Lifting, deck and access gearLesson 1 of 10
The register of lifting appliances – ILO C152 and SOLAS
You will know what goes into the register of lifting appliances, who signs it, and how ILO and SOLAS records fit together since 2026.
14 minutes · Open to everyone · Rules checked 20 October 2026
Start here
The first thing a stevedore foreman, a port State control officer (PSCO) or a class surveyor asks for before anyone uses the ship’s cranes is a book: the register of lifting appliances, often still called the “chain register” or “cargo gear register”. If it is missing, out of date or unsigned, the cranes can be stopped even when they are in perfect condition.
That book changed status on 1 January 2026. Until then it was mainly an ILO requirement that only applied in ports of states that ratified the Dock Work Convention. Now SOLAS regulation II-1/3-13 makes the record of testing and thorough examination part of the ship’s statutory survey regime, for cargo cranes and also for stores, engine-room and hose-handling cranes. This lesson shows what the register contains, who signs what, and how the old ILO records and the new SOLAS records live side by side.
Try it
The stevedores want to start discharging
In plain words
A ship’s crane is examined and tested by a specialist at fixed intervals, and the results are written down in one place: the register. Each crane, derrick and piece of loose gear (shackles, hooks, blocks, slings, lifting beams) has an identification mark. The register lists those marks, and next to each one a competent person signs to say that, on a given date, the gear was thoroughly examined and no defects were found, or lists the defects that were found.
Behind the register sit the certificates. There is a certificate of test and thorough examination for each lifting appliance, saying which test load was used and what the safe working load (SWL) is, and certificates for each item of loose gear.
Two sets of rules ask for this book. The older one is ILO Convention No. 152 on occupational safety and health in dock work, which protects the dockers who use the ship’s gear. The newer one is SOLAS regulation II-1/3-13, which since 1 January 2026 makes the same scheme part of the ship’s safety certificates and covers more equipment. The forms are almost the same, so one well-kept register serves both.
In detail
Who does what
The guidelines that support the SOLAS rule, MSC.1/Circ.1663, use two roles, and the register depends on keeping them apart:
| Role | Who | What they do |
|---|---|---|
| Competent person | A person with the knowledge and experience, acceptable to the Administration (in practice the classification society surveyor, a manufacturer’s inspector or a specialist firm the flag accepts) | Witnesses load tests, carries out thorough examinations, signs certificates and register entries |
| Responsible person | Appointed by the master or the company, with the knowledge and experience for the task | Inspects loose gear before use, carries out maintenance and operational tests, keeps routine records |
ILO C152 uses the same terms and adds the “authorised person”. A thorough examination is a detailed visual examination by a competent person, supplemented where needed by other means, such as measurements, non-destructive testing or dismantling, to reach a reliable conclusion on safety.
What the register looks like
The ILO model form of register for ships’ lifting appliances, required by C152 Article 25(2), replaced earlier versions in 1985. Many administrations print it with the English text beside their own language. The ILO model set includes the register and certificates for lifting appliances (Form No. 2), derricks in union purchase (Form No. 2(U)), loose gear (Form No. 3) and wire rope (Form No. 4).
MSC.1/Circ.1663 appendix 3 gives the SOLAS sample “Register of lifting appliances and cargo handling gear”. It has four columns:
- Situation and description of the lifting appliances and loose gear, with their distinguishing numbers or marks.
- Certificate numbers.
- The competent person’s signature and date certifying that the gear was thoroughly examined and no defects affecting its safe working condition were found other than those in column 4.
- Remarks.
The notes to the form list the kinds of thorough examination entered in column 3: initial, 12-monthly, five-yearly, repair/damage, and other thorough examinations including those associated with heat treatment.
What must be attached or kept with it:
- the certificate of test and thorough examination of each lifting appliance (appendix 1 format or an equivalent accepted by the Administration);
- the certificate of each item of certified loose gear (appendix 2 format);
- a rigging plan and block list showing the correct reeving and the positions of loose gear, where applicable;
- for existing appliances that never had certificates, a factual statement under MSC.1/Circ.1696 (see lesson 5).
