The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted a new mandatory regulation for onboard lifting appliances: SOLAS Regulation II-1/3-13. The aim is to provide a uniform level of safety for their design, construction and installation, as well as to stipulate consistent requirements for periodical examinations, load tests, maintenance, inspections and operation.
This new regulation will enter into force on 1 January 2026.
If you operate a SOLAS vessel, the permanently installed lifting appliances listed in Table 1 must comply with the applicable requirements of the new SOLAS Regulation II-1/3-13, taking into account the associated Guidelines in MSC.1/Circ.1663.
In general, the Regulation also applies to lifting appliances with a safe working load (SWL) of less than 1,000 kg, unless otherwise stated by the vessel’s flag state administration.
However, it does not apply to lifting appliances on vessels certified as Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs), nor to lifting appliances on offshore construction ships which comply with other standards acceptable to the Administration.
The Regulation also does not apply to mobile and non-permanently installed lifting appliances and to dedicated life-saving launching appliances according to LSA-Code.
Figure 1: Overview of compliance dates for NB and SiO