- Laws of Fiji

9.1 General

9-1

Unless otherwise specified in this section all lifesaving appliances shall meet the standards required by the SOLAS CONVENTION.

9.1.1 Masters and owners obligation—

(a)Scales of lifesaving appliances
The owner and master of a ship of 15 metres or less in registered length shall ensure that the scales of lifesaving appliances required for their class of ship as detailed in Section 15 of this schedule is always provided on the ship and is kept in good condition.
(b)Monthly test and inspections
The owner and the master of a ship of 15 metres or less in registered length shall ensure that—
- (i)an inspection of life-saving appliances and equipment, is carried out at intervals of not more than one month, to ensure that the appliances are complete and are in good order; and
- (ii)a report of the inspection is entered in the ship’s record book or in any logbook maintained as part of the ship’s safe ship management system.
(c)Survey and Servicing of liferafts—
- (i)The owner and the master of a ship shall ensure that any inflatable life raft is surveyed and serviced at intervals of not more than 12 months subject to subparagraph (iv);
- (ii)Survey and servicing of life rafts to be carried out at the life raft service centre approved by the Chief Executive Officer;
- (iii)A certificate of service shall be issued by the approved service centre;
- (iv)The Chief Executive Officer may extend the survey and servicing interval by not more than 3 months, if the Chief Executive Officer is satisfied that the extension is reasonable—
  - (aa)because there is no servicing centre in the vicinity of the ship’s location; or
  - (bb)to coincide with the periodic survey; or
  - (cc)where such servicing arrangement is impracticable.
(d)Servicing of hydrostatic release units.
The owner and the master of a ship shall ensure that—
- (i)any hydrostatic release unit of any required life-saving appliance is serviced at intervals of not more than 12 months, except as may be provided for in subparagraph (ii) and is serviced at an approved servicing centre. A certificate of service shall be issued by the approved service centre;
- (ii)any disposable type hydrostatic release is replaced on its expiry date. A disposable type hydrostatic release need not be serviced annually;
- (iii)The Chief Executive Officer may extend the servicing interval to not more than 3 months, if the Chief Executive Officer is satisfied that the extension is reasonable—
  - (aa)because there is no servicing centre in the vicinity of the ship’s location; or
  - (bb)to coincide with the periodic survey; or
  - (cc)where such servicing arrangement is impracticable.