Interpretation of Lifeboat Regulations: The Latest Requirements of the SOLAS Convention
Kailun Marine Electrical & Mechanical2026-06-23
The safety of life at sea has always been the core principle of maritime regulation. As a universally applicable mandatory regulation for global shipping, the 1974 SOLAS Convention has undergone multiple rounds of amendments and updates, with Chapter III continuously tightening requirements regarding the provision, construction, launching arrangements, and operational and maintenance inspections of lifeboats. With the formal entry into force of Resolutions MSC.535 (107) and MSC.554 (108) in 2026, lifeboats will be subject to entirely new mandatory standards regarding ventilation systems, safety of lifting hooks, lowering speeds and periodic maintenance. Recently, the Chinese Maritime Safety Administration has carried out multiple rounds of specialised safety inspections of lifesaving equipment. A large number of vessels have been detained for rectification due to outdated lifeboat systems, lack of maintenance, and non-compliance with the new regulations. Shipping companies and vessel maintenance service providers must promptly align with the regulations to complete equipment upgrades and conduct self-assessments for compliance.
In terms of basic equipment requirements, the SOLAS Convention stipulates that cargo ships of 500 gross tonnes or more engaged in international voyages, as well as all types of passenger ships, must be fitted with fully enclosed motorised lifeboats on each side; the rated capacity of the lifeboats on a single side must be sufficient to accommodate all persons on board, whilst ensuring safe embarkation and disembarkation under adverse sea conditions involving a list of 20° and a trim of 10°. Free-fall lifeboats may be arranged on a single side, but must be supplemented by hoistable liferafts as redundant lifesaving equipment. Although vessels engaged in inland waterway and coastal navigation are exempt from certain ocean-going provisions, strict compliance with the LSA Code is still required regarding the structural integrity of lifeboat hulls, hydrostatic pressure release mechanisms and the validity of lifesaving equipment; these are also frequent items of inspection during domestic maritime on-site inspections. Historical safety inspection data shows that corrosion and cracking of lifeboat hulls, ageing of porthole seals, expired spare parts on board, and rust and broken wires in lifeboat hoisting cables are among the most common defects leading to vessel detention. Most companies treat routine operation and maintenance as a mere formality, neglecting the mandatory requirements of SOLAS periodic surveys.
These two amendments, which come into force in 2026, introduce significant improvements and upgrades in terms of operational safety. With regard to the ventilation systems of fully enclosed lifeboats, the new regulations mandate that the ventilation rate for each lifeboat must not be less than 5 cubic metres per person per hour, and that continuous ventilation must be maintained for no less than 24 hours. the ventilation switch must be located inside the lifeboat in a position where it can be manually shut off to prevent seawater from being sucked back in through the vents. Older enclosed lifeboats without a forced ventilation system will be subject to mandatory retrofitting requirements during their next special inspection or intermediate survey. Addressing the frequent incidents involving lifeboat release hooks, the new regulations introduce a new anti-misrelease protection mechanism: the hook must not bear any load whilst not fully reset and locked; the safety pin must not fail to return to its original position, and the status indicator light must not display ‘locked’ or ‘normal’. Furthermore, hazard warning signs in both Chinese and English must be affixed to the hook locations on both sides of the lifeboat hull, thereby mitigating the major safety hazard of accidental detachment from the vessel during the recovery process at the mechanical structural level. Clear thresholds have also been established for lowering speeds. The minimum lowering speed for a fully loaded lifeboat is calculated using the formula 0.4 + 0.02H, whilst the maximum lowering speed must not exceed 1.3 m/s. Lifeboat davits on older winches that are not equipped with speed-limiting protection devices must be promptly inspected and retrofitted to prevent the lifeboat from colliding with the hull or causing injury to personnel due to excessive lowering speeds.
In addition to requirements for hardware modifications, the SOLAS Convention continues to tighten regulations on day-to-day operations and maintenance, as well as crew practical drills. The Convention stipulates that lifeboats must undergo a visual inspection and functional testing of the launching equipment every month; a full inventory of all equipment on board must be carried out every six months; and the lifeboat engines must be started and run for at least three minutes each month. Ships must conduct a practical lifeboat launching drill every three months; a simulated drill carried out in situ alone will not satisfy the classification society’s inspection requirements. Lifeboat hoisting wires must be replaced every five years; even if there is no visible rust, they must be replaced in accordance with their service life. Release mechanisms must be sent to a factory every five years for load-bearing non-destructive testing and calibration, with an accredited test report issued; vessels lacking such a test certificate will be unable to complete their annual survey and renewal of certificate.
Faced with the compliance changes brought about by the latest SOLAS regulations, ship operators need to review the inspection cycles for lifesaving equipment in advance and draw up refurbishment and maintenance plans for ageing launching systems, ventilation systems and corroded lifeboat hulls. With many years of specialised experience in the shipping sector along the eastern coast of Zhejiang, Kailun Marine, in accordance with the inspection requirements of classification societies, can provide products such as lifeboats, davits, release hooks, winches and distribution boards, helping shipping companies of all types to precisely align with the latest SOLAS provisions, efficiently complete compliance upgrades to lifesaving equipment, avoid the risks of vessel detention and heavy fines, and comprehensively safeguard the lives of crew members at sea.
