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List of functional requirements for personal life-saving appliances
Objective
Personal life-saving appliances should contribute to ensuring survival and provide safety to every person on board.
General functional requirement
The dimensioning of any appliance should be such as to make it effective under realistic conditions, even where primary life-saving appliances cannot be expected to be effective, having regard to the contribution of a person's normal clothing under such conditions.
(1) Donning - dry
Any appliance should be so designed as to make it simple for the user to don it correctly for effective use within a minute in darkness.
(2) Ergonomic properties - dry
Any appliance should fit well, allowing the user to carry out all tasks related to dry-shod evacuation and rescue. The appliance should allow acute first-aid treatment.
(3) Donning - in the sea
Any appliance should allow the user to don the appliance correctly within two minutes in the sea.
(4) Properties in the sea - waves and wind
Any inactive person should float stably and have sufficient buoyancy to be able to breathe continuously without breathing in water while floating under conditions of unfavorable waves and wind.
(5) Properties in the sea - calm sea
Any inactive person should always get a stable floating position which ensures free respiratory passages and prevents the breathing in of water after a fall into the sea from a height of at least one metre.
(6) Ergonomic properties - in the sea
The stable floating position should allow the user to move forward in the water and take stock of the situation.
(7) Rescue
The user should within two minutes be able to enter a 150-person liferaft by using an entry ladder (not an entry ramp) and subsequently rescue another inactive person of the same size from the sea, wearing the same appliance (LSA Code para. 4.2.4.2.).
(8) Fire resistance
All materials used in personal life-saving appliances should comply with EN 532.
(9) Friction
Loss of friction caused by an oil slick should not reduce the user's possibility of being rescued.
(10) Personal appliances for the crew
Additionally, any appliance should not prevent crew members from:
| a) |
donning the appliance correctly, after rehearsal, for effective
use within a minute in darkness; |
| b) |
making the vessel's life-saving appliances ready for use or
launching or operating them; |
| c) |
operating all emergency radio equipment; |
| d) |
operating a rescue boat; |
| e) |
using all emergency equipment in the vessel's life-saving appliances
and equipment fitted on the personal life-saving appliances; |
| f) |
varying the stable floating position; and |
| g) |
having additional equipment which does not reduce the functionality
of the personal appliance. |
(11) Personal appliances for the evacuation crew
Additionally, any appliance should not prevent crew members from:
| a) |
carrying out an evacuation, assisting passengers and taking
care of people on board; and |
| b) |
being distinguishable as crew members and identified by passengers
as such during an evacuation. |
(12) Size categories
a) Infant
Size definition: A very young child that is unable to walk without assistance, height up to [85] cm; weight up to [15] kg.
b) Child
Size definition: height [803-[135] cm; weight [10]-[35] kg.
c) Adult
Size definition: height [130-190] cm; weight [30-120] kg.
d) Big Adult
Size definition: height [180-215] cm; weight [100-200] kg.
e) Physically handicapped
Size definition: height [130-190] cm; weight [30-120] kg.
(13) Functional requirements for special sizes
The following functions should be fulfilled in addition to the above, provided that the user is not able to contribute to his or her rescue:
a) Infant
| 1. |
The appliance should contribute to the rescue of the infant
by a care-giver. |
| 2. |
The appliance should be capable of being fastened to a care-giver
and contribute to keeping the infant close to the care-giver. |
| 3. |
The infant should be kept dry, with free respiratory passages. |
| 4. |
The appliance should protect the infant against bumps and jolts
during the evacuation. |
| 5. |
The appliance should allow a care-giver to regulate the heat
exchange between the infant and its surroundings. |
b) Child
Ergonomic properties should be relevant to the child's motor development.
c) Physically handicapped
| 1. |
The appliance should contribute to enabling a care-giver to
rescue the physically handicapped. |
| 2. |
The appliance should keep the physically handicapped firmly
in position in all situations. |
| 3. |
The appliance should protect the physically handicapped against
bumps and jolts during the evacuation. |
| 4. |
The appliance should allow the physically handicapped to be
assisted by up to 4 persons during an evacuation. |
(14) Thermal properties
| a) |
Group 1: No thermal protection requirement, the user
is informed about X minutes at 20℃. |
| b) |
Group 2: The appliance is designed to give the user
at least X minutes before the core temperature is down 2℃ at an air and sea temperature
of 10℃, in a moderate sea. |
| c) |
Group 3: The appliance is designed to give the user
at least X minutes before the core temperature is down 2℃ at an air and sea temperature
of 5℃, in a moderate sea. |
| d) |
Group 4: The appliance is designed to give the user
at least X minutes before the core temperature is down 2℃ at an air and sea temperature
of 0℃, in a moderate sea. |
X minutes = average time to core temperature △2℃ at a state of inactivity with normal clothing at 20℃ air and sea water temperature in circulating water, or a higher temperature which gives more than 3 hours.
(15) Verification of thermal properties
Any appliance is to be tested by having a number of test persons with a body temperature of 37.0 to 37.5℃ lie in a pool, wearing the appliance. The pool should have circulating water which is also to be sprayed over the test persons, with a stable air and water temperature. The time it takes for the core temperature of the test persons to go down 2℃ is measured and the average calculated for classification.
(16) Marking
Appliances should be clearly marked with:
| a) |
user group; |
| b) |
size; |
| c) |
protection category, and measured average time for core temperature
to go down Δ 2℃(X); |
| d) |
instructions for donning and use, and limitations; |
| e) |
manufacturer and approving authority; and |
| f) |
production date and the manufacturer's service intervals. |
(17) Information and instruction
Appliances should be delivered with an instruction video and posters containing instructions for use and maintenance, as well as information about any limitations for use of the appliance.
(18) Additional equipment
| a) |
Inflatable equipment. |
| b) |
inflatable extra buoyancy. |
| c) |
Light. |
| d) |
Whistle. |
| e) |
Rescue tools. |
| f) |
Homing equipment. |
(19) Overview
| Size |
Infant |
Child |
Adult |
Big Adult |
Special |
| Thermal Group |
1 |
[P] |
P |
C, E, P |
C, E, P |
P |
| 2 |
[P] |
P |
C, E, P |
C, E, P |
P |
| 3 |
P |
P |
C, E, P |
C, E, P |
P |
| 4 |
P |
P |
C, P |
C, P |
P |
|
| Target group: |
P=Passenger C=Crew E=Evacuation crew |
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