Title 46—Shipping--Volume 1
PART 160—LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT
§ 160.050-5   Sampling, tests, and inspection.
(a) General. Production tests and inspections must be conducted in accordance with this section, subpart 159.007 of this chapter, and if conducted by an independent laboratory, the independent laboratory's procedures for production inspections and tests as accepted by the Commandant. The Commandant may prescribe additional production tests and inspections necessary to maintain quality control and to monitor compliance with the requirements of this subchapter.
(b) Oversight. In addition to responsibilities set out in part 159 of this chapter and the accepted laboratory procedures for production inspections and tests, each manufacturer of a ring life buoy and each laboratory inspector shall comply with the following, as applicable:
(1) Manufacturer. Each manufacturer must—
(i) Perform all tests and examinations necessary to show compliance with this subpart and the subpart under which the ring life buoy is approved on each lot before any inspector's tests and inspection of the lot;
(ii) Follow established procedures for maintaining quality control of the materials used, manufacturing operations, and the finished product; and
(iii) Allow an inspector to take samples of completed units or of component materials for tests required by this subpart and for tests relating to the safety of the design.
(iv) Meet 33 CFR 181.701 through 33 CFR 181.705 which requires an instruction pamphlet for each device that is sold or offered for sale for use on recreational boats, and must make the pamphlet accessible prior to purchase.
(2) Laboratory. An inspector from the accepted laboratory shall oversee production in accordance with the laboratory's procedures for production inspections and tests accepted by the Commandant. During production oversight, the inspector shall not perform or supervise any production test or inspection unless—
(i) The manufacturer has a valid approval certificate; and
(ii) The inspector has first observed the manufacturer's production methods and any revisions to those methods.
(3) At least quarterly, the inspector shall check the manufacturer's compliance with the company's quality control procedures, examine the manufacturer's required records, and observe the manufacturer perform each of the required production tests.
(c) Test facilities. The manufacturer shall provide a suitable place and apparatus for conducting the tests and inspections necessary to determine compliance of ring life buoys with this subpart. The manufacturer shall provide means to secure any test that is not continuously observed, such as the 48 hour buoyancy test. The manufacturer must have the calibration of all test equipment checked in accordance with the test equipment manufacturer's recommendation and interval but not less than at least once every year.
(d) Lots. A lot may not consist of more than 1000 life buoys. A lot number must be assigned to each group of life buoys produced. Lots must be numbered serially. A new lot must be started whenever any change in materials or a revision to a production method is made, and whenever any substantial discontinuity in the production process occurs. The lot number assigned, along with the approval number, must enable the ring life buoy manufacturer to determine the supplier's identifying information for the component lot.
(e) Samples. (1) From each lot of ring life buoys, manufacturers shall randomly select a number of samples from completed units at least equal to the applicable number required by table 160.050-5(e) for buoyancy testing. Additional samples must be selected for any tests, examinations, and inspections required by the laboratory's production inspections and tests procedures.
Table 160.050-5( e )— Sampling for Buoyancy Tests
(2) For a lot next succeeding one from which any sample ring life buoy failed the buoyancy or strength test, the sample shall consist of not less than ten specimen ring life buoys to be tested for buoyancy in accordance with paragraph (f) of this section.
(f) Tests—(1) Strength test. The buoy body shall be suspended by a 2-inch-wide strap. A similar strap shall be passed around the opposite side of the buoy and a 200-pound weight suspended by it from the buoy. After 30 minutes, the buoy body shall be examined, and there shall be no breaks, cracks or permanent deformation.
(2) Resistance to damage test. The buoy body shall be dropped three times from a height of 6 feet onto concrete, and there shall be no breaks or cracks in the body.
(3) Buoyancy test. To obtain the buoyancy of the buoy, proceed as follows:
(i) Weigh iron or other weight under water. The weight shall be more than sufficient to submerge the buoy.
(ii) Attach the iron or other weight to the buoy and submerge with the top of the buoy at least 2 inches below the surface for 48 hours.
(iii) After the 48-hour submergence period, weigh the buoy with the weight attached while both are still under water.
(iv) The buoyancy is computed as paragraph (f)(3)(i) minus paragraph (f)(3)(iii) of this section.
(4) Buoyancy required. The buoys shall provide a buoyancy of not less than 16.5 pounds for the 20-and 24-inch sizes, and not less than 32 pounds for the 30-inch size.
(g) Lot inspection. On each lot, the laboratory inspector shall perform a final lot inspection to be satisfied that the ring life buoys meet this subpart. Each lot must demonstrate—
(1) First quality workmanship;
(2) That the general arrangement and attachment of all components are as specified in the approved plans and specifications; and
(3) Compliance with the marking requirements in the applicable approval subpart.
(h) Lot acceptance. When the independent laboratory has determined that the ring life buoys in the lot are of a type officially approved in the name of the company, and that such ring life buoys meet the requirements of this subpart, they shall be plainly marked in waterproof ink with the independent laboratory's name or identifying mark.
(i) Lot rejection. Each nonconforming unit must be rejected. If three or more nonconforming units are rejected for the same kind of defect, lot inspection must be discontinued and the lot rejected. The inspector must discontinue lot inspection and reject the lot if examination of individual units or the records for the lot shows noncompliance with either this subchapter or the laboratory's or the manufacturer's quality control procedures. A rejected unit or lot may be resubmitted for testing and inspection if the manufacturer first removes and destroys each defective unit or, if authorized by the laboratory, reworks the unit or lot to correct the defect. A rejected lot or rejected unit may not be sold or offered for sale under the representation that it meets this subpart or that it is Coast Guard-approved.
§ 160.050-6   Marking.
(a) Each ring buoy must have the following information in waterproof lettering:
(b) A method of marking that is different from the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section may be given consideration by the Coast Guard.
§ 160.050-7   Procedure for approval.
(a) General. Designs of ring life buoys are approved only by the Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard. Manufacturers seeking approval of a ring life buoy design shall follow the procedures of this section and subpart 159.005 of this chapter.
(b) Each application for approval of a ring life buoy must contain the information specified in § 159.005-5 of this chapter. The application and, except as provided in paragraphs (c) and (d)(2) of this section, a prototype ring life buoy must be submitted to the Commandant for preapproval review. If a similar design has already been approved, the Commandant may waive the preapproval review under §§ 159.005-5 and 159.005-7 of this chapter.
(c) If the ring life buoy is of a standard design, the application:
(1) Must include the following: A statement of any exceptions to the standard plans and specifications, including drawings, product description, construction specifications, and/or bill of materials.
(2) Need not include: The information specified in § 159.005-5(a)(2).
(d) If the ring life buoy is of a non-standard design, the application must include the following:
(1) Plans and specifications containing the information required by § 159.005-12 of this chapter, including drawings, product description, construction specifications, and bill of materials.
(2) The information specified in § 159.005-5(a)(2) (i) through (iii) of this chapter, except that, if preapproval review has been waived, the manufacturer is not required to send a prototype ring life buoy sample to the Commandant.
(3) Performance testing results of the design performed by an independent laboratory that has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Coast Guard under § 159.010-7 of this subchapter covering the in-water testing of personal flotation devices showing equivalence to the standard design's performance in all material respects.
(4) Buoyancy and other relevant tolerances to be complied with during production.
(5) The text of any optional marking to be included on the ring life buoy in addition to the markings required by the applicable approval subpart.
(6) For any conditionally approved ring life buoy, the intended approval condition(s).
(e) The description of quality control procedures required by § 159.005-9 of this chapter may be omitted if the manufacturer's planned quality control procedures meet the requirements of those accepted by the Commandant for the independent laboratory performing production inspections and tests.
(f) Waiver of tests. A manufacturer may request that the Commandant waive any test prescribed for approval under the applicable subpart. To request a waiver, the manufacturer must submit to the Commandant and the laboratory described in § 159.010, one of the following:
(1) Satisfactory test results on a ring life buoy of sufficiently similar design as determined by the Commandant.
(2) Engineering analysis demonstrating that the test for which a waiver is requested is not appropriate for the particular design submitted for approval or that, because of its design or construction, it is not possible for the ring life buoy to fail that test.
§ 160.051-1   Scope.
(a) This subpart prescribes requirements for approval by the Coast Guard of A, B, and Coastal Service inflatable liferafts for use only in domestic service. These liferafts must comply with all of the requirements for SOLAS A and SOLAS B liferafts in subpart 160.151 except as specified in this subpart.
(b) This subpart does not apply to any A, B, and Coastal Service inflatable liferaft for use only in domestic service that has been approved by the Coast Guard before November 10, 2011, so long as the liferaft satisfies the annual servicing requirements set forth in 46 CFR 160.151-57.
§ 160.051-3   Definitions.
In this subpart, the term:
A or B liferaft means an inflatable liferaft that meets the requirements prescribed in subpart 160.151 for a SOLAS A or SOLAS B liferaft, respectively, except that the capacity is less than 6 persons and the liferaft cannot contain SOLAS markings.
Coastal Service liferaft means a liferaft that does not meet the all of the requirements prescribed in subpart 160.151 for a SOLAS A or SOLAS B liferaft, but that instead meets the requirements of this subpart and is approved for use on certain uninspected vessels under subchapter C of this chapter.
Commandant means Commandant (CG-ENG-4), Attn: Lifesaving and Fire Safety Division, U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20593-7509.
§ 160.051-5   Incorporation by reference.
(a) Certain material is incorporated by reference into this part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. All approved incorporation by reference (IBR) material is available for inspection at Coast Guard Headquarters and at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Contact the Coast Guard at: Commandant (CG-ENG-4), U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20593-7509; or email typeapproval@uscg.mil or visit https://www.dco.uscg.mil/CG-ENG-4/. For information on the availability of this material at NARA, email: fr.inspection@nara.gov, or go to: www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html. The material may be obtained from the source in the following paragraph of this section.
(b) International Maritime Organization (IMO) Publications Section, 4 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7SR, United Kingdom, + 44 (0)20 7735 7611, http://www.imo.org/.
(1) Life-Saving Appliances, including LSA Code, 2010 Edition, (2010), pages 7-71 (“IMO LSA Code”), IBR approved for §§ 160.051-7 and 160.051-9.
(2) Life-Saving Appliances, including LSA Code, 2010 Edition, (2010), Revised recommendation on testing of live-saving appliances, pages 79-254 (“IMO Revised recommendation on testing”), IBR approved for §§ 160.051-7 and 160.051-11.
§ 160.051-7   Design and performance of Coastal Service inflatable liferafts.
To obtain Coast Guard approval, each Coastal Service inflatable liferaft must comply with subpart 160.151, with the following exceptions:
(a) Canopy requirements (IMO LSA Code chapter IV/4.1.1.5, (incorporated by reference, see § 160.051-5 of this subpart)). The canopy may—
(1) Be of a type that is furled when the liferaft inflates and that can be set in place by the occupants. A furled canopy must be secured to the buoyancy tubes over 50 percent or more of the liferaft's circumference;
(2) Be of an uninsulated, single-ply design; and
(3) Have an interior of any color.
(b) Viewing port (IMO LSA Code, chapter IV/4.1.1.5.5). The liferaft need not have the viewing port.
(c) Rainwater collection (IMO LSA Code, chapter IV/4.1.1.5.6). The liferaft need not have the means of rainwater collection.
(d) Capacity (IMO LSA Code, chapter IV/4.1.2.1). The carrying capacity must be not less than four persons.
(e) Floor insulation (IMO LSA Code, chapter IV/4.2.2.2). The floor may be uninsulated.
(f) Boarding ramps (IMO LSA Code, chapter IV/4.2.4.1). The liferaft need be provided with boarding ramps only if the combined cross-section diameter of the buoyancy chambers is greater than 500 mm (19.5 in).
(g) Stability (IMO LSA Code, chapter IV/4.2.5). Each Coastal Service inflatable liferaft must either meet the stability criteria in § 160.151-17(a) or be fitted with water-containing stability pockets meeting the following requirements:
(1) The total volume of the pockets must be not less than 25 percent of the minimum required volume of the principal buoyancy compartments of the liferaft.
(2) The pockets must be securely attached and evenly distributed around the periphery of the exterior bottom of the liferaft. They may be omitted at the locations of inflation cylinders.
(3) The pockets must be designed to deploy underwater when the liferaft inflates. If weights are used for this purpose, they must be of corrosion-resistant material.
(h) Lamp (IMO LSA Code, chapter IV/4.1.3.4). The liferaft need not have the manually controlled interior lamp.
(i) Markings (IMO LSA Code, chapter IV/4.2.3.6). The words “COASTAL SERVICE” must appear on the container, and the type of equipment pack must be identified as “Coastal Service”. No “SOLAS” markings may appear on the container.
(j) Drop test. The drop test required under paragraph 1/5.1 of IMO Revised recommendation on testing (incorporated by reference, see § 160.051-5 of this subpart) and 160.151-27(a) may be from a lesser height, if that height is the maximum height of stowage marked on the container.
(k) Loading and seating test. For the loading and seating test required under paragraph 1/5.7 of IMO Revised recommendation on testing and § 160.151-27(a), the loaded freeboard of the liferaft must be not less than 200 mm (8 in.).
(l) Cold-inflation test. The cold-inflation test required under paragraph 1/5.17.3.3.2 of IMO Revised recommendation on testing and § 160.151-27(a) must be conducted at a test temperature of −18 °C (0 °F).
