Overview
ISO 18813:2022 - Ships and marine technology - Survival equipment for survival craft and rescue boats - specifies design, performance and use requirements for survival equipment carried in survival craft and rescue boats in compliance with SOLAS (1974, as amended) and the IMO Life‑Saving Appliance (LSA) Code. The second edition (2022) updates references, separates maintenance requirements into a normative Annex A and an informative Annex B, and clarifies expiry/replacement language. Note: compliance with ISO 18813:2022 does not relieve manufacturers of a survival craft or rescue boat from evaluating product suitability for their specific application.
Key Topics
ISO 18813:2022 addresses a wide range of survival items and associated requirements:
- Design and performance criteria for survival equipment used in lifeboats, liferafts and rescue boats.
- Testing, marking and construction requirements for equipment such as bilge pumps, bailers, compasses, electric torches, flares, knives, ladders, oars/paddles, radar reflectors, searchlights and more.
- Special item requirements including rations (contents, packaging, testing, expiry), thermal protective aids, first‑aid outfits, fire extinguishers, repair kits, drinking water and signalling devices.
- Maintenance and inspection: Annex A contains normative maintenance and periodic inspection requirements for Administrations; Annex B provides recommendations for Administrations and ship’s crews.
- Format of instructional materials and survival instructions/manuals for users.
Applications
ISO 18813:2022 is practical for organizations involved in maritime safety and procurement:
- Shipbuilders and ship owners/operators for specifying required survival equipment onboard lifeboats, liferafts and rescue boats.
- Equipment manufacturers and liferaft suppliers to design and test products to meet recognized performance and marking criteria.
- Flag State Administrations, classification societies and marine surveyors for regulatory inspection, certification and enforcement aligned with SOLAS and the LSA Code.
- Maritime safety officers and crew trainers for establishing maintenance schedules, onboard inspection routines and correct usage instructions.
Practical uses include procurement specifications, conformity verification, routine inspections, crew training checklists and lifecycle planning for survival equipment including replacement and expiry management.
Related Standards
- SOLAS (International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended)
- IMO Life‑Saving Appliance (LSA) Code
- ISO/TC 8 (Ships and marine technology) outputs and related maritime ISO standards
Keywords: ISO 18813, ISO 18813:2022, survival equipment, survival craft, rescue boats, SOLAS, LSA Code, maintenance, inspections, liferaft, lifeboat.