Vacuum-packed immersion suits

The Regulations of 1 July 2014 No. 1019 on life-saving appliances on ships and the Regulations of 5 January 1998 No. 6 on the construction, eqiuipment and operation of high-speed craft used as passenger craft or cargo craft stipulate requirements for keeping a certain number of immersion suits on board passenger ships and cargo ships.

The Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) is aware that approved immersion suits are being offered for sale as vacuum-packed units. Such vacuum-packed suits cannot be unpacked and inspected as required by SOLAS Chapterl III. Nevertheless, the NMA accepts this kind of packaging, and considers such vacuum-packes suits to satisfy the requirements of SOLAS regulation III/20.7 and 36 when the following conditions are met:

• Instructions for monthly inspections of vacuum-packed units from the manufacturer's representative shall be available on board. The NMA accepts such instructions in lieu of the monthly inspection procedure described in MSC/Circ.1047.

• A sufficient number of immersion suits in standard packaging, of the same type as the suits that are vacuum-packed, must be available to the ship's crew for drills.

• The packaging of the suits must be inspected in accordance with SOLAS Regulation III/20.7 and 36. Should the packaging be damaged or if there is a loss of vacuum, the suits must either be removed from the packaging and inspected in accordance with MSC/Circ.1047 and MSC/Circ.1114 or sent to the manufacturer or a service station for service and repacking.

• MSC/Circ.1114 recommends that immersion suits undergo a pressure test every three years, but the circular does not concern vacuum-packed immersion suits. The Norwegian Maritime Authority accepts that pressure testing of vacuum-packed immersion suits is carried out at intervals laid down by the manufacturer. If the manufacturer has not laid down test intervals, MSC/Circ.1114 must be followed.

• Immersion suits that have been removed from its vacuum packaging must  be treated as suits in standard packaging in respect of the inspections specified in SOLAS Chapter III.

During a survey, the NMA may require that one or more vacuum-packed immersion suits be opened for inspection.