Life-saving appliances

Life-saving appliances are appliances that protect human life at sea. The devices are documented as part of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, or SOLAS Convention. ^[1]

Types

In the SOLAS Convention and other maritime related standards, the safety of human life is paramount. Ships and other watercraft carry life saving appliances including lifeboats, lifebuoys, life-jackets, life raft and many others. Passengers and crew are informed of their availability in case of emergency. Life-saving appliances are mandatory as per chapter 3 of the SOLAS Convention. The International Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) Code ^[2] gives specific technical requirements for the manufacture, maintenance and record keeping of life-saving appliances. The number and type of life-saving appliances differ from vessel to vessel, and the code gives a minimum requirement to comply in order to make a ship seaworthy.

Life-saving appliances include

• Lifebuoys and life-jackets
• Immersion suits, anti-exposure suits and thermal protective aids
• Lifeboats
• Life-rafts
• Rescue boats
• Rocket parachute flares
• Hand flares
• Buoyant smoke signals
• Launching and embarkation appliances
• Marine evacuation systems
• Line-throwing appliances
• General emergency alarm system
• Public address system

References

1. "International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974". www.imo.org. Archived from the original on 28 June 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
2. Brakocevic, Petar. "LIFE SAVING APPLIANCES (LSA) CODE" (PDF). macor. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 March 2013.