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Life-saving appliances are those appliances that protect human life at sea. The devices are documented as part of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, or SOLAS Convention.^[1]

Types

In the SOLAS Convention and other maritime related standards, the safety of human life is paramount. Ships and other watercraft carry life saving appliances including lifeboats, lifebuoys, life-jackets, life raft and many others. Passengers and crew are informed of their availability in case of emergency. Life-saving appliances are mandatory as per chapter 3 of the SOLAS Convention. The International Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) Code^[2] gives specific technical requirements for the manufacture, maintenance and record keeping of life-saving appliances. The number and type of life-saving appliances differ from vessel to vessel, and the code gives a minimum requirement to comply in order to make a ship seaworthy.

Life-saving appliances include

• Lifebuoys and life-jackets
• Immersion suits, anti-exposure suits and thermal protective aids
• Lifeboats
• Life-rafts
• Rescue boats
• Rocket parachute flares
• Hand flares
• Buoyant smoke signals
• Launching and embarkation appliances
• Marine evacuation systems
• Line-throwing appliances
• General emergency alarm system
• Public address system

References