3D
Lifeboats and liferafts
Lifeboat safety and the rules
Why lifeboats hurt people, which rules keep crews safe, and what to check, log and leave to specialists.
8 lessons1 h 30 minIntroductory
Collection · free courses
Ship safety courses
Every safety course in one place: lifeboats and liferafts, fire-fighting, gas detection, lifting gear, bridge equipment and surveys, written by the engineers who inspect them.
- 13 courses, 95 lessons
- About 22 h 45 min in all
- Free certificate
Lifeboats and liferafts
3D
3D
Lifeboats and liferafts
Annual and five-yearly thorough examination
What the annual and five-yearly lifeboat examinations must cover, step by step, from the hull to the winch brake.
8 lessons2 hAdvanced
3D
Lifeboats and liferafts
Lifeboats, rescue boats and davits
How lifeboats, rescue boats and their davits work, how they are examined and load-tested, and how to drill safely.
9 lessons2 h 10 minPractical
3D
Lifeboats and liferafts
Liferafts, evacuation systems and personal life-saving appliances
Liferafts, evacuation slides, lifejackets, immersion suits, flares and beacons: how each one is serviced and tested.
8 lessons1 h 49 minPractical
Fire safety
3D
Fire safety
Portable fire-fighting equipment and breathing apparatus
Check, service and test extinguishers, breathing sets and fire hoses the way surveyors expect.
7 lessons1 h 40 minIntroductory
3D
Fire safety
Fixed fire-fighting and detection systems
How CO2, foam, water mist, sprinklers and fire detection work on board, and how each system is tested.
8 lessons2 h 6 minPractical
Gas detection and enclosed spaces
3D
Gas detection and enclosed spaces
Gas detection, enclosed spaces and calibration
Use and calibrate gas meters, and run an enclosed space entry that brings everyone back out.
6 lessons1 h 30 minIntroductory
Deck, lifting and hull
3D
Deck, lifting and hull
Lifting appliances, deck machinery and access equipment
Cranes, wire rope, mooring gear, gangways and pilot ladders: the tests and records that keep them safe.
10 lessons2 h 25 minPractical
Interactive
Deck, lifting and hull
Hull integrity: thickness, NDT and hatch covers
How hull thickness is measured, which tests find hidden cracks, and how hatch covers are checked for leaks.
5 lessons1 h 14 minAdvanced
Navigation and radio
Interactive
Navigation and radio
Navigation, radio and the voyage data recorder
What the bridge must carry, and how the voyage data recorder, radios, radar, compass and AIS are tested.
7 lessons1 h 37 minPractical
Surveys, PSC and compliance
Interactive
Surveys, PSC and compliance
Surveys, audits and port state control
How surveys, safety and labour audits and port state inspections work, and how a ship gets ready for them.
7 lessons1 h 45 minPractical
Interactive
Surveys, PSC and compliance
Flag, class and port state control
How surveys, class approval, flag rules and port state inspections shape lifeboat work on a managed fleet.
6 lessons1 h 30 minAdvanced
Interactive
Surveys, PSC and compliance
Environmental compliance equipment
Oily water separators, bilge alarms, the Oil Record Book and ballast water systems, ready for inspection.
6 lessons1 h 29 minPractical
What you will be able to do
- Check and log the safety equipment on board the way the rules ask
- Explain what each periodic examination, service and test covers, and who may do it
- Prepare the ship for flag, class and port state inspections
- Spot the faults that cause accidents before they cause one
Questions people ask
Is MSC.402(96) a guideline or a requirement?
A requirement. It was adopted as a resolution, but SOLAS regulation III/3.25 and III/20.11.5 make it mandatory, and amendments to it follow the SOLAS amendment procedure. That is why its 2024 amendment, MSC.559(108), entered into force on a fixed date like a SOLAS amendment.
Can our own company do the annual examination?
Only if the company is itself an authorised service provider under MSC.402(96) sections 3 and 7, and the people doing the work hold certificates for that make and type under section 8. Otherwise the crew does the weekly and monthly work and an authorised provider does the annual work.
Does MSC.402(96) apply to liferafts?
Partly. It covers the launching appliances and automatic release hooks of davit-launched liferafts, not the liferafts themselves. Inflatable liferafts are serviced at approved servicing stations under SOLAS III/20.8.
Why is a gravity davit preferred?
Because it works with the ship blacked out. The LSA Code requires launching by gravity or stored mechanical power independent of the ship’s power supplies, in both the loaded and light condition.
What is the difference between off-load and on-load release?
Off-load release only opens the hooks when the boat is afloat and the falls are slack. On-load release opens them with weight on the hooks, for a ship that cannot wait, for example when making way. On-load release is protected by a hydrostatic interlock and a breakable cover so that nobody can trigger it by accident.