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Liferafts, Life Floats & Buoyant Apparatus
PAGE INDEX: (Click on hyperlinks to go directly to information)
- Approval Guidance for Liferaft, Life Floats and Buoyant Apparatus
- Servicing for Inflatable Liferafts and Inflatable Buoyant Apparatus
- List of Approved Servicing Facilities for Liferafts
- Retro-reflective Materials for Liferafts
- Position indicating Light for Survival Craft
- Accepted Independent Laboratory Search Engine. Use this link to find accepted independent laboratories for the equipment approval categories listed below. (This link will take you to another USCG website - cgmix.uscg.mil)
APPROVAL GUIDANCE
| APPROVAL CATEGORY |
EQUIPMENT | MRA APPROVAL |
| 160.010 | BUOYANT APPARATUS FOR MERCHANT VESSELS | NO |
| 160.018 | LIFERAFT FOR MERCHANT VESSELS | NO |
| 160.027 | LIFE FLOATS | NO |
| 160.051 | INFLATABLE LIFERAFT FOR DOMESTIC SERVICE | NO |
| 160.062 | HYDRAULIC RELEASE FOR LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT | NO |
| 160.063 | LIFERAFT LAUNCHING APPLIANCE (OBSOLETE) | NO |
| 160.070 | LIFERAFT AUTOMATIC DISENGAGING DEVICE | NO |
| 160.118 | RIGID LIFERAFT (SOLAS) | YES |
| 160.151 | INFLATABLE LIFERAFTS (SOLAS) | NO |
| 160.162 | HYDRAULIC (HYDROSTATIC) RELEASE UNIT (SOLAS) | YES |
| 160.163 | LIFERAFT LAUNCHING APPLIANCE (SOLAS) | NO |
| 160.170 | LIFERAFT AUTOMATIC DISENGAGING DEVICE (SOLAS) | NO |
| 161.101 | POSITION
INDICATING LIGHTS (SOLAS) |
NO |
| NONE |
RADAR REFLECTOR |
NO |
BUOYANT APPARATUS FOR MERCHANT VESSELS
APPROVAL CATEGORY: 160.010
APPROVAL GUIDANCE & INFORMATION: Follow the requirements of 46 CFR 159.005, 46 CFR 160.010-9 and 46 CFR 160.010-10. The Coast Guard does not test materials or systems for approval but rather specifies the required test methods and minimum performance criteria for approval. Product testing must be performed by a Coast Guard Accepted Independent Laboratory.
SUBMITTAL PACKAGE: Please submit the follow information in the Submittal Package:
- A cover letter requesting Coast Guard Type Approval of the equipment. While preapproval review is optional, the information required under 159.005-5 must be included.
- A test report from the Accepted Independent Laboratory showing compliance of the product or equipment with the applicable standard.
- Evidence that an acceptable follow-up factory inspection program with the Accepted Independent Laboratory required drawings/plans of the equipment.
Commandant (CG-ENG-4)
U. S. Coast Guard
2100 Second Street, S.W. Stop 7126
Washington, DC 20593-7126
Once the equipment has been approved by this office, it will receive Coast Guard Type Approval and a Certificate of Approval (COA). The COA will be issued for 5 years and will remain valid during that time period if the product meets the testing of the Quality Control Program.
(RIGID) LIFERAFT FOR MERCHANT VESSELS
APPROVAL CATEGORY: 160.018
APPROVAL GUIDANCE & INFORMATION: Follow the requirements of the LSA Code and USCG Checklist for RIGID LIFERAFTS located in the below link. The checklist is actually for SOLAS Liferafts however, non-SOLAS (Domestic) Liferafts must meet the same general requirements except they may have a capacity of less than 6 persons.
LINK: USCG Checklist for RIGID LIFERAFTS
SUBMITTAL PACKAGE: See SOLAS Liferaft Approval Section. 160.118
LIFE FLOATS
APPROVAL CATEGORY: 160.027
APPROVAL GUIDANCE & INFORMATION: Follow the requirements of 46 CFR 160.027. Because Life floats are a variant of buoyant apparatus, a manufacturer must also follow the requirements of 46 CFR 160.010-9 and 46 CFR 160.010-10. The Coast Guard does not test materials or systems for approval but rather specifies the required test methods and minimum performance criteria for approval. Product testing must be performed by a Coast Guard Accepted Independent Laboratory.
SUBMITTAL PACKAGE: See Buoyant Apparatus Approval Section. 160.010.
