Extending the service period for inflatable survival equipment - SSB No.: 28/2022

RDIMS No .: 16001831
Date (Y-M-D) : 2022-12-07

 
We issue Ship Safety Bulletins for the marine community. Visit our Website at www.tc.gc.ca/ssb-bsn to view existing bulletins and to sign up to receive e-mail notices of new ones.

This bulletin replaces Ship Safety Bulletin No. 13/2022

Important Notice:

Additional information was added to the Ship Safety Bulletin. Specifically, the title of the form 85-0418 has been updated; a reminder that to use the 30-month servicing interval of inflatable survival equipment option available in the Life Saving Equipment Regulations, a Type Approval Certificate is required; and the effective date of 22 December 2022 is now specified.

Scope

This bulletin applies to all vessels that carry inflatable survival equipment, including inflatable life rafts, that benefit from the extended servicing interval of two years (24 months) in the Life Saving Equipment Regulations (LSER), and incorporated in the Fishing Vessel Safety Regulations and the Small Vessel Regulations.

Purpose

This bulletin explains how to use the 24 month service period for inflatable survival equipment listed in Schedule IV of the LSER.

It is also a reminder that a Type Approval Certificate is required to use the 30 month servicing interval option in the LSER.

What you need to know

Inflatable survival equipment needs to be serviced every year. This helps ensure proper deployment in all operating conditions and that it is maintained to reduce risks due to the impact of environmental conditions (i.e., humidity, temperature variation, freeze-thaw cycles).

Schedule IV of the LSER lists servicing intervals for inflatable survival equipment. It has been amended to specify that to qualify for the 24 month extended servicing period, when the vessel operates less than seven months per year, it must operate only during months in which the monthly historical average daily minimum air temperature is greater than 0°C according to the climate data, compiled by Environment and Climate Change Canada, from the Canadian Climate Normals station closest to the vessel’s area of operation.

This regulatory amendment is in force as of 22 December 2022; six months following final publication in the Canada Gazette, Part II.

Authorized representatives of vessels using the 24 month service interval are reminded to:

The 30 month servicing period listed in subsection 2(1.2) of Schedule IV of the LSER is only available if the inflatable survival equipment has a Type Approval Certificate (as required by section 121 of Part III of the LSER)  that lists a maximum servicing period of 30 months.

Keywords

1. Inflatable
2. Inflatable survival equipment
3. Life raft
4. Servicing
5. Extended

Questions concerning this Bulletin should be addressed to:

AMSD

Transport Canada
Marine Safety and Security
Tower C, Place de Ville
330 Sparks Street, 11th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N8

Contact us at: Email: marinesafety-securitemaritime@tc.gc.ca or Telephone: 1-855-859-3123 (Toll Free).