Skip to main content

Lifeboats

Volume 697: debated on Monday 10 December 2007

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have assessed the extent to which seafarers are affected by the current rate of on-load hook failure accidents during lifeboat drills; and what assessment they have made of the attitude of seafarers to lifeboat drills; and [HL566]

Whether they have assessed the current rate of on-load hook failure accidents during lifeboat drills. [HL567]

An assessment of accidents can be found in the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s (MCA) Research Project 555 on the development of lifeboat design, which is located on the MCA’s website as follows: www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga-guidance-regulation/mcga-dqs-research_reports/2006_-_2010-2.htm

Feedback to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) suggests that seafarers have concerns with participating in a drill where they are required to be lowered in a lifeboat fitted with on-load release gear.

The United Kingdom is working at the International Maritime Organisation to amend the requirements for on-load hooks so that all new hooks fail-safe in the closed position.