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

Class V Ships(Ships that are over five tons gross tonnage, are not Safety Convention ships and are certified to carry more than 12 passengers on sheltered waters voyages)

• 17 (1) A Class V ship shall carry

  • (a) if such ship is 45.7 m or over in length, on each side thereof one or more Class 2 lifeboats, each at least 4.9 m in length and each under davits, except that where carriage of lifeboats on each side is unreasonable or impracticable, they may be carried on one side only;

  • (b) if such ship is 45.7 m but not more than 22.9 m in length, one or more Class 2 lifeboats, each of at least 2.12 m³ capacity and each under davits;

  • (c) if the ship is 22.9 m or under in length, where practicable, a suitable boat; and

  • (d) where the capacity of the survival craft referred to in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) is insufficient to accommodate the complement, additional Class 2 lifeboats that have the appropriate capacities or life rafts or inflatable rescue platforms, to make up the deficiency.

  • (e) to (h) [Repealed, SOR/96-218, s. 14]

• (2) If a ship navigates in waters the temperature of which is 15°C or more, the requirement in respect of the accommodation capacity of the life rafts or inflatable rescue platforms that is referred to in paragraph (1)(d) or (3)(b) may be met by counting not more than 33.33 per cent of the complement of the life raft or inflatable rescue platform as being in the water, holding on to the life raft or inflatable rescue platform.

• (3) A Class V ship that navigates in waters the temperature of which is 15°C or more may carry,

  • (a) instead of the survival craft referred to in subsection (1), one lifebuoy for every four members of the complement if the ship navigates

    • (i) within 150 m of shore, or

    • (ii) in a depth of water not exceeding 1.5 m; or

  • (b) instead of the survival craft referred to in paragraph (1)(d), enough buoyant apparatus to accommodate not more than 40 per cent of the complement of the ship and enough Class 2 lifeboats, life rafts or inflatable rescue platforms to accommodate that portion of the complement not accommodated by the buoyant apparatus.

• (4) [Repealed, SOR/2006-256, s. 1]

• (5) A Class V ship shall carry

  • (a) the following lifebuoys:

    • (i) where the ship is under 45.7 m in length, at least four lifebuoys, two of which each have a self-igniting light attached and another two of which each have a buoyant lifeline attached, and

    • (ii) where the ship is 45.7 m or over in length, at least six lifebuoys, two of which each have a self-igniting light attached and two others of which each have a buoyant lifeline attached;

  • (b) the following supply of lifejackets:

    • (i) one for each member of the complement, and

    • (ii) enough that are suitable for children for at least 10 per cent of the complement or one for each child on board, whichever is greater;

  • (c) for each life raft, a SOLAS B pack as set out in the LSA Code;

  • (d) [Repealed, SOR/2023-257, s. 451]

  • (e) for each suitable boat, the equipment set out in section 5 of Schedule II; and

  • (f) six pyrotechnic distress signals of which three are rocket parachute flares.

• (6) A Class V ship shall be provided with signs that indicate

  • (a) the location of

    • (i) survival craft and their launching devices,

    • (i.1) lifejackets and lifejackets suitable for children,

    • (ii) muster stations, and

    • (iii) embarkation stations; and

  • (b) directions to the muster and embarkation stations.

Class VI Ships(Ships that are not over five tons gross tonnage and that are certified to carry more than 12 passengers)

• 18 (1) A Class VI ship shall carry

  • (a) where the ship is engaged on a sheltered waters voyage, enough life rafts or inflatable rescue platforms to accommodate the complement; and

  • (b) where the ship is engaged on any other voyage, enough life rafts to accommodate the complement.

• (2) If a ship navigates in waters the temperature of which is 15°C or more, the requirement in respect of the accommodation capacity of the life rafts or inflatable rescue platforms that is referred to in paragraph (1)(a) or (3)(b) may be met by counting not more than 33.33 per cent of the complement of the life raft or inflatable rescue platform as being in the water, holding on to the life raft or inflatable rescue platform.

• (3) A Class VI ship that navigates in waters the temperature of which is 15°C or more may carry, instead of the survival craft referred to in paragraph (1)(a),

  • (a) one lifebuoy for every four members of the complement if the ship navigates

    • (i) within 150 m of shore, or

    • (ii) in a depth of water not exceeding 1.5 m; or

  • (b) enough buoyant apparatus to accommodate not more than 40 per cent of the complement of the ship and enough life rafts or inflatable rescue platforms to accommodate that portion of the complement not accommodated by the buoyant apparatus.

