Life‑saving appliances are the final line of defence for ship safety. In an emergency, the reliability and availability of lifeboats, liferafts, lifejackets, and rescue boats directly determine the crew’s chances of survival. The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) imposes strict mandatory requirements for the provision, installation, and testing of life‑saving appliances. Jiangsu Haizhongzhou Shipping Industry Co., Ltd. has established internal acceptance procedures that exceed the standard requirements for the installation, commissioning, and system integration of these appliances.
The installation of lifeboats and rescue boats is a key task. For the free‑fall lifeboats and gravity‑davit lifeboats adopted by Jiangsu Haizhongzhou Shipping Industry Co., Ltd., the following points are strictly controlled: the welding accuracy of the davit foundations, requiring foundation flatness within 3 mm and 100% magnetic particle inspection of the welds connecting to the hull structure; the adjustment of the release mechanism, including the locking status of the hooks, synchronisation of the release, and tension of the remote‑release wire ropes – each release mechanism must undergo at least ten no‑load release tests in the shipyard; and the fit between the boat and the davits, requiring uniform contact at all support points with gaps not exceeding 2 mm.
For lifeboat launching tests, Jiangsu Haizhongzhou Shipping Industry Co., Ltd. conducts actual water launching tests while the vessel is still at the quayside. During the test, the lifeboat is loaded with its full complement of persons (or equivalent weight), and single‑side release and recovery are performed with the vessel’s trim not exceeding 10° and list not exceeding 20°. The time from the abandon‑ship signal to the lifeboat leaving the water and being afloat must be less than 5 minutes, and the recovery speed must be at least 0.3 m/s. After each test, the boat is inspected for leaks, and the engine must start and run properly within 15 seconds. For rescue boats, an additional rapid‑release function test is required to ensure that the boat can reach a person overboard within 5 minutes.
The installation of liferafts, though simpler, is equally critical. Jiangsu Haizhongzhou Shipping Industry Co., Ltd. installs hydrostatic release units at the designated positions on the ship’s side. The orientation, connection method, and expiry date marking of each release unit are checked one by one against SOLAS requirements. The next servicing date is marked on each liferaft container and entered into the vessel’s planned maintenance system. For inflatable liferafts, an external inspection and weighing are carried out before installation to confirm there is no damage and that the weight meets the manufacturer’s specification.
Personal life‑saving appliances such as lifejackets and immersion suits are provided at 110% of the ship’s complement and stowed in visible locations in the accommodation areas, wheelhouse, engine room, etc., with clear pictorial instructions. Before delivery of each vessel, Jiangsu Haizhongzhou Shipping Industry Co., Ltd. organises a simulated abandon‑ship drill, witnessed by the owner’s representative and the classification society surveyor. The drill covers whether the entire crew can muster within 5 minutes, whether the lifeboats are launched smoothly, whether lifejackets are donned correctly, and whether the radio rescue equipment works properly. The drill record is kept as part of the delivery documentation.
Experience at Jiangsu Haizhongzhou Shipping Industry Co., Ltd. shows that the installation of life‑saving appliances, though seemingly simple, involves coordination among multiple disciplines. A single oversight can have irreparable consequences in a critical moment. It is this dedication to detail that has earned the ships built by Jiangsu Haizhongzhou Shipping Industry Co., Ltd. a strong safety reputation in the international shipping market.