Keeping it
The ILO code of practice on safety and health in ports recommends keeping registers and certificates for gear on board for at least five years after the date of the last entry. It allows electronic records if the system can make them available and verify them. When an appliance or item of gear is found unsafe, the SOLAS guidelines require it to be marked “not to be used” and its status recorded in the register until it is repaired, retested and thoroughly examined again.
Where ILO and SOLAS differ
| ILO C152 | SOLAS II-1/3-13 (from 1 January 2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Safety of dock workers using the gear | Ship safety, part of the statutory survey regime |
| Applies | In ports of states that apply C152 | On every ship to which SOLAS chapter II-1 applies |
| Equipment | Cargo-handling appliances and loose gear | Also hatch cover and movable bulkhead handling, engine-room, stores, hose-handling, tender launch and personnel handling cranes |
| Checked by | Port authorities, labour inspectors, stevedores | Flag, recognized organization (RO) at statutory surveys, PSC |
Existing appliances with valid C152 certificates are treated as compliant with SOLAS II-1/3-13.2.4 until those certificates expire. After that, the ship moves to SOLAS certificates issued by the RO or competent person the flag accepts.
What the rules say
- ILO C152 Article 25(2) requires “a register of the lifting appliances and items of loose gear” to be kept in a form prescribed by the competent authority, and Article 25(1) requires authenticated records that give prima facie evidence of safe condition, including the SWL and the dates and results of tests and examinations. 1
- ILO C152 Article 23 requires every lifting appliance and every item of loose gear to be thoroughly examined and certified by a competent person at least once every 12 months. 1
- MSC.1/Circ.1663 paragraph 3.2.3.1 states that a record of thorough examination and load testing should be maintained in a register of lifting appliances and be available on board. 3
- MSC.1/Circ.1663 paragraph 3.3.4 requires all certified lifting appliances to be recorded in the Register of Ship’s Lifting Appliances and Cargo Handling Gear (appendix 3), with the certificate of test and thorough examination attached. 3
- MSC.1/Circ.1663 paragraph 3.3.5 requires a rigging plan and block list showing correct reeving and loose gear positions to be kept on board, if applicable. 3
- MSC.1/Circ.1663 paragraphs 4.4.1 and 4.7.1.1 require loose gear to be marked with a unique identification and its SWL, and a record of its thorough examination and evidence of proof testing to be kept in the register. 3
- MSC.1/Circ.1663 paragraph 3.3.3 treats existing lifting appliances with valid certificates under another acceptable international instrument, such as C152, issued before the SOLAS rule entered into force, as compliant with SOLAS II-1/3-13.2.4. 3
- SOLAS regulation II-1/3-13, adopted by resolution MSC.532(107), entered into force on 1 January 2026 and applies to lifting appliances, anchor handling winches and the loose gear used with them. 2
- The ILO code of practice recommends keeping registers and certificates for at least five years after the last entry, and accepts electronic records that can be made available and verified (section 4.2.5). 4
Flag and class notes
- Liberia (Marine Notice SAF-020, Rev. 12/25) requires the record to be kept in a register of lifting appliances officially issued by the Administration. Ships that kept an ILO C152 format register before 1 January 2026 may continue to use it until its pages are used up or until the SOLAS compliance date, whichever is earlier, and superseded books must stay on board. Liberia also allows test and examination intervals to follow the harmonized survey dates, but warns that ports in C152 states may not accept that and may still demand C152 certification. 5
- Germany (ISM circular 02/2025) requires all certified lifting appliances to be entered in the appendix 3 register with their certificates attached and accepts both C152 certificates and factual statements under MSC.1/Circ.1696. 6
- Antigua and Barbuda (SOLAS Circular 2025-004) says existing C152 certificates may be kept until they expire and explains that the SOLAS rule widens the scope to stores, engine-room and hose-handling cranes. 7
- Other flags publish similar notices. Check your flag’s circulars and ask your RO which register format and which certificate forms they will accept.