§ 160.051-9   Design and performance of A and B inflatable liferafts.
To obtain Coast Guard approval, each A and B inflatable liferaft must comply with the requirements in subpart 160.151, with the following exceptions:
(a) Capacity (IMO LSA Code chapter IV/4.1.2.1). The carrying capacity must be not less than four persons.
(b) Markings (IMO LSA Code, chapter IV/4.2.6.3). The type of equipment pack must be identified as “A” or “B”, respectively, instead of “SOLAS A” or “SOLAS B”. No “SOLAS” markings may appear on the container.
§ 160.051-11   Equipment required for Coastal Service inflatable liferafts.
In lieu of the equipment specified in § 160.151-21, the following equipment must be provided with a Coastal Service inflatable liferaft:
(a) Rescue quoit and heaving line. One rescue quoit and a heaving line as described in § 160.151-21(a).
(b) Knife. One knife, of a type designed to minimize the chance of damage to the inflatable liferaft and secured with a lanyard. In addition, an inflatable liferaft that is permitted to accommodate 13 persons or more must be provided with a second knife that is of the non-folding type. Any knife may be replaced with a jackknife meeting the requirements in 46 CFR 199.175(b)(16).
(c) Bailer. One bailer as described in § 160.151-21(c).
(d) Sponge. One sponge as described in § 160.151-21(d).
(e) Sea anchor. One sea anchor as described in § 160.151-21(e).
(f) Paddles. Two paddles of the same size and type as used to pass the maneuverability test in paragraph 1/5.10 of IMO Revised recommendation on testing (incorporated by reference, see § 160.051-5 of this subpart).
(g) Whistle. One whistle as described in § 160.151-21(i) of this part.
(h) Flashlight. One flashlight with spare batteries as described in § 160.151-21(m).
(i) Signalling mirror. One signalling mirror as described in § 160.151-21(o).
(j) Survival instructions. Instructions on how to survive as described in § 160.151-21(v).
(k) Instructions for immediate action. Instructions for immediate action as described in § 160.151-21(w).
(l) Repair outfit. One set of sealing clamps or plugs as described in § 160.151-21(y)(1).
(m) Pump or bellows. One pump or bellows as described in § 160.151-21(z).
(n) Plugs for pressure-relief valves. Plugs for pressure-relief valves as described in § 160.151-21(aa).
§ 160.053-1   Applicable specifications.
(a) Specification. The following specification of the issue in effect on the date unicellular plastic foam work vests are manufactured, form a part of this subpart:
(1) Military specification: MIL-L-17653A—Life Preserver, Vest, Work Type, Unicellular Plastic.
(2) [Reserved]
(b) Copies on file. Copies of the specification referred to in this section, as well as the various specifications forming a part thereof, shall be kept on file by the manufacturer, together with the certificate of approval. They shall be kept for a period consisting of the duration of approval and 6 months after termination of approval. Federal specifications may be purchased from the General Services Administration, Federal Acquisition Service, Office of the FAS Commissioner, 2200 Crystal Drive, 11th Floor, Arlington, VA 22202, 703-605-5400. Military specifications may be obtained from the Military Specifications and Standards, Standardization Documents Order Desk, Building 4D, 700 Robbins Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094, https://assist.daps.dla.mil/quicksearch/.
§ 160.053-2   Type.
(a) Unicellular plastic foam work vests specified by this subpart shall be of the type described in Military Specification MIL-L-17653A, but alternate designs equivalent in materials, construction, performance, and workmanship will be given consideration.
(b) [Reserved]
§ 160.053-3   Materials, construction and workmanship.
(a) General. Except as otherwise specifically provided by this subpart and subparts 164.019 and 164.023 of this chapter, the materials, construction, and workmanship of unicellular plastic foam work vests specified by this subpart shall conform to the requirements of Military Specification MIL-L-17653A.
(b) Color of envelope. Indian Orange, Cable No. 70072, Standard Color Card of America, will be acceptable in lieu of the Scarlet-Munsell 7.5 red 6/10 color specified for envelopes or covers by paragraph 3.1.1.1 of Specification MIL-L-17653A.
(c) Color of webbing and thread. The color of the webbing and thread need not match the color of the envelope as specified by paragraphs 3.1.3 and 3.2.8 of Specification MIL-L-17653A.
(d) Materials; acceptance and quality. All components used in the construction of work vests must meet the applicable requirements of subpart 164.019 of this chapter.
§ 160.053-4   Inspections and tests.
(a) General. Work vests are not inspected at regularly scheduled factory inspections; however, the Commander of the Coast Guard District may detail a marine inspector at any time to visit any place where work vests are manufactured to observe production methods and to conduct any inspections or tests which may be deemed advisable. The marine inspector shall be admitted to any place in the factory where work is done on work vests or component materials, and samples of materials entering into construction may be taken by the marine inspector and tests made for compliance with the applicable requirements.
(b) Manufacturer's inspections and tests. Manufacturers of approved work vests shall maintain quality control of the materials used, manufacturing methods, workmanship, and the finished product so as to meet the requirements of this specification, and shall make full inspections and tests of representative samples from each lot to maintain the quality of their product.
(c) Lot size. A lot shall consist of not more than 500 work vests manufactured at the same time. Lots shall be numbered serially by the manufacturer, and if at any time during the manufacture of a lot, any change or modification in materials or production methods is made, a new lot shall be started.
(d) Test facilities. The manufacturer shall provide a suitable place and shall have on hand the necessary apparatus for conducting buoyancy tests in compliance with this specification. The apparatus shall include accurate spring scales of adequate capacity, weighted wire mesh baskets, and a test tank or tanks which can be locked or sealed in such a manner as to preclude disturbance of work vests undergoing tests or change in water level.
(e) Buoyancy —(1) Buoyancy test method. Remove the buoyant inserts from the vest. Securely attach the spring scale in a position directly over the test tank. Suspend the weighted wire basket from the scale in such a manner that the basket can be weighed while it is completely under water. In order to measure the actual buoyancy provided by the inserts, the underwater weight of the empty basket should exceed the buoyancy of the inserts. To obtain the buoyancy of the inserts, proceed as follows:
(i) Weigh the empty wire basket under water.
(ii) Place the inserts inside the basket and submerge it so that the top of the basket is at least 2 inches below the surface of the water. Allow the inserts to remain submerged for 24 hours. The tank shall be locked or sealed during this 24-hour submergence period.
(iii) After the 24-hour submergence period, unlock the tank and weigh the wire basket with the inserts inside while both are still under water.
(iv) The buoyancy is computed as paragraph (e)(1)(i) of this section minus paragraph (e)(1)(iii) of this section.
(2) Buoyancy required. The buoyant inserts from work vests shall provide not less than 17 1/2 pounds buoyancy in fresh water.
§ 160.053-5   Marking.
(a) Each work vest must have the following information clearly printed in waterproof lettering that can be read at a distance of 2 feet:
(b) Additional marking required. In addition to the wording included on the marking tag, on a front compartment of each work vest there shall be stenciled in waterproof ink in letters not less than one inch in height, the words, “WORK VEST ONLY.”
(c) Waterproofness of marking tags. Marking tags shall be sufficiently waterproof so that after 48 hours submergence in water, they will withstand rubbing by hand with moderate pressure while wet without the printed matter becoming illegible.
§ 160.053-6   Procedure for approval.
(a) General. Work vests for use on merchant vessels are approved only by the Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard. Manufacturers seeking approval of a work vest shall follow the procedures of this section and subpart 159.005 of this chapter.
(b) If the work vest is of a standard design, as described by § 160.053-3, in order to be approved, the work vest must be tested in accordance with § 160.053-4 by an independent laboratory accepted by the Coast Guard under 46 CFR 159.010.
(c) If the work vest is of a non-standard design, the application must include the following:
(1) Plans and specifications containing the information required by § 159.005-12 of this chapter, including drawings, product description, construction specifications, and bill of materials.
(2) The information specified in § 159.005-5(a)(2) (i) through (iii) of this chapter, except that, if preapproval review has been waived, the manufacturer is not required to send a prototype work vest sample to the Commandant.
(3) Performance testing results of the design performed by an independent laboratory, that has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Coast Guard under § 159.010-7 of this subchapter covering the in-water testing of personal flotation devices, showing equivalence to the standard design's performance in all material respects.
(4) Any special purpose(s) for which the work vest is designed and the vessel(s) or vessel type(s) on which its use is intended.
(5) Buoyancy and other relevant tolerances to be complied with during production.
(6) The text of any optional marking to be included on the work vest in addition to the markings required by § 160.053.
§ 160.055-1   Scope.
(a) This subpart contains requirements for production follow-up inspections for life preservers approved under this subpart prior to January 6, 2025.
(b) Life preservers approved under this subpart rely upon inherently buoyant material to achieve the minimum buoyancy.
(c) Life preservers approved under this subpart are intended to meet the carriage requirements for wearable PFDs for uninspected passenger vessels, uninspected commercial vessels over 40 ft (12m), and for inspected vessels.
(d) Each life preserver specified in this subpart is a:
(1) Standard, bib type, vinyl dip coated:
(i) Model 62, adult (for persons weighing over 90 pounds); or
(ii) Model 66, child (for persons weighing less than 90 pounds); or
(2) Standard, bib type, cloth covered;
(i) Model 63, adult (for persons weighing over 90 pounds); or
(ii) Model 67, child (for persons weighing less than 90 pounds); or
(3) Nonstandard, shaped type:
(i) Model, 1 adult (for persons weighing over 90 pounds); or
(ii) Model, 1 child (for persons weighing less than 90 pounds).
1 A model designation for each nonstandard life preserver is to be assigned by the manufacturer. That designation must be different from any standard lifesaving device designation.
§ 160.055-2   [Reserved]
§ 160.055-3   Definitions.
The following definitions apply to this subpart:
Commandant means the Chief of the Lifesaving and Fire Safety Standards Division. Address: Commandant (CG-ENG-4), Attn: Lifesaving and Fire Safety Division, U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20593-7509; email TypeApproval@uscg.mil .
First quality workmanship means construction that is free from any defect materially affecting appearance or serviceability.
Inspector means a recognized laboratory representative assigned to perform, supervise, or oversee the duties described in § 160.055-15 or any Coast Guard representative performing duties related to the approval.
Recognized laboratory means an independent laboratory accepted by the Commandant in accordance with 46 CFR 159.010, with a valid memorandum of understanding in accordance with 46 CFR 159.010-7.
§ 160.055-4   [Reserved]
§ 160.055-5   Incorporation by reference.
Certain material is incorporated by reference into this part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. All approved incorporation by reference (IBR) material is available for inspection at the Coast Guard Headquarters and at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Contact Commandant (CG-ENG-4), Attn: Lifesaving and Fire Safety Division, U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20593-7509. For information on the availability of this material at NARA, visit www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations or email fr.inspection@nara.gov . The material may be obtained from UL, 333 Pfingsten Road, Northbrook, IL 60062-2002 phone (847) 272-8800; website: www.ul.com .
(a) ANSI/CAN/UL 9595:2021, Standard for Safety Factory Follow-Up on Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs), First Edition, June 4, 2020 (including revisions through September 9, 2021) (“ANSI/CAN/UL 9595”); IBR approved for § 160.055-15(a).
(b) [Reserved]
§§ 160.055-6--160.055-10   [Reserved]
§ 160.055-11   Independent laboratory.
The production inspections, tests, and quality control required by this subpart must be conducted by an independent laboratory accepted by the Coast Guard under 46 CFR subpart 159.010 to perform such functions. A list of accepted independent laboratories is available from the Commandant and online at https://cgmix.uscg.mil .
§§ 160.055-12--160.055-14   [Reserved]
§ 160.055-15   Production inspections, tests, and quality control of life preservers.
(a) General. Production tests and inspections must be conducted in accordance with this section, subpart 159.007 of this chapter, and the independent laboratory's procedures for production inspections and tests as accepted by the Commandant. The Commandant may prescribe additional production tests and inspections necessary to maintain quality control and to monitor compliance with the requirements of this subchapter. A follow-up program in accordance with ANSI/CAN/UL 9595 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.055-5), meets the requirements of this subpart.
(b) Oversight. In addition to responsibilities set out in part 159 of this chapter and the accepted laboratory procedures for production inspections and tests, each manufacturer of a life preserver and each laboratory inspector must comply with the following, as applicable:
(1) Manufacturer. Each manufacturer must—
(i) Perform all tests and examinations necessary to show compliance with this subpart on each lot before any inspector's tests and inspection of the lot;
(ii) Follow established procedures for maintaining quality control of the materials used, manufacturing operations, and the finished product; and
(iii) Allow an inspector to take samples of completed units or of component materials for tests required by this subpart and for tests relating to the safety of the design.
(2) Laboratory. An inspector from the accepted laboratory must oversee production in accordance with the laboratory's procedures for production inspections and tests accepted by the Commandant. During production oversight, the inspector must not perform or supervise any production test or inspection unless—
(i) The manufacturer has a valid approval certificate; and
(ii) The inspector has first observed the manufacturer's production methods and any revisions to those methods.
(3) At least quarterly, the inspector must check the manufacturer's compliance with the company's quality control procedures, examine the manufacturer's required records, and observe the manufacturer perform each of the required production tests.
