Bulletin No.: 11/1998

Date (Y-M-D): 1998-10-05
 

Subject: Requirements for Servicing of Liferafts by Authorised Personnel Only

It has come to our attention that inflatable liferafts have been serviced in some cases by unauthorized personnel. The purpose of this bulletin is to remind and advise Masters and Operators of vessels that:

1. All liferafts are required under the Life Saving Equipment Regulations to be serviced annually.
2. The servicing of these liferafts are to be carried out by an " accredited service technician " (a qualified person, who is trained and accredited by the manufacturer of inflatable survival equipment to test, inspect, service and repair it").
3. There have been several incidents where liferafts were reported inoperable due to being serviced by "unaccredited persons" claiming to have the knowledge to do so.
4. Accredited service technicians are people trained by the manufacturers of their respective liferafts.

Such servicing of liferafts/inflatable survival equipment by accredited technicians are carried out in accredited service stations which are designed, organized and maintained so as not to compromise the integrity of the equipment that is serviced there.

Consequently the owner should ensure and insist that after the servicing of each such liferafts, a certificate is issued to the owner setting out as per requirements in the regulations Schedule IV section 15 (c) :

1. the name of the ship;
2. the model, serial number and type of container of the equipment;
3. the name of the manufacturer;
4. the number of the gas cylinder and type of gas;
5. the class of the emergency pack;
6. the expiry date of the pyrotechnic distress signals; and
7. the following statement :
   
   "This is to certify that the inflatable equipment described above has been inflated, tested, inspected, serviced, repaired and properly repacked, all in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations for this make and model of equipment and in accordance with the Life Saving Equipment Regulations ".

To add or change your address, contact us at: marinesafety@tc.gc.ca

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