Key numbers
| What | Value |
|---|---|
| Thorough examination of appliances and loose gear | At least every 12 months 1 |
| Retest of ship’s lifting appliances | At least once every 5 years 1 |
| SOLAS rule in force | 1 January 2026 2 |
| Existing appliances: SOLAS test and examination due | By the first renewal survey on or after 1 January 2026 2 |
| Keep registers and certificates | At least 5 years after the last entry (ILO code recommendation) 4 |
| ILO model register form adopted | 1985 4 |
What inspectors find
- Register entries signed by a crew member instead of a competent person, or entries with no date or certificate number. The guidelines require each entry to be authenticated by a competent person. 3
- Loose gear on board with no identification mark, or marks that do not match any certificate in the register. 3
- Appliances overdue for their 12-monthly thorough examination, or appliances out of service but not marked “not to be used” or recorded as inoperative. 3
- No rigging plan or block list on board for derricks or cranes with multiple reeving options. 3
- Stores, engine-room and hose-handling cranes left out of the register because they were never part of the C152 cargo gear. Since 1 January 2026 they are within the SOLAS scope, as flag notices point out. 7
Questions people ask
Is the ILO register still needed now that SOLAS covers lifting appliances?
In practice, yes, wherever a port applies C152. The SOLAS sample register follows the same layout, so most ships keep one register that satisfies both. Your flag decides the format: some issue their own official book.
Does the provision crane need to be in the register?
Under SOLAS II-1/3-13, yes: stores cranes and engine-room cranes are lifting appliances. For appliances with an SWL below 1,000 kg, the Administration decides how far the testing and certification paragraphs apply, so check your flag’s notice.
Can the register be electronic?
The ILO code of practice accepts electronic records if they can be made available and verified. Many flags still issue a printed book. Ask your flag before replacing it.
Who may sign the 12-monthly entry?
Only a competent person acceptable to the Administration. The chief officer or bosun can be the responsible person who inspects and maintains, but not the person who signs the thorough examination.
Check yourself
6 questions. Pass with 60% to mark the lesson as done.
Sources
- 1 ILO Convention No. 152, Occupational Safety and Health (Dock Work) Convention, 1979 (adopted 25 June 1979, in force 5 December 1981), Articles 3, 22, 23, 25 and 26. https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO::P12100_ILO_CODE:C152
- 2 IMO Resolution MSC.532(107), 2023 amendments to SOLAS (adopted 8 June 2023, in force 1 January 2026), new regulation II-1/3-13, paragraphs 1 to 4. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.532(107).pdf
- 3 IMO MSC.1/Circ.1663, Guidelines for lifting appliances (28 June 2023), Annex, sections 2, 3.2, 3.3, 4.4, 4.7, 5 and appendices 1 to 3 (copy hosted by ABS). https://ww2.eagle.org/content/dam/eagle/Images/rules-and-resources/regulatory-updates/solas-requirements/guidelines-hyperlinks/msc1-circ1663-guidelines-for-lifting-appliances%20%284%29.pdf
- 4 ILO, Safety and health in ports, ILO code of practice (2005), section 4.2.5, Test and examination reports, registers and certificates. https://www.ilo.org/sites/default/files/wcmsp5/groups/public/%40ed_protect/%40protrav/%40safework/documents/normativeinstrument/wcms_107615.pdf
- 5 Liberia Maritime Authority, Marine Notice SAF-020 Rev. 12/25, New SOLAS regulation II-1/3-13 on lifting appliances and anchor handling winches, paragraphs 2.1.1.14 and 2.4.1. https://www.liscr.com/marketing/liscr/media/liscr/online%20library/maritime/saf-020.pdf
- 6 German Flag (BG Verkehr), ISM Circular 02/2025, Lifting appliances: new SOLAS requirements 1 January 2026 (14 October 2025). https://www.deutsche-flagge.de/de/redaktion/dokumente/ism-rundschreiben/circ02-2025-lifting-appliances-hebezeuge.pdf
- 7 Antigua and Barbuda Department of Marine Services, SOLAS Circular No. 2025-004, New SOLAS requirements for lifting appliances (17 December 2025), sections 2 and 3. https://abregistry.ag/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/SOLAS-Circular-2025-004-New-SOLAS-requirements-for-Lifting-Appliances-1-2.pdf
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