(c) Test facilities. The manufacturer must provide a suitable place and apparatus for conducting the tests and inspections necessary to determine compliance of life preservers with this subpart. The manufacturer must provide means to secure any test that is not continuously observed, such as the 48-hour buoyancy test. The manufacturer must have the calibration of all test equipment checked in accordance with the test equipment manufacturer's recommendation and interval but not less than at least once every year.
(d) Lots. A lot must not consist of more than 1000 life preservers. A lot number must be assigned to each group of life preservers produced. Lots must be numbered serially. A new lot must be started whenever any change in materials or a revision to a production method is made, and whenever any substantial discontinuity in the production process occurs. The lot number assigned, along with the approval number, must enable the PFD manufacturer to determine the supplier's identifying information for the component lot.
(e) Samples. (1) From each lot of life preservers, manufacturers must randomly select a number of samples from completed units at least equal to the applicable number required by table 1 to § 160.055-15(e)(1) for buoyancy testing. Additional samples must be selected for any tests, examinations, and inspections required by the laboratory's production inspections and tests procedures.
Table 1 to § 160.055-15( e )(1)—Sampling for Buoyancy Tests
(2) For a lot succeeding one from which any sample life preserver failed the buoyancy test, the sample must consist of not less than ten specimen life preservers to be tested for buoyancy in accordance with paragraph (f) of this section.
(f) Buoyancy test. The buoyancy of the life preservers must be determined by measuring the upward force exerted by the individual submerged unit. The buoyancy measurement must be made at the end of the 48 hours of submersion, during which period the pad inserts must not be disturbed.
(g) Buoyancy required. The buoyant pad inserts from Model 3 adult life preservers must provide not less than 25 pounds buoyancy in fresh water, and the pads from Model 5 child life preservers must provide not less than 16.5 pounds buoyancy.
(h) Lot inspection. On each lot, the laboratory inspector must perform a final lot inspection to be satisfied that the life preservers meet this subpart. Each lot must demonstrate—
(1) First quality workmanship;
(2) That the general arrangement and attachment of all components, such as body straps, closures, tie tapes, and drawstrings, are as specified in the approved plans and specifications;
(3) Compliance with the marking requirements; and
(4) The information pamphlet or placard specified in 33 CFR part 181 subpart G, if required, is securely attached to the device, with the PFD selection information visible and accessible prior to purchase.
(i) Lot acceptance. When the independent laboratory has determined that the life preservers in the lot are of a type officially approved in the name of the company, and that such life preservers meet the requirements of this subpart, they must be plainly marked in waterproof ink with the independent laboratory's name or identifying mark.
(j) Lot rejection. Each nonconforming unit must be rejected. If three or more nonconforming units are rejected for the same kind of defect, lot inspection must be discontinued and the lot rejected. The inspector must discontinue lot inspection and reject the lot if examination of individual units or the records for the lot shows noncompliance with either this subchapter or the laboratory's or the manufacturer's quality control procedures. A rejected unit or lot may be resubmitted for testing and inspection if the manufacturer first removes and destroys each defective unit or, if authorized by the laboratory, reworks the unit or lot to correct the defect. A rejected lot or rejected unit must not be sold or offered for sale under the representation that it meets this subpart or that it is Coast Guard approved.
§§ 160.055-16--160.055-18   [Reserved]
§ 160.055-19   Pamphlet or Placard.
Each life preserver sold or offered for sale for use on recreational boats must be provided with a pamphlet or placard that a prospective purchaser can read prior to purchase, as specified in 33 CFR part 181 subpart G.
§§ 160.055-20--160.055-22   [Reserved]
§ 160.055-23   Procedure for approval of design or material change.
(a) The manufacturer must submit any proposed changes in design, material, or construction to typeapproval@uscg.mil for approval before changing life preserver production methods.
(b) Only the Commandant or a designated representative may make determinations of equivalence of design, construction, and materials.
§ 160.055-24   [Reserved]
§ 160.055-25   Suspension or termination of approval.
As provided in 46 CFR 159.005-15, the Commandant may suspend or terminate the approval if the manufacturer fails to comply with this subpart or the recognized laboratory's accepted procedures or requirements.
§ 160.056-1   General requirements.
(a) Rescue boats accepted and in use prior to the effective date of this subpart may be continued in service if in satisfactory condition.
(b) All rescue boats must be properly constructed, of such form as to be readily maneuverable, and be of the open rowboat type. They shall be suitable for use of three persons.
(c) Rescue boats shall be constructed of materials acceptable to the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection, having jurisdiction of construction.
§ 160.056-2   Construction.
(a) General. Rescue boats shall be square-sterned, of normal proportions, not less than 11 feet nor more than 14 feet in length. The length shall be the overall horizontal distance from bow to stern.
(b) Construction. The method of construction shall be such as is accepted as good engineering practice in the case of the specific material used. The hull shall be suitably stiffened to assure adequate strength.
(c) Weight. The weight of the rescue boat, fully equipped, shall not exceed 225 pounds.
(d) Seats. The rescue boat shall be fitted with three thwarts. The middle thwart shall be arranged as the rowing seat.
(e) Internal buoyancy. Buoyant material of suitable unicellular plastic foam shall be installed in the rescue boat. This material shall be protected from mechanical damage. It shall be distributed uniformly in the boat and such that at least one-quarter of the required volume is located at the sides of the boat. The minimum amount of buoyant material, in cubic feet, shall be determined by the following:
§ 160.056-3   Fittings and equipment.
(a) Fittings. (1) The rescue boat shall be fitted with one pair of rowlock sockets. Detachable rowlocks shall be permanently attached to the boat by chain or other suitable means.
(2) At least one eyebolt, ring, or other fitting suitable for attaching a painter shall be fitted to the bow and stern.
(b) Equipment. (1) The rescue boat shall be provided with one pair of oars of suitable size and material.
(2) A painter shall be attached to the bow and to the stern fittings. Each shall be of suitable material, at least 3/8 -inch in diameter, and at least 30 feet long.
§ 160.056-4   Approval tests of prototype rescue boat.
(a) Drop test. The rescue boat, fully equipped, shall be dropped, in a free fall, from a ten-foot height into water. No damage which would render the rescue boat unserviceable shall result from this drop.
(b) Stability and freeboard test. The rescue boat shall have sufficient stability and freeboard so that the gunwale on the low side shall not be submerged with 350 pounds placed nine inches from the side in way of and about the level of the middle thwart.
(c) Rescue boarding test. With one man in the rowing position, a second kneeling on the stern thwart facing aft, and a third man balanced on the transom, the minimum freeboard of the transom shall be five inches. The men should average 165 pounds each. This test simulates the rescue of a person over the transom by a two-man boat crew.
(d) Rowing test. Three men, averaging 165 pounds each, shall be seated on the centerline of the boat, one on each thwart. One man, in the rowing position, using ordinary rowing technique, shall demonstrate the satisfactory course keeping and maneuvering characteristics of the boat in the ahead and astern directions.
§ 160.056-6   Name plate.
(a) Each rescue boat shall have permanently fitted at the transom a metal name plate, galvanically compatible with the hull material, and bearing information relating to the testing and approval of the prototype boat. Either raised or indented letters shall be used.
(b) The following information shall appear on the name plate:
§ 160.056-7   Procedure for approval.
(a) The manufacturer shall submit a request for approval to the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection, having jurisdiction of the place of manufacture of the rescue boat.
(b) Formal plans will not be required. However, a combined general arrangement and construction plan is required, which includes principal dimensions, and descriptive data of hull material, buoyant material, and equipment.
(c) When plans and data are satisfactory, the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection, will assign a marine inspector to conduct the tests required by § 160.056-4.
(d) Upon successful completion of the test, the inspector shall submit a written report to the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection. A copy of this report, with plans and photographs, shall be forwarded to the Commandant for record purposes. The date of approval and the marine inspector's initials shall be indicated in this report.
(e) The Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection, shall issue a letter to the manufacturer indicating that approval of the rescue boat has been granted, and will include any conditions imposed. A copy of this approval letter shall be forwarded to the District Commander and to the Commandant.
(f) If a rescue boat is required on short notice, a boat may be approved on an individual basis: Provided, That the requirements in this subpart are met to the satisfaction of the Officer in Charge Marine Inspection. Sketches of the boat showing alterations may be submitted in lieu of the manufacturer's general arrangement and construction plan. Under these circumstances, the letter indicating that approval of the rescue boat has been granted shall be issued to the vessel using the boat.
§ 160.057-1   Incorporation by reference.
(a) The following are incorporated by reference into this subpart:
(1) “The Color Names Dictionary” in Color: Universal Language and Dictionary of Names, National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 440, December 1976.
(2) “Development of a Laboratory Test for Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Smoke Signals,” National Bureau of Standards Report 4792, July 1956.
(b) NBS Special Publication 440 may be obtained by ordering from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402 (Order by SD Catalog No. C13.10:440).
(c) NBS Report 4792 may be obtained from the Commandant (CG-ENG), Attn: Office of Design and Engineering Systems, U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20593-7509.
(d) Approval to incorporate by reference the materials listed in this section was obtained from the Director of the Federal Register on November 1 and 29, 1979. The materials are on file in the Federal Register library.
§ 160.057-2   Type.
(a) Floating orange. smoke distress signals specified by this subpart shall be of one type which shall consist essentially of an outer container, ballast, an air chamber, an inner container, the smoke producing composition, and an igniter mechanism. Alternate arrangements which conform to the performance requirements of this specification will be given special consideration.
(b) [Reserved]
§ 160.057-3   Materials, workmanship, construction, and performance requirements.
(a) Materials. The materials shall conform strictly to the specifications and drawings submitted by the manufacturer and approved by the Commandant. Metal for containers shall be not less than 0.5 mm (0.020 in.) in thickness. Other dimensions or materials may be considered upon special request when presented with supporting data. Igniter systems shall be of corrosion-resistant metal. The combustible material shall be of such nature that it will not deteriorate during long storage, nor when subjected to frigid or tropical climates, or both.
(b) Workmanship. Floating orange smoke distress signals shall be of first class workmanship and shall be free from imperfections of manufacture affecting their appearance or that may affect their serviceability.
(c) Construction. The outer container shall be cylindrical and of a size suitable for intended use. All sheet metal seams should be hook jointed and soldered. The whole container shall be covered with two coats of waterproof paint or other equivalent protection system. The igniter mechanism shall operate and provide ignition of the signal automatically when the ring life buoy to which it is attached is thrown overboard.
(d) Performance. Signals shall meet all the inspection and test requirements contained in § 160.057-4.
§ 160.057-4   Approval and production tests.
(a) Approval tests. The manufacturer must produce a lot of at least 20 signals from which samples must be taken for testing for approval under § 160.057-7. The approval tests are the operational tests and technical tests in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section. The approval tests must be conducted by an independent laboratory accepted by the Commandant under § 159.010 of this chapter.
(b) Production inspections and tests. Production inspections and tests of each lot of signals produced must be conducted under the procedures in § 159.007 of this chapter. Signals from a rejected lot must not be represented as meeting this subpart or as being approved by the Coast Guard. If the manufacturer identifies the cause of the rejection of a lot of signals, the signals in the lot may be reworked by the manufacturer to correct the problem. Samples from the rejected lot must be retested in order to be accepted. Records shall be kept of the reasons for rejection, the reworking performed on the rejected lot, and the results of the second test.
(1) Lot size. For the purposes of sampling the production of signals, a lot must consist of not more than 1,200 signals. Lots must be numbered serially by the manufacturer. A new lot must be started with: (i) Any change in construction details, (ii) any change in sources of raw materials, or (iii) the start of production on a new production line or on a previously discontinued production line.
(2) Inspections and tests by the manufacturer. The manufacturer's quality control procedures must include inspection of materials entering into construction of the signals and inspection of the finished signals, to determine that signals are being produced in accordance with the approved plans. Samples from each lot must be tested in accordance with the operational tests in paragraph (c) of this section.
(3) Inspections and tests by an independent laboratory. An independent laboratory accepted by the Commandant under § 159.010 of this chapter must perform or supervise the inspections and tests under paragraph (b)(2) of this section at least 4 times a year, unless the number of lots produced in a year is less than four. The inspections and tests must occur at least once during each quarterly period, unless no lots are produced during that period. If less than four lots are produced, the laboratory must perform or supervise the inspection and testing of each lot. In addition, the laboratory must perform or supervise the technical tests in paragraph (d) of this section at least once for every ten lots of signals produced, except that the number of technical tests must be at least one but not more than four per year. If a lot of signals tested by the independent laboratory is rejected, the laboratory must perform or supervise the inspections and tests of the reworked lot and the next lot of signals produced. The tests of each reworked lot and the next lot produced must not be counted for the purpose of meeting the requirement for the annual number of inspections and tests performed or supervised by the independent laboratory.
(c) Operational tests. Each lot of signals must be sampled and tested as follows:
(1) Sampling procedure and accept/reject criteria. A sample of signals must be selected at random from the lot. The size of the sample must be the individual sample size in Table 160.057-4(c)(1) corresponding to the lot size. Each signal in the sample is tested as prescribed in the test procedure in paragraph (c)(2) of this section. Each signal that has a defect listed in the table of defects (Table 160.057-4(c)(2)) is assigned a score (failure percent) in accordance with that table. In the case of multiple defects, only the score having the highest numerical value is assigned to that signal If the sum of all the failure percents (cumulative failure percent) for the number of units in the sample is less than or equal to the accept criterion, the lot is accepted. If this sum is equal to or more than the reject criterion the lot is rejected.
