Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) Code, 2010 Edition

Update: Errata for the LSA Code, 2010 Edition, has been published and is available to download here. The errata contains four minor changes to the text of the LSA Code.

Update: Supplement for the LSA Code, 2010 Edition, has been published and is available to download here

Update: Corrigendum for the LSA Code, 2010 Edition, has been published and is available to download here

This publication contains the three most important IMO instruments dealing with life-saving appliances, namely the International Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) Code, the Revised Recommendation on Testing of Life-Saving Appliances and the Code of Practice for the Evaluation, Testing and Acceptance of Prototype Novel Life-Saving Appliances.

The International Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) Code was adopted by IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) at its 66th session (June 1996) by resolution MSC.48(66). It provides international requirements for the life-saving appliances required by chapter III of the 1974 SOLAS Convention, including personal life-saving appliances, such as lifebuoys, lifejackets, immersion suits, anti-exposure suits and thermal protective aids; visual aids, such as parachute flares, hand flares and buoyant smoke signals; survival craft, such as life rafts and lifeboats; rescue boats; launching and embarkation appliances and marine evacuation systems line throwing appliances; and general alarm and public address systems.

The LSA Code was made mandatory by resolution MSC.47(66) under SOLAS regulation III/3.10, whereby regulation III/34 determines that all life-saving appliances and arrangements shall comply with its requirements. The LSA Code entered into force on 1 July 1998 and has been amended in accordance with SOLAS Article VIII as follows:

by the May 2006 amendments, which were adopted by resolution MSC.207(81) and will enter into force on 1 July 2010;
by the December 2006 amendments, which were adopted by resolution MSC.218(82) and entered into force on 1 July 2008; and
by the 2008 amendments, which were adopted by resolution MSC.272(85) and will enter into force on 1 July 2010.

The consolidated text of the LSA Code in the present publication incorporates the above three sets of amendments, including the two sets entering into force on 1 July 2010, since they were deemed to have been accepted in accordance with the SOLAS amendment procedures on 1 January 2010, and will therefore automatically enter into force on 1 July 2010.