Vasai, Maharashtra
The International Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) Code is the IMO rulebook for the equipment ships carry to save lives. It was adopted by Resolution MSC.48(66), became mandatory under SOLAS on 1 July 1998, and has been amended since. SOLAS chapter III says what a ship must carry; the LSA Code says what each item must do.
The seven chapters
| Chapter | What it covers |
|---|---|
| I. General | Definitions, and the requirements every appliance meets, including colour and retro-reflective material |
| II. Personal life-saving appliances | Lifebuoys, lifejackets, immersion suits, anti-exposure suits and thermal protective aids |
| III. Visual signals | Rocket parachute flares, hand flares and buoyant smoke signals |
| IV. Survival craft | Liferafts, inflatable and rigid, and lifeboats of each type |
| V. Rescue boats | Rescue boats, including fast rescue boats |
| VI. Launching and embarkation appliances | Launching appliances, embarkation arrangements and marine evacuation systems |
| VII. Other life-saving appliances | Line-throwing appliances, and the general alarm and public address system |
Chapter II, where MM’s range sits
- Lifebuoys (2.1.1), their self-igniting lights (2.1.2) and buoyant lifelines (2.1.4): see the lifebuoy ring specification.
- Lifejackets (2.2.1), with the whistle they carry, and lifejacket lights (2.2.3): see SOLAS life jacket requirements.
- The test figures for each, as the Code sets them: what the approvals demand.
MM products that name IRS type approval
- Heavy Side Release Buckle – MMB42: SOLAS LSA Code, IRS Type Approval, ISO 12402-7:2006/Amd 1:2011, CE, as stated by MM.
- MM Life Jacket Model: MMLJ: IRS Type Approval, SOLAS LSA Code, as stated by MM.
- MM Life Jacket Model: SIGMA: IRS Type Approval, SOLAS LSA Code, BS EN ISO 12402:2020, PFD Type III, CE, as stated by MM.
- Life Jacket Whistle – MMLJW: SOLAS LSA Code, IRS Type Approval, CE, as stated by MM.
- Lifebuoy Light (S.I. Light) – MMLBL: SOLAS LSA Code, IRS Type Approval, CE, as stated by MM.
- MM Lifebuoy Model: MMLB 2.5 & MMLB 4: SOLAS LSA Code, IRS Type Approval, CE, MED Directive 2014/90/EU, BS EN 14144:2003, BS EN ISO 12402:2020, Directive 2014/35/EU, as stated by MM.
A ship’s life-saving appliances, in brief
- Survival craft: lifeboats and liferafts for everyone on board, and a rescue boat.
- Lifebuoys, by the ship’s length, with lights, smoke signals and lifelines.
- A lifejacket for every person, and immersion suits or thermal protective aids where required.
- Pyrotechnic distress signals and a line-throwing appliance.
- Two-way VHF radios and search and rescue locating devices for the survival craft (SOLAS regulation III/6).
How approval works
An appliance is type-approved against the Code by the flag administration or an organisation it recognises, such as the Indian Register of Shipping. The SOLAS vs non-SOLAS guide explains what to ask a supplier for.
Approvals named are as stated by MM Techno Plast; the certification register says which MM holds a certificate for.