(2) Test procedure. Each sample signal (specimen) must be tested as follows:
(i) Conditioning of test specimens—water resistance. Immerse specimen horizontally with uppermost portion of the signal approximately 25 mm (1 in.) below the surface of the water for a period of 24 hours.
(ii) Smoke emitting time. Ignite specimen according to the directions printed on the signal and place signal in tub or barrel of water. The smoke emitting time of a specimen shall be obtained by stop watch measurements from the time of distinct, sustained smoke emission until it ceases. There shall be no flame emission during the entire smoke emitting time of the signal. The smoke emitting time for a specimen shall not be less than 15 minutes. When the tests are performed or supervised by an independent laboratory, this test shall be conducted with approximately 6 mm ( 1/4 in.) of gasoline covering the water in the tub or barrel. The gasoline vapors shall not ignite during the entire smoke emitting time of the signal.
(iii) Ignition and smoke emitting characteristics. Test specimens shall ignite and emit smoke properly when the directions on the signal are followed. Test specimens shall not ignite explosively in a manner that might be dangerous to the user or persons close by. Test specimens shall emit smoke at a uniform rate while floating in calm to rough water. Signals should be so constructed that water submerging the signal in moderately heavy seas will not cause it to become inoperable.
Table 160.057-4( c )(1)—Accept and reject criteria for operational test lots
1 Cumulative failure percent.
2 Lot may not be accepted. Next sample must be tested.
Table 160.057-4( c )(2)
(d) Technical tests. One signal must be subjected to each of the following tests. Each signal must pass the test in order for the lot of signals to be accepted.
(1) Drop test. One signal must be attached to a ring life buoy and arranged to be ignited by the dropping buoy in the same manner as it would be when used on a vessel. The signal and buoy must be mounted at least 27 m (90 ft.) above the surface of a body of water. The buoy is released and must cause the signal to ignite and fall to the water with the buoy. The signal must remain afloat and emit smoke at least 15 minutes.
(2) Wave test. A signal shall be tested in a manner simulating its use at sea. The signal shall be ignited and thrown overboard under conditions where waves are at least 30 cm (1 ft.) high. The smoke emitting time must be for the full 15 minutes and the signal shall float in such a manner that it shall function properly during this test. The signal shall be attached to a ring life buoy in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
(3) Underwater smoke emission. Condition the signal in accordance with paragraph (c)(2)(i) of this section. Ignite specimen and let it burn about 15 seconds in air. Submerge the burning signal in water in a vertical position with head down. Obtain underwater smoke emission time by stop watch measurements from time of submersion until smoke emission ceases. The test specimen shall emit smoke under water not less than 30 seconds when subjected to this test.
(4) Elevated Temperature, Humidity and Storage. Place specimen in a thermostatically controlled even-temperature oven held at 75 °C. with not less than 90 percent relative humidity for 72 hours. Remove specimen and store at room temperature (20° to 25 °C.) with approximately 65 percent relative humidity for 10 days. If for any reason it is not possible to operate the oven continuously for the 72-hour period, it may be operated at the required temperature and humidity for 8 hours out of each 24 during the 72-hour conditioning period. (Total of 24 hours on and 48 hours off.) The signal shall not ignite or decompose during this conditioning. The signal shall ignite and operate satisfactorily following this conditioning.
(5) Spontaneous ignition. Place the specimen in a thermostatically controlled even-temperature oven held at 75 °C. with not more than 10% relative humidity for 48 consecutive hours. The signal must not ignite or undergo marked decomposition.
(6) Susceptibility to explosion. Remove smoke composition from signal and punch a small hole in the composition. Insert a No. 6 commercial blasting cap. Ignite the cap. The test specimen shall not explode or ignite.
(7) Corrosion resistance. Expose the complete specimen with cover secured hand-tight to a finely divided spray of 20 percent by weight sodium chloride solution at a temperature between 32 °C and 38 °C (90 °F and 100 °F) for 100 hours. The container and cap must not be corroded in any fashion that would impair their proper functioning.
(8) Color of smoke. Ignite specimen in the open air in daytime according to the directions printed on the signal, and determine the smoke color by direct visual comparison of the unshadowed portions of the smoke with a color chart held so as to receive the same daylight illumination as the unshadowed portions of the smoke. The color of the smoke must be orange as defined by sections 13 and 14 of the “Color Names Dictionary” (colors 34-39 and 48-54).
(9) Volume and density of smoke. The test specimen shall show less than 70 percent transmission for not less than 12 minutes when measured with apparatus having a light path of 19 cm (7 1/2 in.), an optical system aperture of + 3.7 degrees, and an entrance air flow of 18.4m 3 per minute (650 cu. ft. per minute), such apparatus to be as described in National Bureau of Standards Report No. 4792.
§ 160.057-5   Marking.
(a) Directions for use. Each floating orange smoke distress signal shall be plainly and indelibly marked in black lettering not less than 3 mm ( 1/8 in.) high “Approved for daytime use only”, and in black lettering not less than 5 mm ( 3/16 in.) high with the word “Directions”. Immediately below shall be similarly marked in black lettering not less than 3 mm ( 1/8 in.) high in numbered paragraphs, and in simple and easily understood wording, instructions to be followed to make the device operative. Pasted-on labels are not acceptable.
(b) Other markings. (1) There shall be embossed or die-stamped, in the outer container in figures not less than 5 mm ( 3/16 in.) high, numbers, indicating the month and year of manufacture, thus: “6-54” indicating June 1954. The outer container shall also be plainly and indelibly marked with the commercial designation of the signal, the words “Floating Orange Smoke Distress Signal (15 minutes)”, name and address of the manufacturer, the Coast Guard Approval No., the service life expiration date (month and year to be entered by the manufacturer), the month and year of manufacture and the lot number.
(2) In addition to any other marking placed on the smallest packing carton or box containing floating orange smoke distress signals, such cartons or boxes shall be plainly and indelibly marked to show the service life expiration date, the month and year of manufacture, and the lot number.
(3) The largest carton or box in which the manufacturer ships signals must be marked with the following or equivalent words: “Keep under cover in a dry place.”
(c) Marking of expiration date. The expiration date must be not more than 42 months from the date of manufacture.
Compliance with the labeling requirements of this section does not relieve the manufacturer of the responsibility of complying with the label requirements of 15 U.S.C. 1263, the Federal Hazardous Substances Act.
§ 160.057-7   Procedure for approval.
(a) Signals are approved by the Coast Guard under the procedures in subpart 159.005 of this chapter.
(b) [Reserved]
§ 160.058-1   Applicable specification.
(a) Specification. The following specification, of the issue in effect on the date the desalter kits are manufactured, forms a part of this subpart:
(1) Military specification. MIL-D-5531D—Desalter Kit, Sea Water, Mark 2.
(2) [Reserved]
(b) Copies on file. A copy of the specification referred to in this section shall be kept on file by the manufacturer, together with the approved plans and certificate of approval. The Military Specification may be obtained from the Military Specifications and Standards, Standardization Documents Order Desk, Building 4D, 700 Robbins Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094, https://assist.daps.dla.mil/quicksearch/.
§ 160.058-2   Type.
(a) Desalter kits specified by this subpart shall be of the type described in the specification listed in § 160.058-1(a)(1).
(b) [Reserved]
§ 160.058-3   Materials, workmanship, construction and performance requirements.
(a) The materials, construction, workmanship, general and detail requirements shall conform to the requirements of the specification listed in § 160.058-1(a)(1), except as otherwise specifically provided by this subpart.
(b) [Reserved]
§ 160.058-4   Inspections.
(a) Desalter kits specified by this subpart are not inspected at regularly scheduled factory inspections; however, the Commander of the Coast Guard District in which the desalter kits are manufactured may detail a marine inspector at any time to visit places where desalter kits are manufactured to check materials and construction methods and to satisfy himself that the desalter kits are being manufactured in compliance with the requirements of the specification listed in § 160.058-1(a)(1) as modified by this specification and are suitable for the intended purpose. The manufacturer shall admit the marine inspector to his plant and shall provide a suitable place and the necessary apparatus for the use of the marine inspector in conducting tests at the place of manufacture.
(b) [Reserved]
§ 160.058-5   Labeling and marking.
(a) In addition to the marking and instructions required by the specification listed in § 160.058-1(a)(1), the Coast Guard approval number shall be included. The contract number may be omitted.
(b) [Reserved]
§ 160.060-1   Scope.
(a) This subpart contains requirements for production follow-up inspections for buoyant vests approved under this subpart prior to January 6, 2025.
(b) Buoyant vests approved under this subpart rely upon inherently buoyant material to achieve the minimum buoyancy.
(c) Buoyant vests approved under this subpart are intended to meet the carriage requirements for wearable PFDs for uninspected passenger vessels, uninspected commercial vessels over 40 ft (12m), and for inspected vessels.
(d) Each buoyant vest specified in this subpart is a standard model:
(1) Standard:
(i) Model AY, adult (for persons weighing over 90 pounds); or
(ii) Model CYM, child, medium (for children weighing from 50 to 90 pounds); or
(iii) Model CYS, child, small (for children weighing less than 50 pounds).
(2) Nonstandard:
(i) Model, 1 adult (for persons weighing over 90 pounds); or
(ii) Model, 1 child, medium (for persons weighing from 50 to 90 pounds); or
(iii) Model, 1 child, small (for persons weighing less than 50 pounds).
1 A model designation for a nonstandard vest is to be assigned by the individual manufactured and must be different from any standard vest.
§ 160.060-2   [Reserved]
§ 160.060-3   Definitions.
The following definitions apply to this subpart:
Commandant means the Chief of the Lifesaving and Fire Safety Standards Division. Address: Commandant (CG-ENG-4), Attn: Lifesaving and Fire Safety Division, U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20593-7509; email TypeApproval@uscg.mil .
First quality workmanship means construction that is free from any defect materially affecting appearance or serviceability.
Inspector means a recognized laboratory representative assigned to perform, supervise, or oversee the duties described in § 160.060-15 or any Coast Guard representative performing duties related to the approval.
Recognized laboratory means an independent laboratory accepted by the Commandant in accordance with 46 CFR subpart 159.010, with a valid memorandum of understanding in accordance with 46 CFR 159.010-7.
§ 160.060-3a   [Reserved]
§ 160.060-4   [Reserved]
§ 160.060-5   Incorporation by reference.
Certain material is incorporated by reference into this part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. All approved incorporation by reference (IBR) material is available for inspection at the Coast Guard Headquarters and at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Contact Commandant (CG-ENG-4), Attn: Lifesaving and Fire Safety Division, U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20593-7509. For information on the availability of this material at NARA, visit www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations or email fr.inspection@nara.gov . The material may be obtained from UL, 333 Pfingsten Road, Northbrook, IL 60062-2002; phone (847) 272-8800; website: www.ul.com .
(a) ANSI/CAN/UL 9595:2021, Standard for Safety Factory Follow-Up on Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs), First Edition, June 4, 2020 (including revisions through September 9, 2021) (“ANSI/CAN/UL 9595”); IBR approved for § 160.060-15(h).
(b) [Reserved]
§§160.060-6--160.060-10   [Reserved]
§ 160.060-11   Independent laboratory.
(a) The production inspections, tests, and quality control required by this subpart must be conducted by an independent laboratory recognized by the Coast Guard under § 159.010 of this subchapter to perform such functions. A list of recognized independent laboratories is available from the Commandant and online at https://cgmix.uscg.mil .
(b) The same laboratory that performs the approval tests must also perform production oversight unless the employees of the laboratory performing production oversight receive training and support equal to that of the laboratory that performed the approval testing, as determined by the Commandant.
§§160.060-12--160.060-14   [Reserved]
§ 160.060-15   Production inspections, tests, and quality control.
(a) General. Manufacturers of listed and labeled buoyant vests must—
(1) Maintain quality control of the materials used, the manufacturing methods, and the finished product to meet the applicable requirements of this subpart by conducting sufficient inspections and tests of representative samples and components produced;
(2) Make available to the recognized laboratory inspector or the Coast Guard inspector, upon request, records of tests conducted by the manufacturer and records of materials used during production of the device, including affidavits by suppliers; and
(3) Permit any examination, inspection, or test required by the recognized laboratory or the Coast Guard for a produced listed and labeled device, either at the place of manufacture or some other location.
(b) Lot size and sampling. (1) A lot must consist of 500 buoyant vests or fewer;
(2) A new lot begins after any change or modification in materials used or manufacturing methods employed;
(3) The manufacturer of the buoyant vests must notify the recognized laboratory when a lot is ready for inspection;
(4) The manufacturer must select samples in accordance with the requirements in Table 1 to § 160.060-15(b)(4) from each lot of buoyant vests to be tested for buoyancy in accordance with paragraph (e) of this section; and
Table 1 to § 160.060-15( b )(4)—Sample for Buoyancy Tests
(5) If a sample vest fails the buoyancy test, the sample from the next succeeding lot must consist of 10 specimen vests or more to be tested for buoyancy in accordance with paragraph (e) of this section.
(c) Additional compliance tests. An inspector may conduct an examination, test, and inspection of a buoyant device obtained from the manufacturer or through commercial channels to determine the suitability of the device for listing and labeling, or to determine its conformance to applicable requirements.