INFLATABLE LIFERAFT FOR DOMESTIC SERVICE
APPROVAL CATEGORY: 160. 051
APPROVAL GUIDANCE & INFORMATION: Follow the requirements of 46 CFR 160.051. The Coast Guard does not test materials or systems for approval but rather specifies the required test methods and minimum performance criteria for approval. Product testing must be performed by a Coast Guard Accepted Independent Laboratory.
SUBMITTAL PACKAGE: Please submit the follow information in the Submittal Package:
- A cover letter requesting Coast Guard Type Approval of the equipment.
- A test report from the Accepted Independent Laboratory showing compliance of the product or equipment with the applicable standard.
- Evidence that an acceptable follow-up factory inspection program with the Accepted Independent Laboratory is in place.
- Required drawings/plans of the equipment.
Commandant (CG-ENG-4)
U.S. Coast Guard
2100 Second Street, S.W. Stop 7126
Washington, DC 20593-7126
Once the equipment has been approved by this office, it will receive Coast Guard Type Approval and a Certificate of Approval (COA). The COA will be issued for 5 years and will remain valid during that time period if the product meets the testing of the Quality Control Program.
HYDRAULIC RELEASE FOR LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT
APPROVAL CATEGORY: 160.062
APPROVAL GUIDANCE & INFORMATION: Follow the requirements of 46 CFR 160.062. The Coast Guard does not test materials or systems for approval but rather specifies the required test methods and minimum performance criteria for approval. Product testing must be performed by a Coast Guard Accepted Independent Laboratory.
SUBMITTAL PACKAGE: Please submit the follow information in the Submittal Package:
- A cover letter requesting Coast Guard Type Approval of the equipment.
- A test report from the Accepted Independent Laboratory showing compliance of the product or equipment with the applicable standard.
- Evidence that an acceptable follow-up factory inspection program with the Accepted Independent Laboratory is in place.
- Required drawings/plans of the equipment.
Commandant (CG-ENG-4)
U.S. Coast Guard
2100 Second Street, S.W. Stop 7126
Washington, DC 20593-7126
Once the equipment has been approved by this office, it will receive Coast Guard Type Approval and a Certificate of Approval (COA). The COA will be issued for 5 years and will remain valid during that time period if the product meets the testing of the Quality Control Program.
LIFERAFT LAUNCHING APPLIANCE (OBSOLETE)
APPROVAL CATEGORY: 160.063
APPROVAL GUIDANCE & INFORMATION: This item is no longer approved. See 160.163.
LIFERAFT AUTOMATIC DISENGAGING DEVICE
APPROVAL CATEGORY: 160.070
APPROVAL GUIDANCE & INFORMATION: See 160.170.
RIGID LIFERAFT (SOLAS)
APPROVAL CATEGORY: 160.118
APPROVAL GUIDANCE & INFORMATION: Follow the requirements of the LSA Code and USCG Checklist for RIGID LIFERAFTS located in the below link. The Coast Guard does not test materials or systems for approval but rather specifies the required test methods and minimum performance criteria for approval. Product testing must be performed on by a Coast Guard Accepted Independent Laboratory.
US/EC MUTUAL RECOGNITION AGREEMENT (MRA): This product can be approved under the US/EC Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) on marine equipment. For information on the MRA please see the below link.
LINKS:
US/EC Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA)
USCG Checklist for RIGID LIFERAFTS
SUBMITTAL PACKAGE: Submittal should be in accordance with 46 CFR 159.005. The preapproval review is required. An independent laboratory must be used for approval testing and production oversight. You must submit the information required by 159.005-5 in the Preapproval Review Package. However, a sample is not required.
- A cover letter requesting Coast Guard Type Approval of the equipment.
- A test report from the Accepted Independent Laboratory showing compliance of the product or equipment with the applicable standard.
- Evidence that an acceptable follow-up factory inspection program with the Accepted Independent Laboratory is in place.
- Required
drawings/plans of the equipment.
Commandant (CG-ENG-4)
U.S. Coast Guard
2100 Second Street, S.W. Stop 7126
Washington, DC 20593-7126
Once the equipment has been approved by this office, it will receive Coast Guard Type Approval and a Certificate of Approval (COA). The COA will be issued for 5 years and will remain valid during that time period if the product meets the testing of the Quality Control Program.
INFLATABLE LIFERAFTS (SOLAS)
APPROVAL CATEGORY: 160.151
APPROVAL GUIDANCE & INFORMATION: Follow the requirements of 46 CFR 160.151.