Source: Taizhou Kailun Marine Electrical & Mechanical Co., Ltd.
References: SOLAS Chapter III, LSA (International Life-Saving Appliance Code), Resolutions MSC.535 (107) and MSC.554 (108) (effective 1 January 2026)
In terms of basic equipment requirements, the SOLAS Convention stipulates that cargo ships of 500 gross tonnes or more engaged in international voyages, as well as all types of passenger ships, must be fitted with fully enclosed motorised lifeboats on each side; the rated capacity of the lifeboats on a single side must be sufficient to accommodate all persons on board, whilst ensuring safe embarkation and disembarkation under adverse sea conditions involving a list of 20° and a trim of 10°. Free-fall lifeboats may be arranged on a single side, but must be supplemented by hoistable liferafts as redundant lifesaving equipment. Although vessels engaged in inland waterway and coastal navigation are exempt from certain ocean-going provisions, strict compliance with the LSA Code is still required regarding the structural integrity of lifeboat hulls, hydrostatic pressure release mechanisms and the validity of lifesaving equipment; these are also frequent items of inspection during domestic maritime on-site inspections. Historical safety inspection data shows that corrosion and cracking of lifeboat hulls, ageing of porthole seals, expired spare parts on board, and rust and broken wires in lifeboat hoisting cables are among the most common defects leading to vessel detention. Most companies treat routine operation and maintenance as a mere formality, neglecting the mandatory requirements of SOLAS periodic surveys.
These two amendments, which come into force in 2026, introduce significant improvements and upgrades in terms of operational safety. With regard to the ventilation systems of fully enclosed lifeboats, the new regulations mandate that the ventilation rate for each lifeboat must not be less than 5 cubic metres per person per hour, and that continuous ventilation must be maintained for no less than 24 hours. the ventilation switch must be located inside the lifeboat in a position where it can be manually shut off to prevent seawater from being sucked back in through the vents. Older enclosed lifeboats without a forced ventilation system will be subject to mandatory retrofitting requirements during their next special inspection or intermediate survey. Addressing the frequent incidents involving lifeboat release hooks, the new regulations introduce a new anti-misrelease protection mechanism: the hook must not bear any load whilst not fully reset and locked; the safety pin must not fail to return to its original position, and the status indicator light must not display ‘locked’ or ‘normal’. Furthermore, hazard warning signs in both Chinese and English must be affixed to the hook locations on both sides of the lifeboat hull, thereby mitigating the major safety hazard of accidental detachment from the vessel during the recovery process at the mechanical structural level. Clear thresholds have also been established for lowering speeds. The minimum lowering speed for a fully loaded lifeboat is calculated using the formula 0.4 + 0.02H, whilst the maximum lowering speed must not exceed 1.3 m/s. Lifeboat davits on older winches that are not equipped with speed-limiting protection devices must be promptly inspected and retrofitted to prevent the lifeboat from colliding with the hull or causing injury to personnel due to excessive lowering speeds.
In addition to requirements for hardware modifications, the SOLAS Convention continues to tighten regulations on day-to-day operations and maintenance, as well as crew practical drills. The Convention stipulates that lifeboats must undergo a visual inspection and functional testing of the launching equipment every month; a full inventory of all equipment on board must be carried out every six months; and the lifeboat engines must be started and run for at least three minutes each month. Ships must conduct a practical lifeboat launching drill every three months; a simulated drill carried out in situ alone will not satisfy the classification society’s inspection requirements. Lifeboat hoisting wires must be replaced every five years; even if there is no visible rust, they must be replaced in accordance with their service life. Release mechanisms must be sent to a factory every five years for load-bearing non-destructive testing and calibration, with an accredited test report issued; vessels lacking such a test certificate will be unable to complete their annual survey and renewal of certificate.
Faced with the compliance changes brought about by the latest SOLAS regulations, ship operators need to review the inspection cycles for lifesaving equipment in advance and draw up refurbishment and maintenance plans for ageing launching systems, ventilation systems and corroded lifeboat hulls. With many years of specialised experience in the shipping sector along the eastern coast of Zhejiang, Kailun Marine, in accordance with the inspection requirements of classification societies, can provide products such as lifeboats, davits, release hooks, winches and distribution boards, helping shipping companies of all types to precisely align with the latest SOLAS provisions, efficiently complete compliance upgrades to lifesaving equipment, avoid the risks of vessel detention and heavy fines, and comprehensively safeguard the lives of crew members at sea.
Source: Taizhou Kailun Marine Electrical & Mechanical Co., Ltd.
References: SOLAS Chapter III, LSA (International Life-Saving Appliance Code), Resolutions MSC.535 (107) and MSC.554 (108) (effective 1 January 2026)