(d) Test facilities. The manufacturer must admit the inspector to any part of the premises at the place of manufacture of a listed and labeled device to—
(1) Examine, inspect, or test a sample of a part or a material that is included in the construction of the device; and
(2) Conduct any examination, inspection, or test in a suitable place and with appropriate apparatus provided by the manufacturer.
(e) Buoyancy —(1) Buoyancy test method. Remove the buoyant inserts from the vests. Securely attach the spring scale in a position directly over the test tank. Suspend the weighted wire basket from the scale in such a manner that the basket can be weighed while it is completely under water. In order to measure the actual buoyancy provided by the inserts, the underwater weight of the empty basket must exceed the buoyancy of the inserts. To obtain the buoyancy of the inserts, proceed as follows:
(i) Weigh the empty wire basket under water.
(ii) Place the inserts inside the basket and submerge it so that the top of the basket is at least 2 inches below the surface of the water. Allow the inserts to remain submerged for 24 hours. The tank must be locked or sealed during this 24-hour submergence period. It is important that after the inserts have once been submerged they remain submerged for the duration of the test, and at no time during the course of the test removed from the tank or otherwise exposed to air.
(iii) After the 24-hour submergence period, unlock or unseal the tank and weigh the wire basket with the inserts inside while both are still under water.
(iv) The buoyancy is computed as paragraph (e)(1)(i) of this section minus paragraph (e)(1)(iii) of this section.
(2) Buoyancy required. The buoyant inserts from adult size buoyant vests must provide not less than 15 1/2 pounds of buoyancy in fresh water; the inserts from the child medium size buoyant vests must provide not less than 11 pounds buoyancy; and the inserts from the child small size buoyant vests must provide not less than 7 pounds buoyancy.
(f) Body strap test. The complete body strap assembly, including hardware must be tested for strength by attaching the D-ring to a suitable support such that the assembly hangs vertically its full length. A weight of 150 pounds for an adult size and 115 pounds for a child size must be attached to the other end on the snap hook for 10 minutes. The specified weight must not break or excessively distort the body strap assembly.
(g) Additional approval tests for nonstandard vests. Tests in addition to those required by this section may be conducted by the inspector for a nonstandard vest to determine performance equivalence to a standard vest. Such additional tests may include determining performance in water, suitability of materials, donning time, ease of adjustment, and similar equivalency tests. Costs for any additional tests must be assumed by the manufacturer.
(h) Follow-up program. A follow-up program in accordance with ANSI/CAN/UL 9595 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.060-5) meets the requirements of this section.
§§160.060-16--160.060-18   [Reserved]
§ 160.060-19   Pamphlet or placard.
Each buoyant vest sold or offered for sale for use on recreational boats must be provided with a pamphlet or placard that a prospective purchaser can read prior to purchase, as specified in 33 CFR part 181 subpart G.
§§160.060-20--160.060-22   [Reserved]
§ 160.060-23   Procedure for approval of design or material change.
(a) The manufacturer must submit any proposed changes in design, material, or construction to typeapproval@uscg.mil for approval before changing PFD production methods.
(b) Only the Commandant or a designated representative may make determinations of equivalence of design, construction, and materials.
§§160.060-24   [Reserved]
§ 160.060-25   Suspension or termination of approval.
As provided in 46 CFR 159.005-15, the Commandant may suspend or terminate the approval if the manufacturer fails to comply with this subpart or the recognized laboratory's accepted procedures or requirements.
§ 160.062-1   Applicable specifications, and referenced material.
(a) Specifications and standards. The following specifications of the issue in effect on the date releases are manufactured or reconditioned shall form a part of the regulations of this subpart (see §§ 2.75-17 through 2.75-19 of subchapter A (Procedures Applicable to the Public) of this chapter):
(1) Military Specifications and Standards:
(2) Federal Test Method Standards:
(b) Technical references. For guidance purposes the technical reference may be used, which is entitled “Corrosion Handbook,” 1948, by H. H. Uhlig, and published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 605 Third Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016, and priced at $21 per copy.
(c) Copies on file. A copy of the specifications and standards listed in paragraph (a) of this section shall be kept on file by the manufacturer, together with the approved plans, specifications and certificate of approval. It is the manufacturer's responsibility to have the latest issue, including addenda and changes, of these specifications and standards on hand when manufacturing or reconditioning equipment under this specification subpart.
(1) The military specifications and standards may be obtained from the Military Specifications and Standards, Standardization Documents Order Desk, Building 4D, 700 Robbins Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094, https://assist.daps.dla.mil/quicksearch/.
(2) The Federal standards may be obtained from the General Services Administration, Federal Acquisition Service, Office of the FAS Commissioner, 2200 Crystal Drive, 11th Floor, Arlington, VA 22202; telephone 703-605-5400.
§ 160.062-2   Types.
(a) The hydraulic releases referred to under § 160.062-1(a)(1) are of the diaphram-spring plunger type, which releases a buoyant load under hydrostatic pressure.
(b) All hydraulic releases given an approval under this subpart shall be designed and tested to operate with spring-tensioned gripes. Such gripes shall be considered as a part of each approval.
(c) Alternate designs will be given special consideration, but the expense of their preliminary investigation at a laboratory accepted by the Commandant shall be borne by the manufacturer.
§ 160.062-3   Materials, construction, workmanship, and performance requirements.
(a) General. The materials, construction, workmanship, and performance requirements shall conform to the requirements of the specifications listed in § 160.062-1(a)(1) except as otherwise provided by this subpart. In addition, all metals and materials used in a hydraulic release must be compatible with each other so that the final assembly under conditions of use is not subject to such deleterious effects as galvanic corrosion, freezing, or buckling of moving parts, or loosening and tightening of joints due to differences in coefficients of thermal expansion. Galvanizing or other forms of metallic coating on the parts of a hydraulic release are not acceptable. The criteria for accepting any combination of materials shall be determined by testing or by the data stated in § 160.062-1(b).
(b) Buoyant load capacity. A hydraulic release working in conjunction with its spring-tensioned gripe must demonstrate that it can release buoyant loads between the limits of 200 pounds and 3,750 pounds and within the range of depths specified by paragraph (c) of this section.
(c) Release depth. A hydraulic release shall automatically release the buoyant loads described in paragraph (b) of this section at depths between 5 feet to 15 feet prior to being tested for either the temperature or the corrosion resistance tests of 160.062-4(c)(2). After exposure to these temperature and corrosion tests, a hydraulic release shall release the buoyant loads of paragraph (b) of this section between the depths of 5 feet to 25 feet.
§ 160.062-4   Inspections and tests.
(a) General. Marine inspectors shall be assigned to make factory inspections of hydraulic releases, as described in paragraph (d) of this section for sampling and testing. In addition, the Commander of the Coast Guard District may detail a marine inspector at any time to visit any place where approved hydraulic releases are manufactured or reconditioned to observe production methods and to conduct any inspections or tests which may be deemed advisable. The marine inspector shall be admitted to any place in the factory or place where work is done on hydraulic releases or their components. In addition, the marine inspector may take samples of assembled hydraulic releases or parts or materials used in their construction for further examination, inspection, or tests. The manufacturer shall provide a suitable place and the apparatus necessary for the performance of the tests which are conducted at the place of manufacture by the marine inspector.
(b) Classification of tests. The sampling, inspections, and tests conducted upon hydraulic releases shall fall within one of the following general classifications, as described hereafter:
(1) Preapproval tests.
(2) Factory inspections and tests.
(3) Spot check tests.
(4) Periodic servicing tests.
(c) Preapproval testing. The “Visual and dimensional examination” referred to in Table 160.062-4(c) shall be conducted by a marine inspector at the factory. The “Physical and operational tests” of that table shall be conducted at a laboratory accepted by the Commandant.
Table 160.062-4( c )—Preapproval Tests 1
1 These tests are called “Lot acceptance tests,” in Military Specification MIL-R-15041C.
(1) Visual and dimensional examination. The marine inspector shall examine the 4 hydraulic release samples of the preapproval sample for their visual and dimensional characteristics. If all 4 of the devices are in agreement with the manufacturer's plans previously reviewed by the Commandant, the 4 devices will be accepted and are to be assembled for further testing under the “Physical and operational tests” of paragraph (c)(2) of this section.
(2) Physical and operational tests. Each hydraulic release selected under Table 160.062-4(c) for the “Physical and operational tests” shall undergo each of the tests described in this paragraph without renewal of parts or repairs between the tests. The tests shall be conducted in the following sequence:
(i) Submergence test. A hydraulic release shall be tested by applying buoyant loads of its designed capacity to its spring-tensioned gripe as required under § 160.062-3(b) while the device is submerged in water or in a water-filled pressure testing tank. A hydraulic release shall show by its submergence test that it meets the buoyant capacity and release depth requirements of § 160.062-3 (b) and (c) by automatically tripping and releasing its load.
(ii) Temperature test. After its submergence test, a hydraulic release sample shall be placed in a cold box at minus 30 degrees F. for 4 hours. Upon completion of this conditioning, the sample device shall be opened for inspection and shall show no significant change in the position of the hydraulic or manual control as a result of the low temperature exposure.
(iii) Corrosion resisting test. After the completion of its temperature test, a hydraulic release sample shall be exposed to a 20 percent salt spray test for 160 continuous hours in accordance with Federal Test Method Standard No. 151. At the conclusion of this test, the sample device shall be entirely serviceable and shall show a minimal amount of corrosion.
(iv) Second temperature test. After its corrosion resisting test, a hydraulic release sample shall undergo a repeat of the temperature test, subdivision (ii) of this paragraph.
(v) Second submergence test. The final test of a hydraulic release sample shall be a repeat of the submergence test, paragraph (c)(2)(i) of this section.
(d) Factory inspections and tests. For purposes of sampling, a lot shall consist of not more than 500 hydraulic releases of the same model. Manufacturers of approved hydraulic releases shall maintain quality control of the materials used, manufacturing methods, workmanship, and the finished product as to produce hydraulic releases in conformity with the approvals previously issued by the Commandant.
(1) Visual and dimensional examination. A random sample of hydraulic releases shall be selected by a marine inspector at the factory in accordance with Table 160.062-4(d)(1) from each assembled lot. After the samples have been selected, they will undergo an examination of visual and dimensional characteristics by referring to their approved drawings with their acceptance based on Table 160.062-4(d)(1) and MIL-STD-105, and checking for compliance with specific details as described therein.
Table 160.062-4( d )(1)—Sampling for Visual and Dimensional Examination 1
1 This table is derived from Table I of Paragraph 4.2.2 of Military Specification MIL-R-15041C.
(2) Physical and operational tests. If the sampling and examination of paragraph (d)(1) of this section are satisfactory, the marine inspector shall select an additional random sample of hydraulic releases from the same assembled lot as described above. This second group of samples, of a number determined by Table 160.062-4(d)(2), shall be forwarded for testing at the manufacturer's expense to a laboratory accepted by the Commandant. Each hydraulic release shall undergo each of the tests described in this paragraph without renewal of parts or repairs between tests. The tests shall be conducted in the following sequence:
(i) Submergence test. Same test as described in paragraph (c)(2)(i) of this section.
(ii) Temperature test. Same test as described in paragraph (c)(2)(ii) of this section.
(iii) Corrosion resisting test. Same test as described in paragraph (c)(2)(iii) of this section.
(iv) Second temperature test. Same test as described in paragraph (c)(2)(iv) of this section.
(v) Second submergence test. Same test as described in paragraph (c)(2)(v) of this section.
Table 160.062-4( d )(2)—Sampling for Physical and Operational Tests 1
1 This table is derived from Table II of Paragraph 4.2.3 of Military Specification MIL-R-15041C.
(3) Lot acceptance at a factory. The submergence test of paragraph (c)(2)(i) shall be performed on each of the remaining hydraulic releases in a production lot after the selection of the lot samples required by paragraph (d)(2) of this section. Such individual submergence tests may be performed at the factory in a pressure tank apparatus which simulates the hydrostatic pressure and the various tension loads on the hydraulic release. Those hydraulic releases which do not pass this submergence test shall be removed from the production lot as unacceptable, but may be reworked and included in a subsequent lot. After the completion of these individual submergence tests and after receipt of the laboratory's test report showing that the tests on the lot samples were satisfactorily met, the Commander of the Coast Guard District in which the factory is located shall have the manufacturer notified that this production lot of hydraulic releases meets the requirements of this specification subpart. After being marked as required by § 160.062-5, the manufacturer may sell such hydraulic releases as approved equipment.
(i) Hydraulic releases which have been rejected may not, unless subsequently accepted, be sold or offered for sale under representation as being in compliance with this specification or as being approved for use on vessels subject to inspection under this chapter.
(4) Records and test reports. The manufacturer shall maintain records and copies of test reports for each production lot of hydraulic releases manufactured for a period of five (5) years from the date notified that a production lot meets the requirements in this subpart. These records and test reports, upon request, shall be made available to the marine inspector. The manufacturer will be provided with a copy of the laboratory's test report concerning each production lot of hydraulic releases submitted for testing.
(e) Spot checks. As one of the conditions in granting an approval for a hydraulic release under this subpart, the Coast Guard reserves the right to spot check at any time and at any place the product, parts, and complete assemblies of hydraulic releases covered by the approval. The spot check shall be by a marine inspector who shall be admitted to the place or places where work may be performed before, during, or after the manufacture of hydraulic releases or at any place where hydraulic releases may be assembled, reworked, repaired, or reconditioned by the manufacturer of any repair facility accepted by the Commandant in accordance with the procedure contained in § 160.062-7. A spot check includes having a marine inspector compare materials, parts, and workmanship and/or complete hydraulic releases with the manufacturer's approved plans, records and test reports to ascertain compliance with these requirements. The marine inspector may select samples of materials or parts used in the construction of hydraulic releases and complete hydraulic releases and may order or have performed any or all of the tests described in this section conducted on such devices or parts thereof. This work and any tests required shall be borne by the manufacturer without cost to the Coast Guard.