SUBMITTAL PACKAGE: Please submit the follow information in the Submittal Package:
- A cover letter requesting Coast Guard preapproval of the equipment.
- Cognizant OCMI notification of where the approval tests will take
place.
- A test report from the Accepted Independent Laboratory showing compliance of the product or equipment with the applicable standard.
- Evidence that an acceptable follow-up factory inspection program with the Accepted Independent Laboratory is in place.
- Required drawings/plans of the equipment.
Commandant (CG-ENG-4)
U.S. Coast Guard
2100 Second Street, S.W. Stop 7126
Washington, DC 20593-7126
Once the equipment has approved by this office, it will receive Coast Guard Type Approval and a Certificate of Approval (COA). The COA will be issued for 5 years and will remain valid during that time period if product meets the testing of the Quality Control Program.
HYDRAULIC (HYDROSTATIC) RELEASE UNIT (SOLAS)
APPROVAL CATEGORY: 160.162
APPROVAL GUIDANCE & INFORMATION: See INTERIM GUIDELINES FOR APPROVAL AND PRODUCTION TESTING OF SOLAS HYDROSTATIC RELEASE UNITS. The Coast Guard will review SOLAS Hydraulic Release Units that meet ISO 15734 as an equivalent standard. The Coast Guard does not test materials or systems for approval but rather specifies the required test methods and minimum performance criteria for approval. Product testing must be performed by a Coast Guard Accepted Independent Laboratory.
US/EC MUTUAL RECOGNITION AGREEMENT (MRA): This product can be approved under the US/EC Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) on marine equipment. For information on the MRA please see the below link.
LINKS:
US/EC Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/mse4/mra.htm
MSC/Circ.911, Identification of Float-Free Arrangements for Liferafts
SUBMITTAL PACKAGE: Please submit the follow information in the Submittal Package:
- A cover letter requesting Coast Guard Type Approval of the equipment.
- A test report from the Accepted Independent Laboratory showing compliance of the product or equipment with the applicable standard.
- Evidence that an acceptable follow-up factory inspection program with the Accepted Independent Laboratory is in place.
- Required drawings/plans of the equipment.
Please send the Submittal Package and other related information to the following address:
Commandant (CG-ENG-4)
U.S. Coast Guard
2100 Second Street, S.W. Stop 7126
Washington, DC 20593-7126
Once the equipment has been approved by this office, it will receive Coast Guard Type Approval and a Certificate of Approval (COA). The COA will be issued for 5 years and will remain valid during that time period if the product meets the testing of the Quality Control Program.
LIFERAFT LAUNCHING APPLIANCE (SOLAS)
APPROVAL CATEGORY: 160.163
APPROVAL GUIDANCE & INFORMATION: Follow the IMO requirements in the IMO LSA Code and the associated recommendations on testing (Resolution MSC.81(70)).
LINKS:
MSC CIRCULAR 980 Sections: Launching Appliances
- Provides information on conducting the testing and evaluation of launching appliances.
SUBMITTAL PACKAGE: Please submit the follow information in the Submittal Package:
- A cover letter requesting Coast Guard Type Approval of the equipment.
- For initial application ensure that the above information is provided.
- For prototype test reports it is strongly recommended that manufacturers use the standardized format of MSC Circular 980.
Commandant (CG-ENG-4)
U.S. Coast Guard
2100 Second Street, S.W. Stop 7126
Washington, DC 20593-7126
Once the equipment has been approved by this office, it will receive Coast Guard Type Approval and a Certificate of Approval (COA). The COA will be issued for 5 years and will remain valid during that time period if the product meets the testing of the Quality Control Program.
LIFERAFT AUTOMATIC DISENGAGING DEVICE (SOLAS)
APPROVAL CATEGORY: 160.170
APPROVAL GUIDANCE & INFORMATION: Follow the IMO requirements in the IMO LSA Code and the associated recommendations on testing (Resolution MSC.81(70)). The Coast Guard does not test materials or systems for approval but rather specifies the required test methods and minimum performance criteria for approval. Product testing must be performed by a Coast Guard Accepted Independent Laboratory.
LINKS:
MSC CIRCULAR 980 Sections: Launching Appliances
- Provides information on conducting the testing and evaluation of this equipment
SUBMITTAL PACKAGE: Please submit the follow information in the Submittal Package:
- A cover letter requesting Coast Guard Type Approval of the equipment.
- For initial application ensure that the above information is provided.
