SOLAS Chapter III — Life-Saving Appliances & Arrangements

1. The LSA Code & Categories of LSA

SOLAS Chapter III sets the operational requirements for shipboard abandonment, survival craft capacity, and emergency readiness. All appliances must strictly comply with the International Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) Code (Resolution MSC.48(66)), which categorizes survival apparatus into four distinct operational divisions based on their functional role during abandonment.

• MSC.48(66) — the statutory LSA Code standard.
• 4 divisions — survival, personal, signal, and general appliances.
• 100% + 100% — lifeboat capacity to port and starboard on cargo ships.
• ≤ 10 minutes — the statutory launch preparation limit.
• > 100 m — the forecastle liferaft requirement.

The Four Divisions of the LSA Code

Division 1: Survival Craft. Totally Enclosed Motor Lifeboats (TEMPSC), free-fall lifeboats, davit-launched and throw-overboard liferafts. Must accommodate 100% of all persons on board on each side of a cargo ship (200% total).

Division 2: Personal LSA. Lifebuoys (distributed across deck and bridge), Lifejackets (100% crew + watchkeepers + 5% at muster), Immersion Suits (100% crew + watchkeepers), and Thermal Protective Aids (TPAs) for survival craft.

Division 3: Distress Signalling. Pyrotechnics (12 rocket parachute flares on bridge, 4 in rafts, 6 hand flares), 9 GHz Radar SARTs (min 2), 406 MHz satellite EPIRBs with HRU, and two-way GMDSS VHF transceivers (min 3 for >500 GT).

Division 4: General LSA. Line Throwing Apparatus (4 projectiles ≥ 230 m), Emergency Escape Breathing Devices (EEBD in machinery & accommodation), SCABA firefighting sets, and the General Emergency Alarm.

2. Personal LSA & Their SOLAS Requirements

Personal Life-Saving Appliances safeguard individual crew members against drowning, hypothermia, and cold-water shock during abandoning and sea survival. The LSA Code establishes precise dimensional, buoyancy, drop-test, and thermal insulation thresholds that every marine engineer and deck officer must know cold.

• 800 / 400 mm — lifebuoy outside and inside diameters.
• 2.5 to 6 kg — statutory lifebuoy mass.
• 14.5 kg for 24 hours — the iron buoyancy support test.
• ≤ 1 min / ≤ 2 min — lifejacket and immersion suit donning time.
• 4.5 m — the statutory jump height.

Personal Life-Saving Appliances Performance Comparison

3. Distress Signalling: Pyrotechnics, SART, EPIRB & GMDSS

Distress signalling equipment ensures immediate global satellite alerting and close-range tactical homing for Search and Rescue (SAR) forces. SOLAS Chapter III Part B mandates a multi-layered signalling architecture combining electronic radio beacons (EPIRB), radar transponders (SART), two-way GMDSS VHF transceivers, and pyrotechnic distress signals.

• 406 MHz / 121.5 MHz — EPIRB satellite alert and short-range homing.
• 9.2–9.5 GHz — SART 3 cm X-band radar frequency.
• 12 blips / 0.6 NM — the SART display on a radar screen.
• ≥ 300 m / 30,000 cd — rocket parachute flare altitude and light intensity.
• 96 h + 8 h — SART battery standby and active endurance.

Pyrotechnic Distress Signalling Performance Criteria

4. General LSA, Alarms & Maintenance

General Life-Saving Appliances encompass shipboard emergency transit, compartmental escape, and ship-to-ship line transfer. All LSA items are bound by the vessel's Planned Maintenance System (PMS), requiring scheduled weekly visual checks, monthly operational verifications, and annual surveyor certifications recorded in the Official Log Book.

• ≥ 230 m — line throwing apparatus range.
• ≥ 10 minutes — EEBD escape breathing air duration.
• 200 / 300 bar — SCABA working pressure.
• 7 short + 1 long — the general emergency alarm signal.
• 1.5 to 4.0 m — HRU automatic hydrostatic trip depth.

Comparison: EEBD vs SCABA Breathing Apparatus

Oral Examination Viva Bank: SOLAS Chapter III & LSA Code

1. What are the dimensions, drop test, and buoyancy requirements for a SOLAS Lifebuoy?

   A SOLAS lifebuoy must have an outer diameter ≤ 800 mm, an inner diameter ≥ 400 mm, and a mass between 2.5 kg and 6.0 kg (minimum 4.3 kg for bridge wing quick-release units). It must withstand a drop from its stowed height or 30 metres (whichever is greater) into water without damage, and support at least 14.5 kg of iron in fresh water for 24 continuous hours.

2. How does an X-band Radar SART present on a searching vessel's radar PPI?

   When interrogated by a 9 GHz (3 cm X-band) radar, the SART transmits a swept-frequency reply that appears on the radar PPI as a radial line of 12 dots spaced at intervals of 0.6 nautical miles. The first dot closest to the centre indicates the exact position of the survival craft. As the searching ship approaches within approximately 1 nautical mile, the dots broaden into wide arcs and eventually complete concentric circles.

3. What are the statutory operational parameters of an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)?

   The EPIRB transmits an encoded digital distress signal on 406.025 MHz (5 watts) via Cospas-Sarsat satellites containing the vessel's MMSI and GPS position (±50 m). It includes a 121.5 MHz analog transmitter for close-range homing by SAR aircraft, operates continuously for at least 48 hours, and is mounted in an auto-release bracket fitted with a Hydrostatic Release Unit (HRU) that trips at a depth of 1.5 to 4.0 metres if the ship sinks.

4. Can an EEBD be used to enter a space to fight a fire or rescue an unconscious casualty?

   Never. An EEBD is strictly an escape apparatus providing constant air for only 10 minutes. It does not deliver positive-pressure on demand, cannot accommodate heavy breathing workloads, and lacks firefighting certifications. Firefighting and rescue require a full Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCABA) with positive-pressure mask and low-pressure alarm whistle.