(f) Periodic Servicing and Testing. A hydraulic release is inspected as follows:
(1) Inspection for devices not installed after manufacture. A hydraulic release, that is not installed after manufacture and is stored for period of 24 months or less, is not required to be inspected or tested before installation but must be stamped by a marine inspector on the inspection tag required in § 160.062-5(b)(2) with—
(i) The word “Installed”;
(ii) The installation date; and
(iii) The Marine Inspection Office identification letters.
(2) Inspection for devices that have been installed. A hydraulic release that is installed for a period of 12 months or more must pass the test contained in paragraph (f)(3) of this section and be marked as required in paragraph (f)(5) of this section. If, after passing the test, the device is stored for a period of 24 months or less, it must be stamped as required in paragraph (f)(1) of this paragraph by the marine inspector before reinstallation.
(3) Devices stored longer than 24 months. A hydraulic release that is stored for a period of more than 24 months must be inspected and tested by an employee of a repair or test facility, accepted in accordance with the requirement contained in § 160.062-7 or § 160.062-8, as follows:
(i) The device must be manually operated to determine if it releases.
(ii) If the device releases, it must pass the submergence test contained in paragraph (c)(2)(i) of this section, at a depth between 5 feet and 15 feet and be marked as required in paragraph (f)(5) of this section.
(iii) If the device fails to release or fails to pass the submergence test required in paragraph (f)(3)(ii) of this section, the device must be disassembled, repaired, and tested in accordance with the requirements contained in paragraph (f)(4) of this paragraph.
(4) Disassembly and repair tests. If a hydraulic release fails the test contained in paragraph (f)(3)(iii) of this section, it must be disassembled and repaired by the manufacturer or a repair facility accepted in accord with the requirements contained in § 160.062-7 and be tested as follows:
(i) A production lot must be formed consisting of 12 or more but not exceeding 100 devices.
(ii) In the presence of a marine inspector, the device must pass the submergence test contained in paragraph (c)(2)(i) of this section at a depth between 5 feet and 15 feet.
(iii) Any device that fails must be—
(A) Repaired;
(B) Placed in a subsequent lot; and
(C) Submitted to the submergence test contained in paragraph (c)(2)(i) of this section at a depth between 5 feet and 15 feet.
(5) Marking of devices. If a hydraulic release passes the submergence test required in paragraph (c)(2)(i) of this section at a depth between 5 feet and 15 feet the marine inspector stamps the inspection tag with—
(i) The test date;
(ii) The Marine Inspection Office identification letters; and
(iii) The letters “USCG”.
§ 160.062-5   Markings.
(a) Hydraulic releases manufactured prior to the granting of a certificate of approval to the manufacturer may be permitted in service only to July 1, 1969. However, such hydraulic releases meeting the type and design requirements covered by a current certificate of approval may be repaired and/or reconditioned as provided in § 160.062-4(f) and be accepted as approved equipment when it bears the following markings:
(1) Body marking. The name of the manufacturer and the model designation are plainly visible.
(2) Inspection tag markings. Each hydraulic release repaired or reconditioned shall be provided with a 2″ by 3 1/2 ″ stainless steel tag of a minimum thickness of 0.032 inches. This tag shall be permanently attached to a hydraulic release with a single stainless steel link made of wire 3/16 ″ in diameter. This link shall provide nonrigid attachment of the tag to the hydraulic release. The top of the inspection tag shall be stamped in block characters not less than 1/16 ″ in height with the manufacturer's name, Coast Guard approval number, the limits of buoyant capacity in pounds, the Marine Inspection Office identification letters, and the letters “USCG.” The remaining space on the tag will be used for the stamping of periodic servicing test dates and the marine inspector's initials as described in § 160.062-4(f).
(b) Hydraulic release manufactured under a certificate of approval issued under this subpart shall be provided with 2 sets of markings as follows:
(1) Body marking. The metal body of a hydraulic release shall be stamped in block characters not less than 1/8 ″ in height on a plainly visible portion with the name of the manufacturer, the model designation, the limits of buoyant capacity in pounds, the method of manual release, the notation “DO NOT PAINT”, Coast Guard approval number, the Marine Inspection Office identification letters, and the letters “USCG”.
(2) Inspection tag markings. Each hydraulic release shall be provided at its time of manufacture with a 2″ by 3 1/2 ″ stainless steel tag of a minimum thickness of 0.032 inch. This tag shall be permanently attached to a hydraulic release with a single stainless steel link made of wire 3/16 ″ in diameter. This link shall provide nonrigid attachment of the tag to the hydraulic release. The top of the inspection tag shall be stamped in block characters not less than 1/8 ″ in height with the original lot number of the hydraulic release, its date of manufacture, and its release depth range in feet. The remaining space on the tag will be used for the stamping of periodic servicing test dates and the Marine Inspection Office identification letters as described in § 160.062-4(f).
§ 160.062-6   Procedure for approval.
General. Hydraulic releases for use on lifesaving equipment for merchant vessels are approved only by the Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard. In order to be approved, the hydraulic releases must be tested in accordance with § 160.062-4(c) by an independent laboratory accepted by the Coast Guard under 46 CFR 159.010. The independent laboratory will forward the report to the Commandant for examination, and if satisfactory an official approval number will be assigned to the manufacturer for the model hydraulic release submitted.
§ 160.062-7   Procedures for acceptance of repair facility.
(a) Before a repair facility is accepted by the Commandant to perform the services required in § 160.062-4(f), it must be inspected by the cognizant Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection, to determine if it has—
(1) The testing apparatus to perform all the tests required in § 160.062-4;
(2) A source of supply of replacement parts for a hydraulic release, evidenced by a signed agreement between the facility and his source of supply, or the parts for it; all replacement parts must be in compliance with applicable specifications and standards contained in § 160.062-1; and
(3) Employees competent to perform the services required in this paragraph. Each employee who is engaged in serving a hydraulic release must demonstrate his competence to the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection by—
(i) Disassembling a hydraulic release;
(ii) Making all necessary repairs to the disassembled unit;
(iii) Reassembling the unit in conformance with the specifications and standards contained in § 160.062-1(a); and
(iv) Showing that the reassembled unit meets the buoyant capacity and release depth requirements contained in § 160.062-3 (b) and (c) after being inspected and tested in conformance with the requirements contained in § 160.062-4(f).
(b) Based on the report of the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection, regarding the inspection required in paragraph (a) of this section, the Commandant notifies the facility that—
(1) It is an accepted repair facility for the reconditioning and testing of hydraulic releases; or
(2) It is not accepted as a repair facility, lists each discrepancy noted by the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection, and describes the procedure for reinspection if applicable corrections are made.
§ 160.062-8   Procedures for acceptance of testing facility.
(a) The Commandant may consider the acceptance of a facility that conducts only the submergence test contained in § 160.062-4(c)(2)(i). Before a facility is accepted by the Commandant to conduct this test, it must be inspected by the cognizant Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection, to determine if it has—
(1) The testing apparatus to perform the test required in § 160.062-4(c)(2)(i); and
(2) Employees competent to perform the test required in § 160.062-4(c)(2)(i). Each employee who is engaged in testing a device must demonstrate his competence to the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection by conducting a submergence test.
(b) Based on the report of the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection, regarding the inspection required in paragraph (a) of this section, the Commandant notifies each applicant, in accordance with the procedures described in § 160.062-7(b), whether or not it is an accepted testing facility.
§ 160.064-1   Scope.
(a) This subpart contains requirements for production follow-up inspections for wearable PFDs and throwable PFDs approved under this subpart prior to January 6, 2025.
(b) PFDs approved under this subpart are intended to meet the carriage requirements for PFDs for uninspected commercial vessels under 40 ft (12m) not carrying passengers for hire and recreational boats, in accordance with 33 CFR 175 and 46 CFR 25.25.
(c) PFDs covered by this subpart are of two general types: those intended to be worn on the body and those intended to be thrown.
§ 160.064-2   [Reserved]
§ 160.064-3   Definitions.
The following definitions apply to this subpart:
Commandant means the Chief of the Lifesaving and Fire Safety Standards Division. Address: Commandant (CG-ENG-4), Attn: Lifesaving and Fire Safety Division, U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20593-7509; email TypeApproval@uscg.mil .
First class workmanship means construction that is free from any defect materially affecting appearance or serviceability.
Inspector means a recognized laboratory representative assigned to perform, supervise, or oversee the duties described in § 160.064-15 or any Coast Guard representative performing duties related to the approval.
Recognized laboratory means an independent laboratory accepted by the Commandant in accordance with 46 CFR subpart 159.010, with a valid memorandum of understanding in accordance with 46 CFR 159.010-7.
§ 160.064-4   [Reserved]
§ 160.064-5   Incorporation by reference.
Certain material is incorporated by reference into this part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. All approved incorporation by reference (IBR) material is available for inspection at the Coast Guard Headquarters and at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Contact Commandant (CG-ENG-4), Attn: Lifesaving and Fire Safety Division, U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20593-7509. For information on the availability of this material at NARA, visit www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations or email fr.inspection@nara.gov . The material may be obtained from UL, 333 Pfingsten Road, Northbrook, IL 60062-2002; phone (847) 272-8800; website: www.ul.com .
(a) ANSI/CAN/UL 9595:2021, Standard for Safety Factory Follow-Up on Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs), First Edition, June 4, 2020 (including revisions through September 9, 2021) (“ANSI/CAN/UL 9595”); IBR approved for § 160.064-15(e).
(b) [Reserved]
§§ 160.64-6--160.64-10   [Reserved]
§ 160.064-11   Recognized laboratory.
(a) The production inspections, tests, and quality control required by this subpart must be conducted by an independent laboratory recognized by the Coast Guard under 46 CFR subpart 159.010 to perform such functions. A list of recognized independent laboratories is available from the Commandant and online at https://cgmix.uscg.mil .
(b) The same laboratory that performs the approval tests must also perform production oversight unless the employees of the laboratory performing production oversight receive training and support equal to that of the laboratory that performed the approval testing, as determined by the Commandant.
§§ 160.64-12--160.64-14   [Reserved]
§ 160.064-15   Production inspections, tests, and quality control of PFDs.
(a) Manufacturer's inspection and tests. Manufacturers of approved PFDs must maintain quality control of the materials used, manufacturing methods, and the finished product to meet the applicable requirements, and make sufficient inspections and tests of representative samples and components produced to maintain the quality of the finished product. Records of tests conducted by the manufacturer and records of materials, including affidavits by suppliers that applicable requirements are met, must be made available to the recognized laboratory inspector or to the Coast Guard marine inspector, or both, for review upon request.
(b) Laboratory inspections and tests. The laboratory inspector will conduct examinations, inspections, and tests for listed and labeled devices, as required by the recognized laboratory, at the place of manufacture or other location at the option of the laboratory.
(c) Test facilities. The laboratory inspector, or the Coast Guard marine inspector assigned by the Commander of the District in which the factory is located, or both, must be admitted to any place in the factory where work is being done on listed and labeled products. Either or both inspectors may take samples of parts or materials entering construction or final assemblies, for further examinations, inspections, or tests. The manufacturer must provide a suitable place and the apparatus necessary for the performance of the tests done at the place of manufacture.
(d) Additional tests, etc. Unannounced examinations, tests, and inspections of samples obtained either directly from the manufacturer or through commercial channels may be made to determine the suitability of a product for listing and labeling, or to determine conformance of a labeled product to the applicable requirements. These may be conducted by the recognized laboratory or the United States Coast Guard.
(e) Follow-up program. A follow-up program in accordance with ANSI/CAN/UL 9595 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.064-5) meets the requirements of this section.
§§ 160.64-16--160.64-22   [Reserved]
§ 160.064-23   Procedure for approval of design or material change.
(a) The manufacturer must submit any proposed changes in design, material, or construction to the recognized laboratory for approval before changing PFD production methods.
(b) Determinations of equivalence of design, construction, and materials must be made only by the Commandant or a designated representative.
§ 160.64-24   [Reserved]
§ 160.064-25   Suspension or termination of approval.
As provided in 46 CFR 159.005-15, the Commandant may suspend or terminate the approval of a PFD design if the manufacturer fails to comply with this subpart or the recognized laboratory's accepted procedures or requirements.
§ 160.066-1   Type.
(a) Red aerial pyrotechnic distress signals specified by this subpart must be either self-contained or pistol launched, and either meteor or parachute assisted type.
(b) [Reserved]
§ 160.066-5   Design, construction, and manufacturing requirements.
(a) Each signal must be either:
(1) A self-contained unit with all necessary components for firing the signal, or
(2) A cartridge intended for firing from a signal pistol that is approved under Subpart 160.028 of this chapter.
(b) Each signal unit must have an interior chamber which contains the main propulsion charge and which is constructed so that it is capable of withstanding the forces generated by ignition without rupture, crack, or deformation of any kind.