- For prototype test reports it is strongly recommended that manufacturers use the standardized format of MSC Circular 980.
- A test report from the Accepted Independent Laboratory showing compliance of the product or equipment with the applicable standard.
- Evidence that an acceptable follow-up factory inspection program with the Accepted Independent Laboratory is in place.
Commandant (CG-ENG-4)
U.S. Coast Guard
2100 Second Street, S.W. Stop 7126
Washington, DC 20593-7126
Once the equipment has been approved by this office, it will receive Coast Guard Type Approval and a Certificate of Approval (COA). The COA will be issued for 5 years and will remain valid during that time period if the product meets the testing of the Quality Control Program.
SERVICING FOR INFLATABLE LIFERAFTS AND INFLATABLE BUOYANT APPARATUS
| When
is
servicing required? Approved inflatable liferafts
and
inflatable buoyant apparatus are required to be serviced periodically
at an approved liferaft servicing facility. The first servicing of a
new raft is due 24 months after it is first packed, except for
liferafts on commercial ships in international service, which are due
at 12 months. After that, servicing is normally due every 12 months.
Check the service expiration sticker (show on the right) on the
container of a liferaft serviced by an approved facility. The month
that servicing is due is punched on the sticker. The year that
servicing is due is printed on the sticker and the last digit of that
year is displayed as a large number in a colored square in the middle
of the sticker. The color of the square rotates red, blue,
orange, green, beginning with red for 2008.
|
 |
Use approved servicing facilities. A list of approved servicing facilities for each liferaft manufacturer can be found at: http://cgmix.uscg.mil/. Approved facilities have technicians trained by the liferaft manufacturer, the manufacturer's current servicing manual, and a clean, well-stocked facility that has been inspected by the Coast Guard. After the initial inspection, servicing facilities are periodically inspected by the Coast Guard, or an appropriate independent agency. Technicians are required to have refresher training by the manufacturer at least every 3 years.
Why is servicing important? Liferafts are exposed to extremes of temperature, weather, and sea conditions. Temperature fluctuations and accumulated moisture can lead to deterioration and reduced reliability. Each servicing involves unpacking the liferaft, cleaning and drying it thoroughly, and checking the inflation system to make sure it is fully charged and the inflation valve is in good condition. In addition, the survival equipment packed in the raft is checked to make sure it is in good condition, and any dated equipment past its expiration date, is replaced.
RETRO-REFLECTIVE MATERIAL FOR LIFERAFTS
|
Retro-reflective materials
should be fitted around the canopy of the
liferaft. The material should be sufficiently wide and long to give a
minimum area of 150 cm2 and should be spaced at suitable
intervals
(approximately 80 cm from center to center) at a suitable height above
the waterline, doorways included, if suitable. On inflatable liferafts,
retro-reflective materials should also be fitted to the underside of
the floor, cross-shaped in the center. The dimension of the cross
should be half the diameter of the liferaft, and a similar cross should
be applied to the top of the canopy.
On liferafts which are not
equipped with canopies, materials which
should be sufficiently wide and long (to give a minimum area of 150 cm2
should be attached to the buoyancy chamber at suitable intervals
(approximately 80 cm from center to center) in such a manner that they
are visible both from the air and from a ship.
|
 |
POSITION INDICATING LIGHT FOR SURVIVAL CRAFT
| Coast Guard
approved lights are required on liferafts. These lights
have to meet the standards of an international treaty, the Safety of
Life at Sea (SOLAS), as described in the International Maritime
Organization's (IMO) Lifesaving Appliances Code and Recommendation on
Testing of Lifesaving Appliances. They have to have an all-around light
output of 4.3 cd for 12 hours over a range of operating temperatures. As of 1 July 2008 liferafts must meet the requirements for interior lights and inflation systems required in IMO Resolution MSC.218(82). |
 |
LINKS: USCG Guidelines for Approval of Position-Indicating Light for Survival Craft.
RADAR REFLECTORS
APPROVAL CATEGORY: NONE
APPROVAL GUIDANCE & INFORMATION: Radar reflector guideline letter.
SUBMITTAL PACKAGE: Please submit the follow information in the Submittal Package:
- A cover
letter requesting Coast Guard Acceptance of the equipment.
- Required
drawings/specification
of the equipment.
- Appropriate
test
reports.
Commandant (CG-ENG-4)
U.S. Coast Guard
Once the equipment has been accepted by this office, the manufacturer will be listed in the attached document.
LINKS: Radar reflector acceptance list.
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Last Modified 5/9/2012