Lesson 2 · 11 min
The rulebook map
Which document answers which lifeboat question: SOLAS chapter III, the LSA Code, MSC.402(96), MSC.81(70), IMO circulars, flag notices and class rules.
Start here
The 2-minute primer
New to this? These 6 cards explain the lesson in plain words. Go through them first and the lesson will make sense.
Primer done.
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1/6Picture this
One game, several rulebooks
Think of a football match. There are the laws of the game everyone plays by. There are rules for how big the ball and the goals must be. Each league adds its own rules, and each team has its own playbook.
Lifeboat rules work the same way. Each document has one job, and together they cover everything.
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2/6The big idea
Each document answers different questions
SOLAS chapter III is the law: what a ship must carry, and how often to drill and check. The LSA Code says how lifeboats, hooks and davits must be built. MSC.402(96) says how servicing is done and who may do it.
Around them sit guidance notes, each country’s own rules and the maker’s manual.
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3/6Words you'll meet
Six words, in plain English
- IMO
- the International Maritime Organization, the United Nations body that writes the world’s shipping rules.
- SOLAS
- the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, the world treaty on ship safety.
- LSA Code
- the Life-Saving Appliance Code, the rulebook for how lifesaving equipment must be designed and built.
- MSC.402(96)
- the IMO rules for how lifeboats are examined, tested and repaired, and by whom.
- Circular
- a guidance note from IMO. It is not law unless a flag state makes it so.
- Flag state
- the country where a ship is registered, which can add its own rules.
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4/6Why it matters
Knowing where to look saves arguments
People quote rules from memory, and old checklists use old numbers. In 2015 part of SOLAS was renumbered, so older books point to the wrong paragraph for the drill rules.
If you know which document does which job, you can find the real answer quickly and check what you are told.
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5/6In this lesson
What you’ll be able to do
- Tell which document is the law, which sets building standards and which sets servicing.
- Know the SOLAS regulations you will use most.
- Spot old paragraph numbers in older checklists.
- Find the right document for a common lifeboat question.
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6/6Quick check
Which document says how a lifeboat must be built?
Right: the LSA Code sets how lifesaving equipment is designed and built, while SOLAS says what a ship must carry and do.
In plain words
Lifeboat rules are spread over several documents, and that confuses a lot of people. The good news is that each document has one job.
SOLAS chapter III is the law. It says what a ship must carry, how often the crew must drill, and when the boats must be checked and tested. The LSA Code says how a lifeboat, its hooks and its davit must be built. Resolution MSC.402(96) says how servicing must be done and who may do it.
Around these sit IMO circulars, which give guidance, and notices from the flag state, which add that country’s own rules. Classification societies approve service firms. The manufacturer’s manual tells you exactly how to look after your own boat.
Once you know which document does which job, you can find any answer quickly and check what people tell you.
Key points
- SOLAS chapter III, rewritten by MSC.47(66) and in force since 1 July 1998, is the legal base for lifeboats, drills and maintenance (SOLAS III, MSC.47(66)).
- The LSA Code, adopted by MSC.48(66), sets the design and construction standards and is mandatory under SOLAS chapter III (LSA Code, MSC.48(66)).
- MSC.402(96) sets how lifeboats, launching appliances and release gear are examined, tested, overhauled and repaired, and became mandatory on 1 January 2020 through SOLAS III/3.25 and III/20.11 (MSC.404(96)).
- MSC.81(70) is the IMO recommendation on testing life-saving appliances when they are approved, built and installed (MSC.81(70)).
- The ship must carry instructions for on-board maintenance, including a monthly checklist and a maintenance log (SOLAS III/36).
- Flag states add their own rules, and IACS UR Z17 Annex 1 §13 sets how class societies approve lifeboat service firms (IACS UR Z17 Rev.23).
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In the rest of this lesson
- The detail
- Deep dive
- Try it: Find the rule that answers a question
- Quiz: 5 questions
- Ask our engineers about this lesson
Familiarisation training from Al Safwan Academy. Finishing a course shows completion of online familiarisation training: it is not an STCW, flag-approved or manufacturer qualification, and these courses don't replace that training. The manufacturer's manual and your flag's rules always come first.