Lifeboat Safety and the RulesLesson 8 of 8
Records and the fit-for-purpose statement
What must be written in the log-book, what a service report must contain and be signed by, and what the fit-for-purpose statement is.
12 minutes · For signed-up learners, free · Rules checked 20 October 2026 · Reviewed by the Lifeboat Inspections technical team
In plain words
On a ship, work that isn’t written down didn’t happen. That is especially true for lifeboats.
There are two kinds of lifeboat records. The first is the ship’s own log-book: every weekly check, every monthly inspection and every drill gets an entry. The second comes from the service technicians after the annual or five-yearly work: a signed report, and a short statement that the lifeboat arrangements “remain fit for purpose”.
Both matter. The technicians read the crew’s records before they start the annual examination. Surveyors and port State inspectors read all of it. And the next crew needs to know what was done, what was found and what was replaced.
This lesson explains what must be recorded, who signs what, how long records are kept, and how to check that a service report is complete before the technicians leave the ship.
Key points
- The weekly inspection and the monthly inspection are each reported in the log-book (SOLAS III/20.6, III/20.7.2).
- Drills are recorded in the log-book; if a drill is not held in full, the entry states the circumstances and the extent of the drill held (SOLAS III/19.5).
- All reports and checklists are signed by the person who did the work and countersigned by the Company’s representative or the master (MSC.402(96) §5.1).
- Records of maintenance, examination, testing, overhaul and repair are kept on board “for the service life of the equipment” (MSC.402(96) §5.2).
- After the work, the manufacturer or authorised service provider promptly issues a statement that the lifeboat arrangements remain fit for purpose, with copies of its authorisation and its technicians’ certification (MSC.402(96) §5.3).
- At the next annual examination, the crew’s inspection and maintenance records are reviewed (MSC.402(96) §6.2.2).
Continue this lesson free
The full lesson, the interactive tool “Check a service report for gaps” and the check are open to signed-up learners. It's free, takes a minute, and opens every lesson in all three courses.
Sources
- Requirements for maintenance, thorough examination, operational testing, overhaul and repair of lifeboats and rescue boats, launching appliances and release gearIMO resolution MSC.402(96), 19 May 2016
- Adoption of amendments to SOLAS 1974 (new chapter III)IMO resolution MSC.47(66), 4 June 1996
- Amendments to SOLAS (regulations III/19 and III/20, weekly and monthly inspections)IMO resolution MSC.152(78), 20 May 2004
- Adoption of the International Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) CodeIMO resolution MSC.48(66), 4 June 1996
- Amendments to MSC.402(96) (ventilation system)IMO resolution MSC.559(108), 23 May 2024
- IACS UR Z17 Procedural requirements for service suppliersIACS, Rev.23, July 2026
- Lifeboat SafetyBahamas Maritime Authority Marine Notice 82, v1.1, 30 October 2023
- Life-saving Appliances and SystemsRepublic of the Marshall Islands Marine Notice 2-011-37, Rev. Dec/2025
- ABS Regulatory News: Brief MSC 111ABS, 22 May 2026
Free awareness training. Lifeboat Inspections is not authorised to issue training certificates, so none is given, and this course is not a qualification. It doesn't replace STCW survival craft training, manufacturer training or MSC.402(96) technician certification. The manufacturer's manual and your flag's rules always come first.