ISO 18079-2:2018

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 18079-2
First edition
2018-06
Ships and marine technology —
Servicing of inflatable life-saving
appliances —
Part 2:
Inflatable life rafts
Navires et technologie maritime — Entretien des
dispositifs de sauvetage gonflables —
Partie 2: Radeaux pneumatiques de sauvetage
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
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Fax: +41 22 749 09 47
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
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 inflatable life rafts . 1
4.1 General . 1
4.2 Initial visual inspection . 2
4.3 Test procedures . 2
4.3.1 General. 2
4.3.2 Gas inflation (GI) test . 2
4.3.3 Necessary additional pressure (NAP) test . 2
4.3.4 Working pressure (WP) test . 3
4.3.5 Floor inspection . 3
4.3.6 Floor seam (FS) test . 3
4.3.7 Additional tests and inspections . 4
4.3.8 Davit-launched inflatable life raft overload testing . 4
4.3.9 Gas inflation systems inspection . 4
5 Documentation . 4
5.1 General . 4
5.2 General information to be recorded . 5
5.3 Test data to be recorded . 5
5.4 Condemnation Documentation for life rafts . 5
5.5 Control objects to be included in the inspection schedule . 6
5.5.1 General. 6
5.5.2 Life raft container/valise . 6
5.5.3 Davit-launched life raft container/valise . 6
5.5.4 Life raft external . 6
5.5.5 Life raft internal . 6
5.5.6 Emergency pack . 6
5.5.7 Gas cylinder . 6
5.5.8 Hydrostatic release Unit . 6
6 Deficiency records . 6
Annex A (normative) Test schedule for inflatable life rafts. 7
Annex B (informative) Guidelines for floor seam (FS) test supports . 8
Annex C (normative) Cylinder leak test — CO only . 9
Annex D (informative) Condemnation form for inflatable life rafts .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
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
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
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see the following
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 inflatable life rafts and it is intended for use as a companion
to the IMO recommendation and also to encompass all other relevant inflatable life rafts not regulated
by IMO/SOLAS.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 18079-2:2018(E)
Ships and marine technology — Servicing of inflatable life-
saving appliances —
Part 2:
Inflatable life rafts
1 Scope
This document, in conjunction with ISO 18079-1, provides provisions for servicing stations servicing
inflatable life rafts referred to in SOLAS III/20.8. This document is applicable to non-SOLAS inflatable
life rafts, 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 18079-1:2018, Ships and marine technology — Part 1: Servicing of inflatable life-saving appliances
Recommendation on conditions for the approval of servicing stations for inflatable life rafts, as adopted
by IMO assembly resolution A.761(18), and amended by resolutions MSC.55(66) and MSC.388(94)
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 18079-1 and the following 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
flag state
state under whose laws the ship is registered or licensed
4 Servicing of inflatable life rafts
4.1 General
Inflatable liferafts approved by a SOLAS contracting government or its recognised organisations
shall be inspected and serviced in accordance with paragraphs 4 and 5 of the annex to IMO Assembly
Resolution A.761(18), as amended. This shall include the following unless otherwise specified.
The following tests and procedures shall be carried out, except where noted otherwise, at every
servicing of an inflatable life raft fitted as life-saving appliance. Inflatable life raft servicing 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 Initial visual inspection
4.2.1 The life raft shall be visually inspected before performing the tests required according to 4.3.
This visual inspection shall, as a minimum, include the following in accordance with the instructions of
the manufacturers servicing manual.
4.2.2 The container or valise shall be inspected for damage and signs of pilferage. This shall include
inspection of outer appendages, lines, sealing, closing bands and labels.
4.2.3 The life raft container or valise shall then be opened and the still folded life raft and the interior
of the container or valise shall be inspected for signs of dampness or damage.
4.3 Test procedures
4.3.1 General
Following the visual inspections in 4.2, the life raft shall be subject to the following tests at frequencies
as described in Annex A. The tests shall be performed in accordance with the manufacturer's
servicing manual.
4.3.2 Gas inflation (GI) test
Gas inflation (GI) test shall be carried out at five-year intervals, and when undertaking a GI test, special
attention shall be paid to the effectiveness of the relief valves.
The folded life raft shall be removed from its container before activating the fitted gas inflation system.
After gas inflation has been initiated, sufficient time shall be allowed to enable the pressure in
the buoyancy tubes to become stabilized and any formation of solid particles of the inflation gas to
evaporate.
After this period, the buoyancy tubes shall, if necessary, be topped up with air, and the life raft subjected
to a pressure holding test over a period of not less than one hour, during which the pressure drop will
not exceed 5 % of the working pressure.
Life rafts associated with a marine evacuation system having been deployed and successfully inflated
in conjunction with a rotational deployment in accordance with ISO 18079-4:2018, Clause 7 shall be
deemed to have satisfied the gas inflation test.
4.3.3 Necessary additional pressure (NAP) test
Each life raft shall be subjected to the necessary additional pressure (NAP) test at yearly intervals after
the tenth year of the life raft's service life unless earlier servicing is deemed necessary as a result of
visual inspection.
The life raft shall be removed from its container or valise and from its reta
...