Life-Saving Appliances
Get full regulatory compliance for all Life-Saving Appliances (LSA) on your ships and offshore units, with both type-approval documents and certifications.
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Life-Saving Appliances
Ensuring high standards of safety in all your life-saving equipment is crucial not only for successful operations – but, most importantly, for saving lives in emergency situations.
DNV experts perform certification services in accordance with our own DNV class rules as well as with international regulations such as the SOLAS Convention and the LSA Code.
Key benefits
- Rest assured knowing that you have a seal of quality for your life-saving appliances. Certification from DNV demonstrates that your equipment meets strict international safety and quality standards.
- Gain technical support and guidance on life-saving equipment. Benefit from our expertise throughout the certification process, helping you navigate requirements, improve designs and ensure compliance efficiently.
- Give your customers trust in your safety equipment. Independent verification from a trusted third party reassures your customers that your life-saving equipment is reliable, safe and fit for purpose.
Certifications for life-saving appliances
- Marine Equipment Directive (MED) certification
- Marine Equipment Rule (MER) certification
- Type approval according to DNV rules
- Design Verification Report (DVR) documenting that a design meets specific requirements
Frequently Asked Questions
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These are just some of the life-saving appliances that DNV certifies under MED and MER:
- Personal life-saving gear (life jackets, immersion suits, thermal aids)
- Survival craft (lifeboats, life rafts, rescue boats)
- Emergency signalling devices (flares, smoke signals)
- Evacuation systems and boarding equipment
- Firefighting equipment (extinguishers, hoses, nozzles, breathing apparatus)
- Fixed fire suppression systems (sprinklers, foam, gas systems)
- Firefighter protective gear (clothing, helmets, gloves)
- Fire-resistant structures and materials (doors, divisions, insulation, furniture)
- Detection, containment and evacuation support systems
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Any changes or additions with respect to other companies involved shall be continuously reported by applying for a modification of the certificate at our DNV local office. Modifications can be done at any time. If you apply for a modification at the time of renewal, the renewal becomes a renewal with modification.
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Contact our DNV local office, who will provide an application form for type approval (TA). You will need to ensure that your product meets the relevant requirements for TA. When a TA is applied for, an initial assessment will be carried out by DNV to confirm that you have a quality system in operation ensuring the consistent production of products for which the TA is requested. The initial assessment normally includes a visit/survey at the place of manufacture.
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Your certification process at DNV starts with advice on the assessment procedures (modules) relevant for your product. In this process, you will need to identify and ensure compliance with the relevant regulatory requirements, as well as your duties and obligations as a manufacturer, while DNV supports you throughout the process.
This includes your completed MED/MER application form and all the other necessary documents as well as testing by a recognized laboratory or with the presence of a DNV surveyor.
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The English language shall be used in the documentation. The general documentation required for all TA applications is, amongst others:
- Main drawings (or equivalent)
- Design calculations (if applicable)
- Reliability documentation (if required)
- Product identification/marking details
- Material specifications
- Operating characteristics
- Type test programme and report
- Intended use and operational limits
- Functional description
- Initial assessment report
Related links
Download the IMO Resolution MSC.402(96)
Requirements for maintenance, thorough examination, operational testing, overhaul and repair of lifeboats and rescue boats, launching appliances and release gear
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