The Maritime Safety Committee #MSC of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), at its 106th session in November 2022, approved the circular SC.1/Circ.1307/Rev.1 with a view to providing amendments to the Guidance on the survey and certification of compliance of ships with the requirement to transmit LRIT information.

The Guidance outlines a number of alternative options for documenting compliance of the shipborne equipment with the requirements of SOLAS regulations /19-1.6 and V/19-1.7 and the related provisions of the revised Performance Standards and functional requirements for the long-range identification and tracking of ships, and sets out the approach to be taken when surveying and certifying the compliance of ships which are required to transmit LRIT information with the aforesaid obligation.

Shipborne equipment
SOLAS regulation V/19-1.6 specifies that the shipboard equipment to be used to transmit LRIT information (shipborne equipment) shall be of a type approved by the Administration.

Compliance of the shipborne equipment with the requirements of SOLAS regulations V/19-1.6 and V/19-1.7 and section 4 of the Revised Performance standards should be demonstrated by the equipment being:

• Of a type approved by the Administration in accordance with the provisions of SOLAS regulation V/19-1.
• Of a type approved by the Administration in accordance with the provisions of SOLAS regulation IV/14 and satisfactorily completing a conformance test in accordance with the procedures and provisions set out in appendix 1
• Certified by the Administration as meeting the requirements of IEC 60945 (2002-08) and IEC 60945 Corr.1 (2008-04) on Maritime navigation and radiocommunication equipment and systems – General requirements – Methods of testing and required test results and satisfactorily completing a conformance test in accordance with the procedures and provisions set out in appendix 1
• Certified by the Administration as meeting the requirements of the provisions of regulation XI-2/6; and the provisions of either resolution MSC.136(76) on performance standards for a ship security alert system or of resolution MSC.147(77) on Adoption of the Revised performance standards for a ship security alert system and the provisions of section 4 of the Revised Performance standards; and satisfactorily completing a conformance test in accordance with the procedures and provisions set out in appendix 1.

First survey of the radio installation

SOLAS regulations V/19-1.4.1.2 and V/19-1.4.1.3 refer to the first survey of the radio installation after 31 December 2008 and after 1 July 2009, respectively.

Unless the Administration concerned has, taking into account the provisions of MSC.1/Circ.1290 on Unified interpretation of the term “first survey” referred to in SOLAS regulations, specified otherwise, the first survey of the radio installation for ships entitled to fly the flag of:

• Contracting Governments, is the first periodical survey of the radio installation in accordance with the provisions of regulation I/9 of the Convention and MSC.1/Circ.1307/Rev.1
• Contracting Governments which are also State Parties to the Protocol, is the first renewal survey or the first periodical survey of the radio installation, which ever of the two becomes due first, in accordance with the provision of regulation I/9 of the Convention as modified by the Protocol.
• For the purposes of implementation of the provisions of SOLAS regulations V/19-1.4.1.2 and V/19-1.4.1.3, the date of the “first survey”
• Is not altered as a result of either surveys conducted in relation to the transfer of the flag of the ships or as a consequence of any scheduled or unscheduled inspections or surveys or any additional or occasional surveys required by the Administration.

Source: Safety4sea

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	Issue 83 of Robban Assafina (Jan./ Feb. 2023)