Life raft Regulations

ES-TRIN Article 19.09, paragraph 5 (Special provisions applicable to passenger vessels) - Life-saving equipment

The term ‘collective life-saving appliances’ covers ship's boats according to Article 13.07 and life rafts.
Life rafts shall:

a) bear a notice indicating their purpose and the number of persons for whom they are approved;

b) offer adequate seating space for the permitted number of persons;

c) provide a buoyancy of at least 750 N per person in fresh water;

d) be provided with a rope linked to the passenger vessel to prevent them drifting away;

e) be made of suitable materials and be resistant to oil, oil products and temperatures up to 50 °C;

f) assume and maintain a stable trim and, in this respect, be fitted with appropriate devices enabling them to be grabbed by the indicated number of persons;

g) be fluorescent orange in colour or have fluorescent surfaces, visible from all sides, of at least 100 cm2;

h) be such that they can be released from their stowed position and put overboard quickly and safely by one person, or can float free from their stowed position;

i) be provided with appropriate means of evacuation from the evacuation areas referred to in Article 19.06 (paragraph 8), onto the life rafts if the vertical distance between the deck of the evacuation areas and the plane of maximum draught is greater than 1 m.