General
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Resolutions - Assembly - IMO Resolution A.761(18) – Recommendation on Conditions for the Approval of Servicing Stations for Inflatable Liferafts – (Adopted on 4 November 1993)Amended by Resolution MSC.55(66)Amended by Resolution MSC.388(94) - Annex - Recommendation on Conditions for the Approval of Servicing Stations for Inflatable Liferafts - General

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.

Parent topic: Annex - Recommendation on Conditions for the Approval of Servicing Stations for Inflatable Liferafts
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