Malta issues notice on liferafts with extended servicing intervals

The Merchant Shipping Directorate of Transport Malta, on March 17th, 2023, published a technical notice about liferafts with extended servicing intervals.

The notice is addressed to ship owners, ship operators, managers, masters, owners’ representatives, and recognized organizations.

The Merchant Shipping Directorate of Malta reminds all concerned that liferafts with extended servicing intervals may be accepted under Regulation III/20.8.3 and Regulation III/4 of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974.

Therefore, the Directorate is accepting an Equivalent Arrangement on extended servicing intervals not exceeding 30 months for those liferafts which hold:

• An  EC-Type Examination Certificate based on its compliance with MSC.1/Circ.1328 and all other applicable requirements, bearing the wheel-mark, and
• A Certificate of Type Approval issued by an authorised Recognised Organization (RO) based on its compliance with MSC.1/Circ.1328 and all other applicable requirements.

Furthermore, the servicing of such liferafts shall be carried out at servicing stations approved for this purpose by the manufacturer.

In line with MSC.1/Circ.1328 the above is granted for the first 10 years of the liferafts service lives and thereafter at the frequency required by SOLAS Regulation III/20.8.1.1.

The Directorate may accept the continuation of the extended servicing interval for a longer period provided that the EC-Type Examination Certificate confirms this timeframe, and as long as the hermetic seal has not been compromised.

For more information, please see the documents below (available only to subscribers):

RELEVANT DOCUMENTS:

Liferafts With Extended Servicing Intervals

MSC.1/Circ.1328: GUIDELINES FOR THE APPROVAL OF INFLATABLE LIFERAFTS SUBJECT TO EXTENDED SERVICE INTERVALS NOT EXCEEDING 30 MONTHS