(c) Signals must be constructed in lots numbered serially by the manufacturer. A new lot must be started when:
(1) Any change in construction details occurs;
(2) Any change in sources of raw materials occurs;
(3) Production is started on a new production line or on a previously discontinued production line; or
(4) A lot exceeds 30,000 units.
§ 160.066-7   Performance requirements.
(a) Each signal must:
(1) Burn “vivid red” when tested as specified in § 160.021-4(d)(7) for at least 5.5 seconds.
(2) Have a peak luminous intensity of at least 10,000 candela.
(3) Burn a total of not less than 1,000 candleminutes (Cm) using the formula
(4) Burn out completely before falling back to the level of launch.
(5) Function in a manner that would not cause burns or injury to an unprotected person firing the signal in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
(6) Not malfunction in a manner that would cause burns or injury to an unprotected person firing the signal in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
(b) Each signal must meet the requirements of paragraph (a) after:
(1) Submersion in water for 24 hours, or
(2) If protected by a sealed container, submersion in water for 24 hours inside the sealed container immediately followed by submersion for 10 minutes without the container, and
(3) Being exposed to the Elevated Temperature, Humidity, and Storage Test in § 160.066-13(b).
(c) Testing for burn time and luminous intensity pursuant to paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2), respectively, shall be conducted in conformity with the following requirements and procedures:
(1) The chart speed of the light measuring equipment shall not be slower than 5 seconds per inch;
(2) The chart sweep of the light measuring equipment shall not be slower than .5 seconds for full scale;
(3) The first and last seconds of the burn shall be eliminated in measuring luminous intensity;
(4) The time during which the candle burns (excluding first and last seconds of burn) is to be used to determine the luminous intensity by averaging the readings taken during the burning; and
(5) Burn time is to be measured from first light of the signal to dark.
§ 160.066-9   Labeling.
(a) Each signal must be legibly and indelibly marked with the following information:
(1) The manufacturer's name,
(2) The designed burning time of the pyrotechnic candle(s),
(3) The specific signal pistol for which the signal is designed, if any,
(4) The lot number,
(5) The Coast Guard approval number,
(6) Operation and storage instructions,
(7) The month and year of expiration determined by § 160.066-10, and
(8) The words:
“Aerial Flare. Acceptable as a Day and Night Visual Distress Signal for boats as required by 33 CFR 175.110. For Emergency Use Only”.
(b) If the signal is too small to contain all of the information required by paragraph (a) and any labeling which may be required by paragraph (d), the information required by paragraphs (a) (2), (6), and (8) may be printed on a separate piece of paper packed with each signal or with the smallest container in which several signals are packed.
(c) The largest carton or box in which the manufacturer ships signals must be marked with the following or equivalent words: “Keep under cover in a dry place.”
(d) Compliance with the labeling requirements of this section does not relieve the manufacturer of the responsibility of complying with the label requirements of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, 15 U.S.C. 1263.
§ 160.066-10   Expiration date.
Each approved signal must have an expiration date marked on it. That date must not be more than forty-two months from date of manufacture.
§ 160.066-11   Approval procedures.
(a) Red aerial pyrotechnic flare distress signals are approved under the procedures of subpart 159.005 of this chapter.
(b) The manufacturer must produce a lot of at least 100 signals from which samples for approval testing must be drawn. Approval testing must be conducted in accordance with the operational tests in § 160.066-12 and the technical tests in § 160.066-13. In order for the signal to be approved, the samples must pass both the operational and the technical tests.
(c) The approval tests must be performed by an independent laboratory accepted by the Commandant under Subpart 159.010 of this chapter.
§ 160.066-12   Operational tests.
(a) The procedure for conducting operational tests is described in figure (1).
(1) An “accept lot” decision must be reached in order to pass the operational tests.
(2) If a “reject lot” decision is reached, the entire lot is rejected.
(3) Signals from “reject lots” may be reworked by the manufacturer to correct the deficiency for which they were rejected and be resubmitted for inspection. Records shall be kept of the reasons for rejection, the reworking performed on the “reject lot”, and the result of the second test. Signals from “reject lots” may not, unless subsequently accepted, be sold or offered for sale as being in compliance with this specification.
(b) Each signal selected for the operational tests must be conditioned by:
(1) Being submerged under at least 25 mm (1 in.) of water for 24 hours without any protection other than its waterproofing; or
(2) If waterproofing is provided by a sealed plastic bag or other waterproof packaging, submersion under 25 mm (1 in.) of water for 24 hours in the packaging, followed immediately by submersion under 25 mm (1 in.) of water for 10 minutes with the signal removed from the packaging.
(c) After each signal selected has undergone the conditioning required by paragraph (b) of this section it must be fired as described by the manufacturer's operating instructions. The following data as observed must be recorded for each signal:
(1) Burning time of the pyrotechnic candle;
(2) Color;
(3) Whether the pyrotechnic candle burns out above, at, or below the level of launch.
(d) A signal fails the operational tests if:
(1) It fails to fire,
(2) The pyrotechnic candle fails to ignite,
(3) The pyrotechnic candle continues to burn after it falls back to the level of launch,
(4) The observed color is other than vivid red, or
(5) The burning time is less than 5.5 seconds.
(e) A lot is rejected if a “reject lot” decision is reached using Figure (1) and Table 1 after completion of the operational tests.
Table 1—Accept and Reject Criteria for Operational Test Lots
1 Cumulative number of failures.
2 Lot may not be accepted. Next sample must be tested.
§ 160.066-13   Technical tests.
(a) The following conditions apply to technical tests as described in this section:
(1) A total of nine signals must be selected at random from the lot being tested;
(2) If the signals are protected by sealed packaging, then the conditioning for the technical tests must be conducted with the signal in the sealed packaging;
(3) If signals in the test sample fail to pass one of the technical tests, the entire lot is rejected;
(4) Signals from “reject lots” may be reworked by the manufacturer to correct the deficiency for which they were rejected and be resubmitted for inspection. Records shall be kept of the reasons for rejection, the reworking performed on the “reject lot”, and the result of the second test. Signals from “reject lots” may not, unless subsequently accepted, be sold or offered for sale as being in compliance with this specification.
(b) The Elevated Temperature, Humidity, and Storage Test must be conducted in the following manner:
(1) Select three signals from the nine;
(2) Place each signal in a thermostatically controlled even-temperature oven held at 55 Degrees C (131 Degrees F), and at not less than 90% relative humidity, for at least 72 hours (If for any reason it is not possible to operate the oven continuously for the 72 hour period, it may be operated at the required temperature and humidity for 8 hours of each 24 during the 72 hour conditioning period.);
(3) After removal from the oven immediately place each signal in a chamber:
(i) At a temperature of at least 20 degrees C (68 degrees F) but not more than 25 degrees C (77 degrees F);
(ii) At not less than 65% relative humidity;
(iii) For ten days;
(4) Then remove each signal from any sealed packaging and fire it.
(5) The test sample fails the test if:
(i) Any signal ignites or decomposes before firing;
(ii) Any signal when fired malfunctions in a manner that would cause burns or injury to an unprotected person firing the signal, or;
(iii) Two or more of the signals fail to project and ignite the pyrotechnic candle.
(c) The Spontaneous Combustion Test must be performed in the following manner:
(1) Select three signals from the remaining six signals and place them in a thermostatically controlled even temperature over for 48 hours at a temperature of 75 degrees C (167 degrees F).
(2) The test sample fails the test if any signal ignites or decomposes during the test.
(d) The Luminous Intensity and Chromaticity Test must be performed in the following manner:
(1) Remove the pyrotechnic candle from the remaining three signals.
(2) Ignite, measure, and record the intensity of the burning candle with a visual photometer or equivalent photometric device or automatic recorder:
(i) While the specimen is supported in a horizontal position and the photometer is at right angles to the axis of the specimen,
(ii) At a distance of at least 3 m (10 ft.).
(3) Calculate the intensity of the candle as in § 160.066-7(c).
(4) Measure and record the chromaticity of the burning candle as specified in § 160.021-4(d)(4).
(5) The test sample fails the test if more than one signal has a luminous intensity of less than 10,000 candela, or more than one signal is not “vivid red”.
§ 160.066-15   Production testing.
(a) Production tests must be performed under the procedures in Subpart 159.007 of this chapter.
(b) The operational tests in § 160.066-12 must be performed for every lot of signals produced.
(c) The technical tests in § 160.066-13 must be performed at least once every twelve months, or at least once every 10 lots, whichever occurs first.
(d) If a lot is rejected on the basis of the technical tests, then each subsequent lot produced must be tested according to the technical tests until samples from a lot pass these tests.
(e) An independent laboratory acceptable to the Commandant must perform or directly supervise:
(1) Each technical test, and
(2) All operational tests for at least four lots in a 12 month period, unless fewer than four lots are produced in a 12 month period. If less than four lots are produced in a 12 month period, each operational test must be performed or directly supervised by the independent laboratory.
(f) If a lot selected by the independent laboratory for an operational test is rejected, then the operational tests for the next lot produced, and the rejected lot, if reworked, must be performed or directly supervised by the independent laboratory. The tests required by this paragraph must not be counted for the purpose of meeting the requirements of paragraph (e).
(g) The independent laboratory selects the lots upon which technical tests are performed.
(h) If the manufacturer produces more than four lots within a 12 month period, the independent laboratory selects the lots for which it performs or directly supervises the operational tests.
(i) The operational test performed or directly supervised by the independent laboratory must occur at least once during each quarterly period, unless no lots are produced during that period.
(j) The independent laboratory, when it performs or directly supervises the technical tests required by paragraph (c) or (d) of this section, must inspect the signals selected for testing and compare them with the approved plans. Each signal inspected must conform to the plans.
§ 160.072-1   Applicability.
(a) This subpart establishes standards for distress flags for boats.
(b) [Reserved]
§ 160.072-3   General performance requirements.
(a) Each flag must:
(1) Be a square or rectangle at least 90 cm (36 inches) wide and at least 90 cm (36 inches) long. If the flag is a rectangle, the shorter side cannot be less than 2/3 the length of the longer side;
(2) Have no less than 70% of the total area colored a bright red-orange color;
(3) Display a black disc and a black square on the red-orange background on both sides arranged as follows:
(i) The diameter of the disc and the length of one side of the square shall be equal, and shall each be 1/3 of the length of the longest side of the flag, or 30 cm (12 inches), whichever is greater.
(ii) The disc and square must be centered on one axis of the flag parallel to the longest side of the flag as shown in Figure 160.072-3. If the flag is a square, the axis may be parallel to any side.
(iii) The disc and square shall be separated by a distance of 1/6 the length of the longest side of the flag or 15 cm (6 inches), whichever is greater.
(4) Be capable of passing the accelerated weathering test of § 160.072-5;
(5) Have reinforced corners, each with a grommet; and,
(6) Be packaged with 4 pieces of line, with a tensile strength of at least 225 N (Newtons) (50 lbs) no less than 30 cm (12 inches) long, capable of passing through the grommets freely.
(b) [Reserved]
§ 160.072-5   Accelerated weathering test.
(a) Condition the flag, folded to 1/16 th its size or as packaged, whichever is smaller, by submersion in 5% by weight sodium chloride solution for 2 hours followed immediately by storage at 95% (±5) related humidity and 40 °C (±3°) (100 °F ±5°) for at least 15 days.
(b) Unfold and suspend flag by the lines provided, secured through each grommet.
(c) Subject the flag to alternate 3 minute cycles of 5% by weight sodium chloride solution at 55 degrees (±5°) C and air blasts of 40 knots at 55 degrees (±5°) C, perpendicular to and over the entire surface of one side of the flag, without interruption for a period of not less than 24 hours.
(d) The flag fails the accelerated weathering test if
(1) After conditioning, the flag cannot be unfolded without damage,
(2) There is any tearing,
(3) The flag does not retain its bright red/orange color,
(4) The disc and square images no longer meet the requirements of § 160.072-3(a)(3) or,
(5) There is any visible rot over more than 3% of the flag's surface.
§ 160.072-7   Manufacturer certification and labeling.
(a) Each distress flag intended as a Day Visual Distress Signal required by 33 CFR Part 175 must be certified by the manufacturer as complying with the requirements of this subpart.
(b) Each distress flag must be legibly and indelibly marked with:
(1) The manufacturer's name; and
(2) The following words—
“Day Visual Distress Signal for Boats. Complies with U.S. Coast Guard Requirements in 46 CFR 160.072. For Emergency Use Only”.
§ 160.072-09   Manufacturer notification.
(a) Each manufacturer certifying flags in accordance with the specifications of this subpart must send written notice to the Commandant (CG-ENG), Attn: Office of Design and Engineering Systems, U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20593-7509;
(1) Within 30 days after first certifying a flag,
(2) Every five years as long as the manufacturer continues to produce flags, and
(3) Each time the design or construction material of the flag changes.
(b) [Reserved]
§ 160.073-1   Scope.
(a) This subpart contains requirements for a float-free link used for connecting a life float or buoyant apparatus painter to a vessel. The float-free link is designed to be broken by the buoyant force of the life float or buoyant apparatus so that the float or apparatus breaks free of a vessel that sinks in water deeper than the length of the painter.
(b) [Reserved]
§ 160.073-5   Certification.
(a) The float-free link is not approved by the Coast Guard. The manufacturer of the link must certify that it meets all of the requirements of this subpart by application of the markings required in § 160.073-20.
