Lifeboats, davits and release gear: what MSC.402(96) requires

Why these rules exist

When IMO reviewed lifeboat accidents in 2009, it recorded many seafarers injured or killed during drills and inspections. The causes kept coming back: release gear that failed or opened by accident, poor maintenance, poor communication, crews unfamiliar with the equipment, and design faults. Resolution MSC.402(96) was the answer. It defines who may examine and service the equipment, how those people are authorised, and what is tested when. SOLAS III/3 and III/20.11 made it mandatory from 1 January 2020 (Res. MSC.404(96)).

It covers lifeboats including free-fall boats, rescue boats and fast rescue boats, their launching appliances, and on-load and off-load release gear, including the gear of davit-launched liferafts.

Who may do what

Work	Who
Weekly and monthly inspections, routine maintenance	The crew under a senior officer, or an authorised service provider
Annual thorough examination and operational test	Certified technicians of an authorised service provider (or the operator itself, if authorised for this)
Five-yearly examination, overhaul, overload tests and repairs	Certified technicians of an authorised service provider

A technician’s certificate is issued for a specific make and type and is valid for three years.

How a service provider is authorised

Service providers are authorised by the flag Administration, not by the equipment maker. The Administration checks tools, spare parts, the maker’s instructions and a certified quality system. Each authorisation names the makes and types it covers, has an expiry date and is audited. An Administration may accept providers authorised by another Administration or through its recognised organisations.

Manufacturers who act as service providers must meet the same requirements, although flags differ in how they apply this. The Marshall Islands, for example, exempts manufacturers servicing their own equipment. Where a maker no longer exists or no longer supports a product, the Administration may authorise providers on the basis of earlier authorisation or proven experience.

The intervals

Item	Interval	Basis
Visual check including hooks fully reset, engine run at least 3 minutes, log-book entry	Weekly	SOLAS III/20.6
Lifeboats (not free-fall) turned out without anyone aboard, weather permitting	Monthly	SOLAS III/20.7
Thorough examination and operational test	Every year, at the annual survey	SOLAS III/20.11, MSC.402(96)
Winch dynamic brake test at full lowering speed with the empty boat	Every year	SOLAS III/20.11.1
Winch brake proof-load test with 1.1 times the boat, full complement and equipment	Every 5 years	SOLAS III/20.11.1
Release gear overhaul and operational test at 1.1 times the fully loaded boat	Every 5 years	SOLAS III/20.11.2
Falls renewed	Within 5 years, earlier if deteriorated	SOLAS III/20.4
Lifeboat launched and manoeuvred by its crew	At least every 3 months	SOLAS III/19
Free-fall boat, real or simulated launch	At least every 6 months	SOLAS III/19

Two points are often out of date in older procedures. Falls no longer have to be turned end for end at 30 months; that requirement was dropped on 1 July 2008. And the five-yearly work should be carried out with a surveyor present.

What changes next

• Ventilation. Since 1 January 2026 (Res. MSC.559(108)) the annual thorough examination includes the boat’s ventilation system.
• Free-fall release test. Resolution MSC.590(111), adopted in May 2026 and expected to enter into force on 1 January 2028, lets the free-fall release be tested under load without launching the boat. Registries report different application dates for the related LSA Code change, so check your flag’s notice.
• Drills. The guidance on safe abandon ship drills has been revised as MSC.1/Circ.1578/Rev.1 (July 2026). Lower the boat empty first, then with only the operating crew, and use the maker’s simulated launching arrangement for free-fall boats.

The paperwork to keep

• The report of each examination, signed by the technician and countersigned by the master or the company’s representative.
• A statement from the service provider that the arrangements remain fit for purpose, with copies of the technician’s certificate and the provider’s authorisation.
• A complete, current set of the maker’s manuals on board.
• All of it kept on board for the life of the equipment.

Checklist before you book

1. Ask for the provider’s authorisation: who issued it, which makes and types it covers and when it expires. Ask for the technician’s certificate too.
2. Book the class or flag surveyor for the five-yearly work.
3. Make sure the crew’s weekly and monthly checks follow the maker’s manual and are logged.
4. Never adjust release gear while the hooks are under load, and stow the boat for the last time with nobody on board.
5. File every report and fitness statement for the life of the equipment.

How we help

We plan the annual and five-yearly work around your port call, carry out the load tests with certified water bags or weights, renew falls and keep the dates in your customer portal. Before booking we confirm which authorisation and technician certificates cover your boat’s make and type. See Lifeboats, rescue boats and davits and Load testing.