資料2 DE47/5/3

INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

1 As mentioned at the forty-sixth session of the Sub-Committee, Japan investigated the reports of specific accidents with lifeboats and considered that the standardization of "operation and maintenance manuals for lifeboat release gear systems" was one of the essential and immediate tasks of the Sub-Committee for preventing such accidents (DE 46/9/7). The Sub-Committee supported the proposal in general and noted the intention of Japan to submit the draft manual to DE 47 for consideration (paragraph 9.3 of DE 46/32).

　

2 After the forty-sixth session of the Sub-Committee, Japan further investigated on this issue and considers that guidelines for developing operation and maintenance manuals for lifeboat systems, not only for release gear systems, are more effective to prevent such accidents, taking into account the user-friendliness for seafarers.

　

　

3 Based on the results of our investigation on accidents with lifeboat systems, it was concluded that the following aspects were important for such manuals to prevent misunderstanding by seafarers of operation and maintenance of lifeboat systems:

　

　

4 Regarding collaboration of manufacturers of the lifeboat and the launching appliances, Japan found some manuals separately prepared by the manufacturers of lifeboats and by the manufacturers of launching systems. In these cases, sometimes, different words are used for expressing one gear, e.g. release lever and release handle. Such inconsistency in a set of manuals for a lifeboat and a launching appliance for the lifeboat may result in misunderstanding of seafarers. In view of this, the use of standardized wording is important. Furthermore, manuals for a lifeboat and its launching system are usually separated while a lifeboat and its launching appliances are used as one. It is preferable to incorporate these manuals into one comprehensive manual.

　

5 The use of standardized wording is effective for the familiarization of seafarers with operation and maintenance of lifeboats and launching appliances un-experienced. Taking into account that seafarers often change ships, it is important to use standardized wording in manuals for various lifeboat systems.

　

6 The use of enough figures for explanation in a manual is also important to make the manual more user-friendly. In view of this, the use of standardized pictograms for indicating essential gears of lifeboats and their launching appliances is important to prevent miss-operation.

　

　

7 Japan is of the opinion that the Sub-Committee should provide appropriate "guidelines for developing operation and maintenance manuals for lifeboat systems" as early as possible, e.g. by means of an MSC circular, to make such manuals more user-friendly.

　

　

8 Though Japan has not prepared the preliminary draft proposed comprehensive guidelines for lifeboat systems including launching systems, the draft guidelines for release gear systems, which are the most important parts in view of prevention of lifeboat accidents, were prepared as set out in the annex to this document. Japan considers that one of the effective ways to prevent lifeboat accidents is to provide guidelines for release gear systems, prior to developing the comprehensive guidelines for lifeboat systems and their launching systems, because the guidelines on the manuals for release gear systems can be developed earlier than the guidelines on the manuals for lifeboat systems.

　

　

9 The Sub-Committee is invited to consider the guidelines for developing operation and maintenance manuals for "release gear systems of lifeboats" or "life boat systems" and take action as it deems appropriate, taking into account the comments mentioned above and the information set out in the annex to this document.

　

　

　

　

　

1 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its [seventy-ninth session (date)], taking into account the number of accidents with lifeboat systems, further recognizing the need to improve manuals on operation and maintenance of lifeboat release gear systems, and having considered proposals by the forty-seventh session of the Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Equipment (DE), approved the Guidelines for developing" operation and maintenance manuals for lifeboat on-load/off-load release gear systems", as set out in the annex.

　

2 Member Governments are invited to bring the annexed Guidelines to all the parties concerned for their application, as appropriate.

　

　

　

　

　

Seafarers often change ships and sometimes are not familiar with the lifeboats on their ships. Accidents with lifeboat systems are often caused by the poor understanding of the lifeboat systems, especially of release gear systems. User-friendliness of manuals for systems is important to prevent accidents with the systems. The purpose of these guidelines is to provide the basis for developing user-friendly manuals for operation and maintenance of release gear systems of lifeboats to make such manuals easy to understand. The following instructions are for developing the relevant parts for release gear systems in manuals for operation and maintenance of lifeboat systems. Manufacturers of lifeboats and launching/recovery appliances are invited to make manuals easy to understand, based on the following instructions regarding release gear systems.

　

These guidelines are not applicable to the drafting of emergency instructions required by SOLAS regulation III/8, operating instructions such as posters and signs required by SOLAS regulation III/9 and other brief instructions for the operation of lifeboats.

　

　

　

The operation and maintenance manual for on-load/off-load release gear systems should consist of the following items:

　

　

Figures, preferably coloured ones, or photos should be used as far as practicable to make manuals easy to understand.

　

　

The structure and mechanism of the release gear should be explained using three-dimensional figures and perspectives. In addition, representative phases during the operation of the release mechanism should be described sequentially.

　

　

Operation of release gear systems should be shown in accordance with the following instructions:

　

　

　

　

Weekly inspection, monthly inspection, annual inspection, overhaul inspection and on-load release test at 1.1 times overload should be explained separately. The methods for maintenance and inspection should be described and criteria for judgment should also be clarified.

　

　

The following standard wording should be used:

　

　

　

An example of an operation and maintenance manual of lifeboat release gear systems, other than free-fall lifeboats, is attached in the following pages.