Life Saving Equipment Regulations (C.R.C., c. 1436)

134 Every new ship that is a passenger ship shall have embarkation stations each of which provides

• (a) where a marine evacuation system is used, a clear area with enough space to allow a continuous and unencumbered flow of passengers from the muster station to the head of the evacuation system; or

• (b) in any other case and subject to section 135, a clear area of at least 1 m² for every two persons to be embarked into survival craft from that station.

135 Where a muster station and an embarkation station share a common area on a new ship that is a passenger ship, the common area shall provide at least 1 m² for every four persons to be mustered there and embarked into survival craft from there, in addition to the space required to launch the survival craft.

136 Every embarkation station on a new ship that is a cargo ship shall have an area of at least 1 m² for every two persons to be embarked into survival craft from that station.

137 Muster and embarkation stations for davit-launched survival craft on new ships shall be arranged so as to enable persons on stretchers to be placed in survival craft.

138 Every muster station and every embarkation station shall be

• (a) readily accessible from accommodation and service areas; and

• (b) adequately illuminated, with lighting capable of being supplied from the ship’s emergency electrical power source.

• 139 (1) Every approach route to a muster station or an embarkation station, including alley-ways, stairways and exits, shall be adequately illuminated, with lighting capable of being supplied from the ship’s emergency electrical power source.

• (2) Every ship shall be capable of supplying lighting to illuminate, during the preparation and launching of survival craft, the survival craft, their launching devices and the area of water into which they are to be launched.

Stowage and Handling of Survival Craft

General Requirements

140 Where davits are required for lifeboats, rescue boats or emergency boats, a separate set of davits shall be provided for each boat.

141 A survival craft under launching devices shall be capable of being launched with its full complement and equipment, under 10° of trim and listing 20°.

• 142 (1) Where a life raft or an inflatable rescue platform is carried in such a position that it may be lost or damaged by weather or another cause, it shall be secured with a lashing that incorporates a senhouse slip, hydrostatic release or other quick-release device.

• (2) Every ship that is under 25 m in length shall carry its life rafts and inflatable rescue platforms

  • (a) placed in deep chocks, without lashings, so as to float free if the ship sinks; or

  • (b) secured by a lashing fitted with a hydrostatic release unit.

• 143 (1) Survival craft that require launching devices shall be stowed as close to accommodation and service areas as possible.

• (2) Launching stations shall be located so that survival craft may be launched

  • (a) safely, taking into account the clearance from the propeller and steeply overhanging portions of the hull; and

  • (b) insofar as it is possible, down the straight side of the ship, unless the survival craft are specially designed for free-fall launching.

• (3) Where launching stations are positioned forward, they shall be located abaft the collision bulkhead in a sheltered position.

• (4) The preparation and handling of survival craft at any one launching station shall not interfere with the prompt handling of any other survival craft at any other station.

• (5) Every survival craft shall be stowed

  • (a) as near the waterline as is safe and practicable;

  • (b) so that, when in the embarkation position, it is not less than 2 m above the waterline when the ship is loaded with its full complement and equipment, under 10° of trim and listing by the lesser of 20° and the angle at which the ship’s weatherdeck edge becomes submerged;

  • (c) in a state of continuous readiness so that two crew members may carry out preparation for embarking and launching in less than five minutes; and

  • (d) in such a position as to prevent flooding by any discharge from the ship when the survival craft is being lowered to the water.

• (6) Paragraph (5)(b) does not apply to an inflatable life raft that does not require launching devices.

Lifeboats

• 144 (1) Lifeboats for lowering down the side of the ship shall be stowed

  • (a) on ships under 80 m in length, as far forward of the propeller as is practicable;

  • (b) on cargo ships 80 m or over but under 120 m in length, so that the after end of the lifeboat is not less than the length of the lifeboat forward of the propeller; and

  • (c) on passenger ships 80 m or over in length and cargo ships 120 m or over in length, so that the after end of the lifeboat is not less than 1.5 times the length of the lifeboat forward of the propeller.

