The Marine Department of the Hong Kong SAR has published note on the amendments to the International Life-Saving Appliance Code (LSA Code) and the Revised Recommendation on Testing of Life-Saving Appliances.
The amendments, which will enter force on 1 January 2026, decisions made following the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee 108th session earlier this year.
Chapter II of the LSA Code has been amended to improve the minimum in-water performance standards for SOLAS lifejackets. Chapter IV of the LSA Code is amended to ensure adequate safety standards for lifeboats and rescue boats fitted with single fall and hook systems. The amendments to Chapter VI of the LSA Code address the issue on the lowering speed of fully loaded survival craft and rescue boats.
In view of the above-mentioned change in Chapter II and VI of the amended LSA Code, the Revised Recommendation with regard to the test of SOLAS lifejackets and fully loaded survival craft and rescue boats, is therefore modified by Resolution MSC.563(108) accordingly.
The relevant provisions under paragraphs 2.8 of Part 1 and 6.1 of Part 2 of the annex to Resolution MSC.81(70) are amended to align with the associated amendments to the LSA Code as specified in the aforesaid Resolution MSC.554(108).
The amendments will enter into force on 1 January 2026 and are to be applied to lifesaving appliances installed on or after 1 January 2026, where the expression “installed on or after 1 January 2026”, means:
• for ships for which the building contract is placed on or after 1 January 2026, or in the absence of the contract, the keels of which are laid or which are at a similar stage of construction on or after 1 January 2026, all installations of the specified type on board those ships; or
• for ships other than those ships specified in (a) above, all installations of the specified type, having a contractual delivery date for the equipment or, in the absence of a contractual delivery date to the ship, actually delivered to the ship on or after 1 January 2026.
Download the PDF: Hong Kong Merchant Shipping Note 41/2024