• (4) [Repealed, SOR/2006-256, s. 2]

• (5) A Class VI ship shall carry the following supply of lifejackets:

  • (a) one for each member of the complement; and

  • (b) enough that are suitable for children for at least 10 per cent of the complement or one for each child on board, whichever is greater.

• (6) A Class VI ship shall carry the following equipment:

  • (a) for each life raft or inflatable rescue platform,

    • (i) if the ship is engaged on a voyage beyond the limits of a near coastal voyage, Class 2, a SOLAS A pack as set out in the LSA Code, and

    • (ii) if the ship is engaged on any other voyage, a SOLAS B pack as set out in the LSA Code;

  • (b) except if the ship is engaged on a sheltered waters voyage, six pyrotechnic distress signals of which three are rocket parachute flares; and

  • (c) two lifebuoys, one of which has a buoyant lifeline attached.

• (7) A Class VI ship shall be provided with signs that indicate the location of life saving equipment that is not stowed in plain view.

Class VII Ships(Ships that are over five tons gross tonnage, are certified to carry passengers, are not self-propelled and are towed or pushed by a ship or operated by a cable)

• 19 (1) A Class VII ship shall carry

  • (a) where the ship is engaged on a sheltered waters voyage, enough life rafts or inflatable rescue platforms to accommodate the complement; and

  • (b) where the ship is engaged on any other voyage, enough life rafts to accommodate the complement.

• (2) If a ship navigates in waters the temperature of which is 15°C or more, the requirement in respect of the accommodation capacity of the life rafts or inflatable rescue platforms that is referred to in paragraph (1)(a) or (3)(b) may be met by counting not more than 33.33 per cent of the complement of the life raft or inflatable rescue platform as being in the water, holding on to the life raft or inflatable rescue platform.

• (3) A Class VII ship that navigates in waters the temperature of which is 15°C or more may carry, instead of the survival craft referred to in paragraph (1)(a),

  • (a) one lifebuoy for every four members of the complement if the ship navigates

    • (i) within 150 m of shore, or

    • (ii) in a depth of water not exceeding 1.5 m; or

  • (b) enough buoyant apparatus to accommodate not more than 40 per cent of the complement of the ship and enough life rafts or inflatable rescue platforms to accommodate that portion of the complement not accommodated by the buoyant apparatus.

• (4) [Repealed, SOR/2006-256, s. 3]

• (5) A Class VII ship shall carry a suitable boat that is carried on board or towed.

• (6) A Class VII ship within the length range set out in column I of an item of the table to this subsection shall carry the supply of equipment set out in columns II and III of that item.

  	Column I	Column II	Column III
  Item	Length of Ship	Lifebuoys	Buoyant Lifelines
  1	Under 25 m	2	2
  2	25 m or over but under 50 m	4	2
  3	50 m or over	6	2

• (7) A Class VII ship shall carry the following supply of lifejackets:

  • (a) one for each member of the complement; and

  • (b) enough that are suitable for children for at least 10 per cent of the complement or one for each child on board, whichever is greater.

• (8) A Class VII ship shall carry, for each life raft and each inflatable rescue platform, the following equipment:

  • (a) if the ship is engaged on a voyage beyond the limits of a near coastal voyage, Class 2, a SOLAS A pack as set out in the LSA Code; and

  • (b) if the ship is engaged on any other voyage, a SOLAS B pack as set out in the LSA Code.

  • (c) [Repealed, SOR/2023-257, s. 447]

• (9) A Class VII ship shall carry, for each suitable boat, the equipment set out in section 5 of Schedule II.

• (10) A Class VII ship shall be provided with signs that indicate

  • (a) the location of

    • (i) survival craft and their launching devices,

    • (i.1) lifejackets and lifejackets suitable for children,

    • (ii) muster stations, and

    • (iii) embarkation stations; and

  • (b) directions to the muster and embarkation stations.

Class VIII Ships [reserved]

Class IX Ships(Ships that are over 15 tons gross tonnage and are (i) Safety Convention ships that are not certified to carry passengers, or that are certified to carry 12 or fewer passengers, on unlimited voyages, or (ii) ships that are not Safety Convention ships and that are not certified to carry passengers, or that are certified to carry 12 or fewer passengers, on unlimited voyages or near coastal voyages, Class 1)

Ships Other Than Tankers

• 20 (1) Subject to subsection (2), a Class IX ship that is not a tanker and is a Safety Convention ship or a ship engaged on an unlimited voyage shall carry

  • (a) Class 1 lifeboats not less than 7.3 m in length, each under davits, in accordance with paragraph (b) or (c), but where a ship is making sheltered waters voyages, the lifeboats may be of Class 2;

