Below are the requirements and recommendations for maintenance and inspection of safety equipment in a compact and practical tool for ship owners, operators and Surveyors. New maintenance requirements for such equipment are published irregularly and in various IMO documents and chapters which makes it cumbersome and time consuming to keep track of all changes.
Additional or more stringent requirements of manufacturers and the competent Administration are to be observed.
Procedure
Certain maintenance procedures and inspections may be performed by competent crew members, while others shall be performed by specially trained persons. Which parts of the inspections and maintenance shall be completed by competent crew members or specially trained persons is indicated in the list.
Precautions
As a general rule all inspections shall be carried out in accordance with the system manufacturer’s instructions and safety precautions. If equipment is undergoing maintenance or testing then suitable arrangements shall be made
to ensure safety is not diminished through the provision of alternate equipment or other measures.
Records Records of the inspections shall be carried on board of the ship, or may be computer-based. In cases where the inspections and maintenance are carried out by specially trained persons other than the ship’s crew, inspection reports shall be provided upon the completion of the inspections. Some inspections required by SOLAS shall be
Testing of the automatic identification system (AIS)
| Requirement | Regulation | Ship Type | Interval | By | Remark |
| SOLAS V/18.9 | All | Annually | Shore Service | Test report shall be retained on board the ship. |
Long range identification and tracking system (LRIT)
| Requirement | Regulation | Ship Type | Interval | By | Remark |
| SOLAS V/19-1 SOLAS V/16 MSC.1/Circ.1307 | All | Annually | Service Provider | Conformance Test Report shall be retained on board the ship. |
Checking of radio battery
| Requirement | Regulation | Ship Type | Interval | By | Remark |
| SOLAS IV/13.6.2 | All | Annually | Shore Service |
Satellite EPIRBs
| Requirement | Regulation | Ship Type | Interval | By | Remark |
| Testing according to MSC.1/Circ.1040/Rev.1. | SOLAS IV/15.9.1 | All | Annually | Shore Service | |
| Testing according to MSC/Circ.1039. | SOLAS IV/15.9.2 | All | 5-yearly | Shore Service | Certificate of Compliance shall be issued. |
Standard magnetic compass
| Requirement | Regulation | Ship Type | Interval | By | Remark |
| Determination of Magnetic Compass Error | STCW Code/Sec. A-VIII/2.34.2 | All | Once a watch | Crew | |
| Adjustment incl. Curve of Residual Deviation | Flag State requirements | All | Individual Flag State requirements | Individual Flag State requirements | Table or Curve of residual Deviation to be available at all times and compass deviation book to be properly maintained will be checked annually during safety equipment surveys. Res.A.1053(27), item (EA) 1.2.1.27 |
Steering gear
| Requirement | Regulation | Ship Type | Interval | By | Remark |
| Testing | SOLAS V/26.1 | All | 12 hours before departure | Crew | |
| Emergency steering drill | SOLAS V/26.4 | All | Quarterly | Crew |
Voyage data recorder (VDR)
| Requirement | Regulation | Ship Type | Interval | By | Remark |
| SOLAS V/18.8 | All | Annually | Shore Service | Certificate of Compliance and maintenance report shall be retained on board the ship. |
Maintenance of Other Miscellaneous Items
Lightweight survey
| Requirement | Regulation | Ship Type | Interval | By | Remark |
| SOLAS II-1/5.5 IS Code VIII/8.1.5 | Passenger ships | 5-yearly | Shore Service or Crew | Provided crew is properly trained. |
Low-location lighting systems
| Requirement | Regulation | Ship Type | Interval | By | Remark |
| Verify that the low-location lighting systems are functional by switching off normal lighting in selected locations. | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para. 4.6 | Passenger ships | Weekly | Crew | |
| Test the luminance in accordance with the procedures in resolution A.752(18). | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para. 9.5 Res.A.752(18) | Passenger ships | 5-yearly | Shore Service |
Medical oxygen
| Requirement | Regulation | Ship Type | Interval | By | Remark |
| Replacement of oxygen. | National pharmaceutical regulations, if applicable | All | According to national pharmaceutical regulations | Maker | |
| Hydrostatic test and internal inspection of cylinders. | Flag State, if applicable | All | According to Flag State requirements | Shore Service | Scope of inspection specified by the Flag State and/or recognized international standards (e.g. ISO, EN) are to be observed. |