ISO 18079-4:2018

Ships and marine technology - Servicing of inflatable life-saving appliances - Part 4: Marine evacuation systems

This document, in conjunction with ISO 18079‑1, provides provisions for servicing stations for marine evacuation systems referred to in SOLAS III (20.8). This document is applicable to non-SOLAS marine evacuation systems, as appropriate.

Navires et technologie maritime — Entretien des dispositifs de sauvetage gonflables — Partie 4: Systèmes d'évacuation en mer gonflables

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 29-May-2018
• ICS: 47.020.99 - Other standards related to shipbuilding and marine structures
• ICS: 47.080 - Small craft
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 8/SC 1 - Maritime safety
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 8/SC 1/WG 1 - Lifesaving appliances and arrangements
• Current Stage: 9093 - International Standard confirmed
• Start Date: 19-Sep-2023
• Completion Date: 13-Dec-2025

Overview

ISO 18079-4:2018 - Ships and marine technology: Servicing of inflatable life‑saving appliances - Part 4: Marine evacuation systems (MES) provides guidance and mandatory provisions for the servicing, inspection and testing of marine evacuation systems. Written as a companion to ISO 18079‑1 and informed by SOLAS Chapter III (Reg. 20.8), this part focuses on the safe upkeep of inflatable and rigid passages, floating platforms, inflation systems and associated survival craft used for rapid shipboard evacuation.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope and purpose: Provisions for servicing stations working on MES (including applicability to non‑SOLAS systems).
• Servicing procedures: Step‑by‑step requirements for inspections and tests to be carried out at every service in accordance with the manufacturer’s servicing manual.
• Major components covered:
  • Container / stowage arrangement - visual inspection for damage, dampness, corrosion, winches and seals.
  • Bowsing arrangements - inspection of lines, sheaves and winches.
  • Passage - checks for both inflatable passages (pressure and seam checks, air aspirators) and rigid passages (covers, lines, zippers, elasticity of cords).
  • Floating platform - floor and buoyancy inspection, pressure‑holding tests and seam integrity.
  • Inflation system - gas cylinders, inlet/relief valves, hoses and associated hardware.
  • Associated liferafts & structural components - follow ISO 18079‑2 and manufacturer guidance where components cannot be removed.
• Inflatable component tests: Defined test procedures including Working Pressure (WP), Necessary Additional Pressure (NAP) and Floor Seam (FS) tests (frequencies and methods referenced in Annex A and B).
• Record keeping: Detailed servicing records, deficiency records, condemnation documentation and rotational deployment records (Annexes C and D).
• Additional checks: Markings, dated items replacement, dry condition at repacking.

Applications and users

ISO 18079‑4:2018 is intended for:

• Servicing stations seeking certification or implementing consistent servicing protocols for MES.
• Shipowners and operators to maintain compliance with SOLAS and improve onboard safety.
• Manufacturers of marine evacuation systems to define servicing instructions and test methods.
• Maritime administrations and surveyors for regulatory oversight and inspection criteria.
• Safety managers and port state control inspectors assessing readiness of evacuation systems.

Practical applications include developing inspection checklists, establishing test schedules (WP/NAP/FS), training servicing personnel, and maintaining traceable servicing records for statutory compliance.

Related standards

• ISO 18079‑1 - General requirements for servicing of life‑saving appliances
• ISO 18079‑2 - Inflatable liferafts servicing
• SOLAS Chapter III (Reg. 20.8) - IMO requirements for annual servicing

Keywords: ISO 18079-4:2018, marine evacuation systems, MES servicing, SOLAS, inflatable passage, floating platform, WP test, NAP test, floor seam test, servicing stations.

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 18079-4
First edition
2018-06
Ships and marine technology —
Servicing of inflatable life-saving
appliances —
Part 4:
Marine evacuation systems
Navires et technologie maritime — Entretien des dispositifs
de sauvetage gonflables —
Partie 4: Systèmes d'évacuation en mer gonflables
Reference number
©
ISO 2018
© ISO 2018
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
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below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
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Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2018 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Servicing of marine evacuation systems . 2
4.1 General . 2
4.2 Container/stowage arrangement . 2
4.3 Bowsing arrangements . 2
4.4 Passage . 3
4.4.1 Inflatable passage . 3
4.4.2 Rigid passage. 3
4.5 Floating platform . 3
4.6 Inflation system . 3
4.7 Associated liferafts . 4
4.8 Additional measures . 4
4.9 Structural components . 4
4.10 Test procedures for inflatable components . 4
4.10.1 General. 4
4.10.2 Working pressure (WP) test . 4
4.10.3 Necessary additional pressure (NAP) test . 4
4.10.4 Floor seam (FS) test . 5
5 Servicing records . 5
5.1 Overview . 5
5.2 General information . 5
5.3 Information about marine evacuation system condition when received . 5
5.4 Test documentation to be recorded . 6
5.5 Condemnation documentation for marine evacuation systems . 6
5.6 Control objects to be included in the inspection schedule . 6
6 Deficiency records . 7
7 Rotational deployments of marine evacuation systems . 7
Annex A (normative) Frequency of NAP tests, working pressure (WP) and
floor seam strength (FS) . 8
Annex B (informative) Guidelines for floor seam (FS) test supports . 9
Annex C (informative) Condemnation form for inflatable marine evacuation systems .10
Annex D (informative) Record of marine evacuation system deployment .11
Bibliography .12
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
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ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
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on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/patents).
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URL: www .iso .org/iso/foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 8, Ships and marine technology,
Subcommittee SC 1, Maritime safety.
A list of all parts in the ISO 18079 series can be found on the ISO website.
iv © ISO 2018 – All rights reserved