  • (b) subject to paragraph (c),

    • (i) on each side of the ship, one or more lifeboats of aggregate capacity sufficient to accommodate the complement of which one shall be a motor lifeboat if the ship is of 1,600 tons, gross tonnage, or over, but no motor lifeboat need be carried on a ship that does not go more than 20 miles from land,

    • (ii) in the case of a ship described in subsection (2) and a ship, other than a tug, that goes more than 20 miles from land, one or more life rafts of aggregate capacity sufficient to accommodate 50 per cent of the complement, and

    • (iii) in the case of a tug, one or more life rafts of aggregate capacity sufficient to accommodate the complement;

  • (c) if such ship is a whale factory, or fish processing or canning factory ship,

    • (i) either

      • (A) lifeboats, including one motor lifeboat, of aggregate capacity sufficient to accommodate 50 per cent of the complement on each side of the ship, or

      • (B) lifeboats, including one motor lifeboat, of aggregate capacity sufficient to accommodate at least 37 1/2 per cent of the complement on each side of the ship and life rafts, capable of being launched by launching devices, of aggregate capacity sufficient to accommodate the portion of the complement not accommodated in the lifeboats and launching devices sufficient to launch all the life rafts required under this clause, fully loaded, in 30 minutes in calm conditions,

    • (ii) life rafts, or additional life rafts, capable of being launched by launching devices if such devices are provided under subparagraph (i), of aggregate capacity sufficient to accommodate 50 per cent of the complement,

    • (iii) on each side of the ship, an approved boat that is not over 8.5 m in length and may count towards the requirements of subparagraph (i) if it is a Class 1 lifeboat, and

    • (iv) notwithstanding subsection 2(1) of Part I of Schedule IX, gravity-type davits for the launching of lifeboats and for the launching of emergency boats that, pursuant to subparagraph (iii), are counted towards the requirements of subparagraph (i);

  • (d) eight lifebuoys;

  • (e) the following supply of lifejackets, each fitted with a whistle and a personal locator light:

    • (i) one for each member of the complement, and

    • (ii) where the ship is a tug, at least two stowed in the wheelhouse and two stowed in the engine room;

  • (f) one immersion suit, fitted with a whistle and a personal locator light, for each member of the complement;

  • (g) the following survival craft VHF radiotelephone apparatus stowed so that they are readily accessible for immediate use:

    • (i) two, if the ship is 300 tons or over but under 500 tons gross tonnage, and

    • (ii) three, if the ship is 500 tons gross tonnage or over;

  • (h) for each life raft,

    • (i) if the ship is engaged on a voyage beyond the limits of a near coastal voyage, Class 2, a SOLAS A pack as set out in the LSA Code, and

    • (ii) if the ship is engaged on any other voyage, a SOLAS B pack as set out in the LSA Code;

  • (i) for each approved boat, the equipment set out in section 2 of Schedule II;

  • (j) a line-throwing appliance;

  • (k) if the ship is engaged on a voyage other than a sheltered waters voyage, 12 rocket parachute flares;

  • (l) the following SARTs:

    • (i) if the ship is 20 m or over in length but under 500 tons gross tonnage, one SART stowed so that it is readily accessible for immediate use and for placing in one of the survival craft that are launched first, and

    • (ii) if the ship is 500 tons gross tonnage or over, two SARTs stowed so that they are readily accessible for immediate use and for placing in the two survival craft that are launched first; and

  • (m) [Repealed, SOR/2000-261, s. 8]

  • (n) means of embarkation into survival craft.

• (1.1) Despite subparagraph (1)(l)(i), a ship that is under 300 tons gross tonnage and that on March 31, 2001 was required by these Regulations to carry two Class II EPIRBs may continue to carry them instead of a SART until one of the batteries of the Class II EPIRBs needs to be replaced.

• (2) Every Class IX ship that is a bulk carrier, other than a tanker, that is over 91.4 m in length and makes voyages in the St. Lawrence River east of the Montreal entrance to the St. Lawrence Seaway shall include in its life saving equipment inflatable life rafts of sufficient capacity to accommodate half of the complement.

• (3) Where some of the persons carried on a ship described in subsection (2) are berthed in the forward part of the ship, inflatable life rafts of sufficient capacity to accommodate all of those persons shall be stowed forward and the remaining inflatable life rafts shall be stowed aft.

• (4) A ship of 150 m in length or over having no amidships superstructure shall carry, in addition to the life rafts required by subsection (1), a life raft that is capable of accommodating at least six persons and that is stowed as far forward as is reasonable and practicable.

• (5) [Repealed, SOR/96-218, s. 17]