5330 NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE No. 190

(b) have successfully undergone, to the satisfaction of the Director, tests which are substantially equivalent to those specified in those recommendations.

4. Production Tests—The Director may require life-saving appliances to be subjected to such production tests as are considered necessary by the Director to ensure that life-saving appliances are manufactured to the same standard as the accepted prototype. Such tests may be required to be on a random or regular basis.

5. Construction of Lifeboats, Rescue Boats, Dinghies, Liferafts and Buoyant Apparatus—(1) Every lifeboat, rescue boat, dinghy, liferaft or buoyant apparatus carried in a ship to which the Shipping (Lifesaving Appliances) Regulations 1989 apply shall be constructed in accordance with performance standards. Provided that any lifeboat, rescue boat, dinghy, liferaft or buoyant apparatus accepted for carriage on an existing ship may continue to be so carried so long as it remains in good order and condition to the satisfaction of a surveyor.

(2) Where any lifeboat, rescue boat, dinghy, liferaft or buoyant apparatus carried on an existing ship to which the Shipping (Lifesaving Appliances) Regulations 1989 apply is to be replaced it shall so far as is practicable be replaced with a lifeboat, rescue boat, dinghy, liferaft or buoyant apparatus complying with the provisions of a performance standard issued pursuant to clause 2 of this Code of Practice.

6. Carrying Capacity of Lifeboats, Rescue Boats and Dinghies—The number of persons which a lifeboat, rescue boat or dinghy shall be deemed fit to carry shall be determined in accordance with performance standards. Provided that for existing lifeboats, rescue boats or dinghies on existing ships, the capacity marked thereon at the commencement of the Shipping (Lifesaving Appliances) Regulations 1989, as determined under the Shipping Lifesaving Appliances Rules 1968, shall continue to be accepted for the purposes of the Shipping (Lifesaving Appliances) Regulations 1989.

7. Carrying Capacity of Liferafts and Buoyant Apparatus—(1) Subject to the provisions of sub-clauses (2) and (3) of this clause the number of persons which a liferaft shall be deemed fit to carry and a buoyant apparatus shall be deemed fit to support shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of performance standards.

(2) Every liferaft carried in a ship of Class I, II, III, VII, VIIA or VIII shall have a capacity of not less than 6 persons and every liferaft carried in a ship of Class IV, V, VI, IX, or X shall have a capacity of not less than 4 persons.

(3) Unless the liferaft is to be launched by a launching appliance complying with the requirements of the performance standard for launching appliances and is not required to be portable, the total mass of the liferaft, its container and its equipment shall not be more than 185 kg.

8. Marking of Lifeboats, Rescue Boats, Dinghies, Liferafts and Buoyant Apparatus—(1) The dimensions of every lifeboat, rescue boat or dinghy and the number of persons which each is deemed fit to carry shall be clearly marked on it in permanent characters. The name and port of registry of the ship to which a lifeboat or rescue boat belongs shall also be marked in permanent characters on each side of the bow.

(2) The number of persons which an inflatable liferaft is deemed fit to carry shall be clearly marked in permanent characters on the liferaft and on the valise or other container in which the liferaft is contained when not in use. Every such liferaft shall also bear a serial number and the manufacturer’s name.

(3) The number of persons which a rigid liferaft is deemed fit to carry shall be clearly marked in permanent characters on the liferaft. The name and port of Registry of the ship on which it is carried shall also be painted or marked on the liferaft.

(4) The number of persons which a buoyant apparatus is deemed fit to support shall be clearly marked on it in permanent characters.

9. Operational Readiness, Maintenance, Inspections and Servicing—(1) All life-saving appliances shall be in working order and ready for immediate use before any ship commences a voyage and at all times during the voyage.

(2) Maintenance of life-saving appliances shall be carried out in accordance with the instructions for on-board maintenance, or in accordance with a shipboard planned maintenance programme which includes the requirements of Part II of the Performance Standard for Training Manual and Maintenance Instruction.

(3) Falls used in launching shall be turned end for end at intervals of not more than 30 months and be renewed when necessary due to deterioration of the falls or at intervals of not more than 5 years, whichever is the earlier. Stainless steel falls shall be turned end for end at intervals of not more than 30 months but need not be renewed provided that on inspection there are no signs of mechanical damage or other possible defects.

(4) Spares and repair equipment shall be provided for life-saving appliances and their components which are subject to excessive wear or consumption and need to be replaced regularly.

(5) The following tests and inspections shall be carried out weekly:

(a) all survival craft, rescue boats and launching appliances shall be visually inspected to ensure that they are ready for use;

(b) all engines in lifeboats and rescue boats shall be run ahead and astern for a total period of not less than 3 minutes provided the ambient temperature is not lower than that at which the engine is required to start; and

(c) the general emergency alarm system shall be tested.

(6) Inspection of the life-saving appliances, including lifeboat equipment, shall be carried out monthly using the check list referred to in Part II of the Performance Standard for Training Manual and Maintenance Instruction. A report of the inspection shall be entered in the log referred to in clause 4 (7) of Part II of that standard.

(7) Liferaft automatic release hooks shall be serviced at intervals not exceeding 30 months and shall be proof tested at 100 per cent safe working load at intervals not exceeding 5 years.

(8) Rescue boat release gears and lifeboat disengaging gears shall be overhauled at intervals not exceeding 5 years. At least once every 5 years rescue boats and lifeboats shall be turned out and lowered when loaded with weights to simulate their full safe working load.

(9) Every inflatable liferaft, inflated and rigid inflated rescue boat, inflatable lifebuoy and hydrostatic release unit shall be serviced at a servicing station or at the works of the manufacturer at intervals of not more than 12 months; provided that in any case where a surveyor is satisfied that this is not reasonable or practicable he may extend such intervals by a period of not exceeding 3 months in any one instance and cumulatively by not more than 5 months in any period of 4 consecutive years.

(10) Emergency repairs to inflated and rigid inflated rescue boats and inflated boats may be carried out on board ships but permanent repairs shall be effected at a servicing station as soon as practicable.

10. Operating Instructions for Survival Craft and their Launching Controls—Posters and signs provided on or in the vicinity of survival craft and their launching controls shall: