IMO: Evaluation and test report forms for personal LSAs

The International Maritime Organization has published MSC.1/Circ.1628/Rev.1, revising the standardized life-saving appliance evaluation and test report forms (personal life-saving appliances).

This circular has been published on 10 July 2023 and supersedes MSC.1/Circ.1628.

The Maritime Safety Committee, at its 102nd session (4 to 11 November 2020), approved the Revised standardized life-saving appliance evaluation and test report forms (MSC.1/Circ.1628).

The original forms, as set forth in the Standardized life-saving appliance evaluation and test report forms (MSC/Circ.980) and its addenda, were developed on the basis of the requirements of the International Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) Code and the Revised recommendation on testing of life-saving appliances (resolution MSC.81(70)) by the Maritime Safety Committee, at its seventy-third session in 2001, with a view to providing guidance on how to conduct tests, record test data and verify tests.

The Committee adopted several amendments to the LSA Code and to resolution MSC.81(70).

These amendments were incorporated in the original forms which, due to their volume, were presented in six separate circulars, i.e. MSC.1/Circ.1628, MSC.1/Circ.1629, MSC.1/Circ.1630, MSC.1/Circ.1631, MSC.1/Circ.1632 and MSC.1/Circ.1633, pertaining to the equipment addressed in chapters II to VII of the LSA Code, respectively.

The forms annexed to this circular apply to the equipment addressed in chapter II of the LSA Code, i.e. personal life-saving appliances (lifebuoys and associated equipment; lifejackets and associated equipment; immersion suits and associated equipment; anti-exposure suits; and thermal protective aids).

The Committee, at its 107th session (31 May to 9 June 2023), approved draft amendments to the evaluation and test report forms emanating from amendments to resolution MSC.81(70) on thermal manikin tests, for dissemination as MSC.1/Circ.1628/Rev.1.

The text of the Revised standardized life-saving appliance evaluation and test report forms (personal life saving appliances) is set out in the annex.

The use of the revised forms will continue to be of benefit to Administrations and other parties, such as manufacturers, test facilities, owners and surveyors, and will be a major help in mutually accepting the type approval of appliances approved by other Administrations.

Member Governments are invited to bring the annexed revised forms to the attention of all parties concerned with approving, manufacturing and testing of life-saving appliances, and to encourage them to use the forms.

Annex: Revised standardized life-saving appliance evaluation and test report forms (personal life saving appliances)

Reference

These standardized life-saving appliance evaluation and test report forms have been revised on the basis of the requirements of the International Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) Code, as amended through resolution MSC.425(98), the Revised recommendation on testing of life-saving appliances (resolution MSC.81(70)), as amended by resolutions MSC.427(98) and MSC.544(107), and the Recommendation on means of rescue on ro-ro passenger ships (MSC/Circ.810).

Status

In general, the tests described in the Revised recommendation (resolution MSC.81(70)) constitute the test procedures and the LSA Code sets the acceptance criteria.

The evaluation and test report forms are guidelines on how to conduct tests, record test data and verify tests.

These forms are not intended to change the standards given in the LSA Code and resolution MSC.81(70), as amended.

In the case of inconsistency between the forms and the LSA Code or the Revised recommendation, the text of the Code/resolution should prevail over that of the forms.

Layout

Each Administration may use electronically distributed evaluation and test report forms as the basis for customizing the layout to reflect the profile of the approving body, without changing the original contents.

Internal references

The evaluation and test report forms should be stand-alone documents. Therefore, all internal references in the original text from the LSA Code or resolution MSC.81(70) have been replaced by either the full-length text or a reference to other relevant evaluation and test report forms. However, in some of the forms, external references are kept for updating purposes.

Documentation of tests

For approval purposes, all detailed records of test data are to be enclosed with the report forms.

Verification of tests

Each test is to be verified passed or failed by an Administration representative's initials (e.g. recognized organization or surveyor) and date of testing.

Each page is to be verified on completion by the Administration representative's signature and its date of completion.

Reporting of type approval

To facilitate unified reporting procedures, the completed evaluation and test report forms are to be seen as a documented verification of required type approval tests for each type of equipment.

When documentation of type approval is required by a third party, the verified evaluation and test report forms should constitute the complete documentation of the type approval together with the relevant approval certificates.