Introduction
The IMO International Convention on the Safety of Life at Sea of 1974 (SOLAS 74) Chapter III
Regulation 20.8 sets requirements for the annual servicing and inspection of inflatable life rafts,
inflatable lifejackets, marine evacuation systems, and maintenance and repair of inflated rescue boats
on ships. This regulation refers to the IMO Recommendation on the conditions for the approval of
servicing stations for inflatable life rafts Assembly resolution A.761(18).
However, this resolution only provides specific standards for the servicing, maintenance and repair
of inflatable life rafts and remains silent for other types of inflatable or inflated life-saving appliances
mentioned by SOLAS Chapter III Regulation 20.8 and consequently, the application of this statutory
requirement could vary widely in practice.
The ISO 18079 series addresses those areas in which the IMO recommendation is silent, in order to
facilitate consistent implementation by maritime Administrations. It is intended for use as a companion
to the IMO recommendation and also to encompass all other relevant life-saving appliances covered by
the ISO 18079 series and not necessarily regulated by IMO instruments.
The IMO Recommendation on the conditions for the approval of servicing stations for inflatable
life rafts Assembly resolution A.761(18) specifies obligations and responsibilities for Administrations,
manufacturers and ship owners. While the ISO 18079 series covers the requirements of this resolution,
it has been rearranged and reformulated in order to enable a single entity, i.e. a servicing station, to
attain certification in accordance with the ISO 18079 series. This does not mean that the specified
obligations and responsibilities are lifted, delegated or otherwise transferred by authority from those
parties to the single entity being certified.
This document addresses the servicing of marine evacuation systems and it is intended for use as a
companion to the IMO recommendation.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 18079-4:2018(E)
Ships and marine technology — Servicing of inflatable life-
saving appliances —
Part 4:
Marine evacuation systems
1 Scope
This document, in conjunction with ISO 18079-1, provides provisions for servicing stations for marine
evacuation systems referred to in SOLAS III (20.8). This document is applicable to non-SOLAS marine
evacuation systems, as appropriate.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 18079-1, Ships and marine technology — Servicing of life-saving appliances — Part 1: General
ISO 18079-2, Ships and marine technology — Servicing of life-saving appliances — Part 2: Inflatable
liferafts
International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— IEC Electropedia: available at http: //www .electropedia .org/
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http: //www .iso .org/obp
3.1
marine evacuation system
MES
appliance for the rapid transfer of persons from the embarkation deck of a ship to a floating platform or
survival craft by means of a passage (3.2)
3.2
passage
integral component of a MES (3.1) to provide a safe descent of persons from the embarkation station to
the floating platform or survival craft
Note 1 to entry: The passage can be an inflatable or rigid slide, a vertical passage (3.4) or any other arrangement
providing the same function.
3.3
inclined passage
horizontally-angled inflatable or rigid component which provide access for persons to a floating
platform (3.5) or directly into survival crafts
3.4
vertical passage
vertically-angled passage (3.2) providing access for persons to a floating platform (3.5) or directly into
survival crafts
3.5
floating platform
inflatable component which may be fitted to the bottom of the passage (3.2) to hold evacuees awaiting
entry to survival craft
3.6
associated survival crafts
survival craft designed to be served by the marine evacuation system (3.1)
3.7
stowage container
container that stows the MES (3.1) or part of the MES
4 Servicing of marine evacuation systems
4.1 General
The following tests and procedures shall be carried out, except where noted otherwise, at every
servicing of a marine evacuation system fitted as life-saving equipment. Servicing of marine evacuation
systems shall be carried out in accordance with the appropriate manufacturer's servicing manual.
Necessary procedures shall include, but not be limited to, the following.
4.2 Container/stowage arrangement
The container/stowage arrangement shall be visually inspected before performing the tests required
according to 4.3 to 4.5.
This visual inspection shall, as a minimum, include the following in accordance with the instructions of
the manufacturers servicing manual.
4.2.1 Inspection of lowering winch (if fitted).
4.2.2 Inspection of the container/stowage arrangement for damage.
4.2.3 Inspection of the interior of the container/stowage arrangement for signs of dampness and
corrosion.
4.2.4 Inspection of hydraulic systems, gas cylinders, high pressure hoses, reduction valves, release
wires, locking systems for doors, seals for doors and transport safety devices, as appropriate.
4.2.5 Inspection of the required marking on the container/stowage arrangement.
4.3 Bowsing arrangements
The components of the bowsing system,
...