Lesson 7 · 12 min
Who may do what
Which lifeboat jobs the ship's crew may do, and which need certified technicians from the manufacturer or an authorised service provider.
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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
You can bleed a radiator, not open the boiler
At home you can set the heating, bleed a radiator or read the boiler’s pressure gauge. But opening up the gas boiler itself is a job for a qualified engineer, however handy you are.
Lifeboats have the same split. Some jobs belong to the crew. Others need a certified specialist.
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2/6The big idea
Three levels of work, two sets of hands
The crew do the weekly and monthly checks and the routine maintenance in the maker’s manual, under a senior officer.
The annual examination, the five-yearly work and any repair need technicians certified for that make and type. They must work for the maker or for a service firm the flag country has authorised.
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3/6Words you'll meet
Five words, in plain English
- Routine maintenance
- simple care, like greasing, that the maker’s manual describes for the crew to do.
- Repair
- any job that needs equipment taken apart, or that goes beyond the on-board manual.
- Authorised service provider
- a service firm approved by the ship’s flag country for that equipment.
- Certified technician
- a person trained and assessed for a make and type; the certificate lasts three years.
- Flag Administration
- the government of the country where the ship is registered.
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4/6Why it matters
Release gear punishes guesswork
Release gear is complex and differs from maker to maker, and mistakes with it have killed people. Before the rules changed, the annual work only had to be done by “properly trained” people, which left a lot of room.
Now the line is clear. A crew member who takes a hook apart to help is doing repair work they may not do.
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5/6In this lesson
What you’ll be able to do
- Sort lifeboat jobs into crew work and specialist work.
- Use a simple test to tell maintenance from repair.
- Check that a service firm and its technician are approved for your equipment.
- Know how different flag countries handle approval.
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6/6Quick check
A hook must be taken apart. Who does it?
Right: anything that needs equipment taken apart counts as repair, and repair is for certified technicians from the maker or an authorised firm.
In plain words
Some lifeboat work is the crew’s job. Some of it the crew must never do, however experienced they are.
The crew look after the boats day to day. They do the weekly and monthly checks, run the engines, swing the boats out, and do the routine maintenance the manufacturer’s manual describes, all under a senior officer.
The bigger jobs are different. The annual thorough examination, the five-yearly overhaul and load tests, and any repair must be done by technicians trained and certified for that make and type of equipment. They must work for the manufacturer or for a service firm the flag State has authorised.
The dividing line is simple to remember. If the job is in the on-board maintenance manual and doesn’t need anything taken apart, the crew can usually do it. If not, call in the specialists.
Key points
- Weekly and monthly inspections and routine maintenance from the manual: authorised service providers, or the ship’s crew “under the direction of a senior ship’s officer” (MSC.402(96) §4.1).
- The annual thorough examination and operational tests: certified personnel of the manufacturer or an authorised service provider (MSC.402(96) §4.2).
- The five-year examination, any overhaul, overload tests and any repair: certified personnel of the manufacturer or an authorised service provider (MSC.402(96) §4.3).
- “Repair” means any work that needs equipment taken apart, or anything outside the on-board maintenance instructions (MSC.402(96) §2.2.6).
- Technicians are certified for each make and type, and their certification expires three years after issue (MSC.402(96) §8.1, §8.3.1).
- Service providers are authorised by the flag Administration, which may accept providers authorised by other Administrations or their recognised organisations (MSC.402(96) §3.1, §7.4.3).
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In the rest of this lesson
- The detail
- Deep dive
- Try it: Check whether your crew can do a job
- 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.