline in the lightest seagoing condition, or 30 m, whichever is the greater;

  • .2 be constructed to withstand a drop from the height at which it is stowed above the lightest seagoing waterline, or 30 m, whichever is the greater, without impairing its operating capability or that of its attached components;

  • .3 be capable of supporting not less than 14.5 kg of iron in fresh water for a period of 24 h;

  • .4 have means to enable persons to cling to the equipment;

  • .5 not sustain burning or continue melting after being totally enveloped in a fire for a period of 2 s;

  • .6 where required, be sufficiently heavy to operate release arrangements of the attached means of detection;

  • .7 be prototype tested with regard to paragraphs 3.1.1.2 to 3.1.1.6;

  • .8 where required, be provided with means of detection, complying with the requirements of paragraph 3.7.1.

  3.1.2 Individual buoyancy equipment should:

  • .1 be so designed that after a demonstration a person can correctly don the equipment within a period of 1 min without assistance;

  • .2 not sustain burning or continue melting after being totally enveloped in a fire for a period of 2 s;

  • .3 be possible to wear without undue discomfort during abandonment and within a survival craft;

  • .4 if inflatable, inflate automatically upon immersion and be capable of being inflated manually and by mouth;

  • .5 if inflatable, perform effectively with any one buoyancy compartment inoperative;

  • .6 allow the wearer to jump into the water from a height of at least 4.5 m without sustaining injury and without dislodging or damaging the equipment;

  • .7 allow swimming and boarding of a survival craft in a seaway;

  • .8 in calm fresh water, be capable of lifting the mouth of a completely relaxed person wearing normal clothing at least 120 mm clear of the water;

  • .9 in calm fresh water, be capable of turning a completely relaxed person wearing normal clothing from any position in the water to one where the mouth is clear of the water within 5 s;

  • .10 have buoyancy which is not reduced by more than 5% after a 24 h period of submersion in fresh water;

  • .11 be prototype tested with regard to paragraphs 3.1.2.1 to 3.1.2.10 and with regard to paragraph 3.1.2.7 in a seaway;

  • .12 be provided with means of detection complying with paragraph 3.7.2; however, equipment provided on passenger ships on short international voyages need not comply with paragraph 3.7.2.2.

  3.1.3 Individual garments for protection against hypothermia should:

  • .1 be so designed that after a demonstration a person can without assistance unpack and correctly don the garment and any required additional individual buoyancy equipment and clothing, within a period of 2 min, taking into account possible low ambient temperature conditions;

  • .2 not sustain burning or continue melting after being totally enveloped in a fire for a period of 2 s;

  • .3 not cause undue discomfort to the wearer during abandonment or in survival craft and permit the person wearing it and any additional individual buoyancy equipment and any associated clothing to:

    • .3.1 perform normal duties during abandonment;

    • .3.2 climb up and down a ladder at least 5 m in length;

    • .3.3 jump vertically into the water from a height of at least 4.5 m without sustaining injury, dislodging or causing damage to the garment or allowing undue ingress of water;

  • .4 allow a person wearing the garment and any required additional individual buoyancy equipment to swim and board a survival craft in a seaway;

  • .5 in calm fresh water, in conjunction with any required additional individual buoyancy equipment, be capable of lifting the mouth of a completely relaxed person wearing the garment at least 120 mm clear of the water;

  • .6 in calm fresh water permit a person wearing the garment and any required additional individual buoyancy equipment to turn from any position to one where the mouth is clear of the water in not more than 5 s;

  • .7 if provided with buoyancy, not suffer a loss of buoyancy of more than 5% after a 24 h period of submersion in fresh water;

  • .8 be prototype tested with regard to paragraphs 3.1.3.1 to 3.1.3.7 and with regard to paragraph 3.1.3.4 in a seaway;

  • .9 if meant to be worn without additional buoyancy equipment or on top of such equipment, be provided with means of detection complying with paragraph 3.7.2.

  3.1.4 In addition to meeting paragraph 3.1.3, an individual garment for long-term immersion should:

  • .1 when used over light clothing and with any required additional individual buoyancy equipment, allow the wearer following one jump into the water from a height of 4.5 m to float in calm circulating water of between 0°C and 2°C for a period of 6 h during which period the wearer's body core temperature should not fall more than 2°C.

  • .2 permit the wearer, on completion of the above test, to be able to pick up a pencil and write;

  • .3 be prototype tested with regard to paragraphs 3.1.4.1 and 3.1.4.2.

  3.1.5 In addition to meeting paragraph 3.1.3, an individual garment for short-term immersion should:

  • .1 when worn in conjunction with warm clothing and any required additional individual buoyancy equipment, following one jump by the wearer into the water from a height of 4.5 m, continue to provide sufficient thermal protection to ensure that when worn for a period of 1 h in calm circulating water at a temperature of 5°C the wearer's body core temperature should not fall more than 2°C;

  • .2 permit the wearer, on completion of the above test, to be able to pick up a pencil and write;

  • .3 be prototype tested with regard to paragraphs 3.1.5.1 and 3.1.5.2.


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