• (2) Lifeboats in their stowed location shall be protected from damage by heavy seas insofar as it is practicable.

• (3) Lifeboats shall be stowed attached to their launching devices.

• (4) Lifeboats shall be capable of being launched, where necessary utilizing painters, with the ship making headway at speeds of up to five knots in calm water.

Life Rafts

• 145 (1) Life rafts shall be stowed so as to permit manual release from their securing arrangements.

• (2) Life rafts that are designed to be davit-launched shall be

  • (a) stowed within reach of their lifting hooks; or

  • (b) provided with a means of transfer that is not rendered inoperable by

    • (i) the ship’s motion,

    • (ii) a power failure,

    • (iii) a list of 20° of the ship, or

    • (iv) a trim of 10° of the ship.

• 146 (1) On a passenger ship, every life raft that is boarded from a location on deck that is more than 4 m above the waterline of the ship in its lightest seagoing condition shall be davit-launched.

• (2) Subsection (1) does not apply in respect of an existing ship that is a Class II, Class III or Class IV ship referred to in

  • (a) subparagraph 10(d)(ii);

  • (b) subparagraph 11(c)(ii);

  • (c) subparagraph 12(b)(ii);

  • (d) subparagraph 14(d)(ii); or

  • (e) paragraph 16(1)(d).

• (3) For greater certainty,

  • (a) a Class III ship that, under section 15.1, complies with the requirements applicable to a Class IV ship, is deemed to be a Class IV ship for the purposes of subsection (2); and

  • (b) a Class IV ship that, under section 16.1, complies with the requirements applicable to a Class V ship, is deemed to be a Class V ship for the purposes of subsection (2).

• 147 (1) Subject to subsection (2), if a life raft on a ship that is not a passenger ship is stowed more than 4 m above the waterline of the ship in its lightest seagoing condition, it shall be davit-launched unless it

  • (a) has a mass of not more than 185 kg; or

  • (b) is stowed for launching directly from the stowed position, from which it may be safely launched against a trim of 10° and a list of 20°.

• (2) If the ship carries life rafts for more than 200 per cent of the complement, those life rafts in excess of 200 per cent need not be davit-launched.

Rescue Boats and Emergency Boats

• 148 (1) Rescue boats and emergency boats shall be stowed

  • (a) in a state of continuous readiness and capable of being launched in less than five minutes; and

  • (b) in a location suitable for launching and recovery.

• (2) A rescue boat that is also a lifeboat shall meet the requirements of section 144.

• (3) Every rescue boat, when loaded with its full complement and equipment, shall be capable of being hoisted at a rate of not less than 0.3 m/s.

• (4) Every davit-launched rescue boat or emergency boat, when it is installed for the first time on a ship, shall be tested to ensure that it may be safely launched

  • (a) from the ship when the rescue boat or emergency boat is loaded with a mass equal to 110 per cent of the total of its own mass and that of its full complement and equipment;

  • (b) from a height of not more than 1 m above the water when the rescue boat or emergency boat is in its light condition, is suspended from its release mechanism at that height and is then released; and

  • (c) from a height of not more than 1 m above the water when the rescue boat or emergency boat is loaded as described in paragraph (a), is suspended from its release mechanism at that height and is then released.

• (5) For the purpose of the test referred to in subsection (4), each member of the complement is assumed to have a mass of 75 kg.

Stabilizers

• 149 (1) Where the survival craft of a ship are stowed in such a location that they may be damaged by the ship’s stabilizer wings, the ship shall be equipped with a means of bringing the stabilizer wings inboard that may be operated

  • (a) from the navigating bridge; and

  • (b) by the ship’s emergency source of power.

• (2) Indicators that are capable of being operated by the ship’s emergency source of power shall be provided on the navigating bridge to show the position of the stabilizer wings.