(b) If the manufacturer wants the link to be listed in the Coast Guard publication COMDTINST M16714.3 (Series), “Equipment Lists,” the manufacturer must send a letter requesting the listing to Commandant (CG-ENG), Attn: Office of Design and Engineering Systems, U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20593-7509..
§ 160.073-10   Construction and performance.
(a) The link must be constructed essentially as shown in figure 160.073-10. The link must be formed from a single salt water corrosion-resistant wire. A loop at least 50 mm (2 in.) in diameter must be provided at each end of the wire. Each loop must be permanently secured.
(b) The breaking strength of each link must be between:
(1) 450 N (100 lb.) and 600 N (134 lb.) for links intended for life floats and buoyant apparatus of 10 persons and less capacity.
(2) 900 N (200 lb.) and 1200 N (268 lb.) for links intended for life floats and buoyant apparatus of 11 to 20 persons capacity.
(3) 1800 N (400 lb.) and 2400 N (536 lb.) for links intended for life floats and buoyant apparatus of 21 persons and more capacity.
§ 160.073-15   Tests.
(a) The manufacturer shall perform a tensile test on the first three links made from a particular spool of wire. The test must be done by slowly loading the link until it breaks. The link must break between the limits specified in § 160.073-10(b). The break must occur in the length of wire at or between the points where the loops are secured (see Figure 160.073-10).
(b) If each of the three links passes the test, each link constructed in the same manner from the same spool of wire may be certified by the manufacturer as meeting the requirements of this subpart.
(c) If one or more of the three links fails the test, no link manufactured in the same manner and from the same spool of wire as the test links may be certified as meeting the requirements of this subpart.
§ 160.073-20   Marking.
(a) Each link certified by the manufacturer to meet the requirements of this subpart must have a corrosion resistant, waterproof tag attached to it that has the following information on it (the manufacturer must make the appropriate entries in the indicated space):
(b) [Reserved]
§ 160.076-1   Scope.
(a) This subpart contains requirements for production follow-up inspections for inflatable recreational personal flotation devices (PFDs) approved prior to January 6, 2025.
(b) Inflatable PFDs approved under this subpart rely partially or entirely upon inflation for buoyancy.
(c) PFDs approved under this subpart are intended to meet the carriage requirements for wearable PFDs for recreational vessels and uninspected recreational submersible vessels, in accordance with 33 CFR 175.15 and 175.17.
§ 160.076-3   Definitions.
As used in this part:
Commandant means the Chief of the Lifesaving and Fire Safety Standards Division. Address: Commandant (CG-ENG-4), Attn: Lifesaving and Fire Safety Division, U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20593-7509; telephone 202-372-1392 or fax 202-372-1924.
Conditional approval means a PFD approval which has condition(s) with which the user must comply in order for the PFD to be counted toward meeting the carriage requirements for the vessel on which it is being used.
First quality workmanship means construction which is free from any defect materially affecting appearance or serviceability.
Inflation medium means any solid, liquid, or gas that, when activated, provides inflation for buoyancy.
Inspector means a recognized laboratory representative assigned to perform, supervise or oversee the duties described in §§ 160.076-29 and 160.076-31 of this subpart or any Coast Guard representative performing duties related to the approval.
MOU means memorandum of understanding which describes the approval functions a recognized independent laboratory performs for the Coast Guard, and the recognized independent laboratory's working arrangements with the Coast Guard.
Performance type means the in-water performance classification of the PFD.
PFD means personal flotation device as defined in 33 CFR 175.13.
Plans and specifications means the drawings, product description, construction specifications, and bill of materials submitted in accordance with § 160.076-13 for approval of a PFD design.
§ 160.076-5   Incorporation by reference.
Certain material is incorporated by reference into this part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. All approved incorporation by reference (IBR) material is available for inspection at the Coast Guard Headquarters and at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Contact Commandant (CG-ENG-4), Attn: Lifesaving and Fire Safety Division, U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20593-7509. For information on the availability of this material at NARA, visit www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations or email fr.inspection@nara.gov . The material may be obtained from UL, 333 Pfingsten Road, Northbrook, IL 60062-2002; phone (847) 272-8800; website: www.ul.com .
(a) ANSI/CAN/UL 9595:2021, Standard for Safety Factory Follow-Up on Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs), First Edition, June 4, 2020 (including revisions through September 9, 2021) (“ANSI/CAN/UL 9595”); IBR approved for § 160.076-29(a).
(b) [Reserved].
§ 160.076-7   [Reserved]
§ 160.076-9   Conditional approval.
(a) A conditionally approved inflatable PFD may be used to meet the Coast Guard PFD carriage requirements of 33 CFR part 175 only if the PFD is used in accordance with any requirements on the approval label. PFDs marked “Approved only when worn” must be worn whenever the vessel is underway and the intended wearer is not within an enclosed space if the PFD is intended to be used to satisfy the requirements of 33 CFR part 175. Note: Additional approved PFDs may be needed to satisfy the requirements of 33 CFR part 175 if “Approved only when worn” PFDs are not worn.
(b) PFDs not meeting the performance specifications in UL 1180 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.076-11) may be conditionally approved when the Commandant determines that the performance or design characteristics of the PFD make such classification appropriate.
§ 160.076-13   [Reserved]
§ 160.076-15   Suspension or termination of approval.
As provided in § 159.005-15 of this chapter, the Commandant may suspend or terminate the approval of an inflatable PFD design if the manufacturer fails to comply with this subpart or the recognized laboratory's accepted procedures or requirements.
§ 160.076-17   Approval of design or material changes.
(a) The manufacturer must submit any proposed changes in design, material, or construction to the recognized laboratory and the Commandant for approval before changing PFD production methods.
(b) Determinations of equivalence of design, construction, and materials may be made only by the Commandant or a designated representative.
§ 160.076-19   Recognized laboratories.
The approval and production oversight functions that this subpart requires to be conducted by a recognized laboratory must be conducted by an independent laboratory recognized by the Coast Guard under subpart 159.010 of part 159 of this chapter to perform such functions. A list of recognized independent laboratories is available from the Commandant and online at http://cgmix.uscg.mil.
§ 160.076-21   [Reserved]
§ 160.076-23   [Reserved]
§ 160.076-25   [Reserved]
§ 160.076-27   [Reserved]
§ 160.076-29   Production oversight.
(a) Production tests and inspections must be conducted in accordance with ANSI/CAN/UL 9595 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.076-5) or an alternative follow-up procedure accepted by the Commandant. The Commandant may prescribe additional production tests and inspections necessary to maintain quality control and to monitor compliance with the requirements of this subpart.
(b) Production oversight must be performed by the same laboratory that performs the approval tests unless the Commandant determines that the employees of an alternative laboratory have received training and have access to the same information as the inspectors of the laboratory that conducted the approval testing.
(c) In addition to responsibilities set out in part 159 of this chapter and the accepted Laboratory Follow-up Procedures, each manufacturer of an inflatable PFD and each recognized laboratory inspector shall comply with the following, as applicable:
(1) Manufacturer. Each manufacturer must—
(i) Perform all required tests and examinations on each PFD lot before any required inspector's tests and inspection of the lot;
(ii) Follow established procedures for maintaining quality control of the materials used, manufacturing operations, and the finished product;
(iii) Implement a continuing program of employee training and a program for maintaining production and test equipment;
(iv) Admit the inspector to any place in the factory where work is done on PFDs or component materials, and where parts or completed PFDs are stored;
(v) Have an inspector observe the production methods used in producing the first PFD lot and observe any revisions in production methods made thereafter; and
(vi) Allow the inspector to take samples of completed PFDs or of component materials for tests required by this subpart and for tests relating to the safety of the design.
(2) Recognized laboratory oversight. An inspector from a recognized laboratory shall oversee production in accordance with the MOU. During production oversight, the inspector shall not perform or supervise any production test or inspection unless—
(i) The manufacturer has a valid approval certificate; and
(ii) The inspector has first observed the manufacturer's production methods and any revisions to those methods.
(3) The inspector must perform or supervise testing and inspection of at least one in each five lots of PFDs produced.
(4) During each inspection, the inspector must check for compliance with the manufacturer's quality control procedures.
(d) PFD lots. A lot number must be assigned to each group of PFDs produced. Lots must be numbered serially. A new lot must be started whenever any change in materials or a revision to a production method is made, and whenever any substantial discontinuity in the production process occurs. Changes in lots of component materials must be treated as changes in materials. The lot number assigned, along with the approval number, must enable the PFD manufacturer, by referring to the records required by this subpart, to determine the supplier of the components used in the PFD and the component supplier's identifying information for the component lot.
(e) Samples. For the tests, examinations, and inspections required by § 160.076-31, inspectors and manufacturers shall select samples as provided in this paragraph.
(1) Samples shall be selected at random from a lot in which all PFDs or materials in the lot are available for selection. Except as provided in § 160.076-31(c), samples must be selected from completed PFDs.
(2) Different samples must be selected for the manufacturer's and inspector's tests, except, if the total production for any five consecutive lots does not exceed 250 PFDs, the manufacturer's and inspector's tests may be run on the same sample(s) at the same time.
(f) Facilities and equipment —(1) General. The manufacturer must provide the test equipment and facilities necessary for performing production tests, examinations, and inspections, unless Commandant has accepted testing at a location other than the manufacturer's facility.
(2) Calibration. The manufacturer must have the calibration of all test equipment checked at least every six months by a weights and measures agency or the equipment manufacturer, distributor, or dealer.
(3) Facilities. The manufacturer must provide a suitable place and the necessary equipment for the inspector to use in conducting or supervising tests. For the final lot inspection, the manufacturer must provide a suitable working environment and a smooth-top table for the inspector's use.
§ 160.076-31   Production tests and examinations.
(a) Samples used in testing must be selected in accordance with the sampling plan accepted by the Commandant.
(b) On each sample selected—
(1) The manufacturer must conduct the tests specified in the follow-up program accepted by the Commandant;
(2) The recognized laboratory inspector must conduct or supervise the tests specified in the follow-up program accepted by the Commandant; and
(3) In addition to meeting the requirements of this section, each test result must meet the requirements, if any, contained in the approved plans and specifications.
(c) Final lot examination and inspection —(1) General. On each PFD lot that passes production testing, the manufacturer must perform a final lot examination and, on every fifth lot, a laboratory inspector must perform a final lot inspection. Each final lot must demonstrate—
(i) First quality workmanship;
(ii) That the general arrangement and attachment of all components, such as body straps, closures, inflation mechanisms, tie tapes, and drawstrings, are as specified in the approved plans and specifications;
(iii) Compliance with the marking requirements in § 160.076-39; and
(iv) That the information pamphlet and owner's manual required by § 160.076-35 and 160.076-37, respectively, are securely attached to the device, with the pamphlet selection information visible and accessible prior to purchase.
(2) Accept/reject criteria. Each nonconforming PFD must be rejected. If three or more nonconforming PFDs are rejected for the same kind of defect, lot examination or inspection must be discontinued and the lot rejected.
(3) Manufacturer examination. This examination must be conducted by a manufacturer's representative who is familiar with the approved plans and specifications, the functioning of the PFD and its components, and the production testing procedures. This person must not be responsible for meeting production schedules or be supervised by someone who is. This person must prepare and sign the record required by 159.007-13(a) of this chapter and 160.076-33(b).
(4) Independent laboratory inspection. (i) The inspector must discontinue lot inspection and reject the lot if examination of individual PFDs or the records for the lot shows noncompliance with either this section or the laboratory's or the manufacturer's quality control procedures.
(ii) If the inspector rejects a lot, the inspector must advise the Commandant or the recognized laboratory within 15 days.
(iii) The inspector must prepare and sign the inspection record required by 159.007-13(a) of this chapter and 160.076-33(b). If the lot passes, the record must include the inspector's certification that the lot passed inspection and that no evidence of noncompliance with this section was observed.
(d) Disposition of rejected PFD lot or PFD. (1) A rejected PFD lot may be resubmitted for testing, examination or inspection if the manufacturer first removes and destroys each defective PFD or, if authorized by the Commandant, reworks the lot to correct the defect.
(2) Any PFD rejected in a final lot examination or inspection may be resubmitted for examination or inspection if all defects have been corrected and reexamination or reinspection is authorized by the Commandant.
(3) A rejected lot or rejected PFD may not be sold or offered for sale under the representation that it meets this subpart or that it is Coast Guard-approved.
§ 160.076-33   Manufacturer records.
(a) Each manufacturer of inflatable PFDs shall keep the records of production inspections and tests as required by § 159.007-13 of this chapter, except that they must be retained for at least 120 months after the month in which the inspection or test was conducted.
(b) In addition to the information required by § 159.007-13 of this chapter, the manufacturer's records must also include the following information:
(1) For each test, the serial number of the test instrument used if more than one test instrument was available.
(2) For each test and inspection, the identification of the samples used, the lot number, the approval number, and the number of PFDs in the lot.
(3) For each lot rejected, the cause for rejection, any corrective action taken, and the final disposition of the lot.
(4) For all materials used in production the—
(i) Name and address of the supplier;
(ii) Date of purchase and receipt;
(iii) Lot number; and
(iv) Where required by § 164.019-5 of this chapter, the certification received with standard components.
(5) A copy of this subpart.
(6) A copy of the approved plans and specifications.
(7) The approval certificate obtained in accordance with § 2.75-1 and 2.75-5 of this chapter.
(8) Certificates evidencing calibration of test equipment, including the identity of the agency performing the calibration, date of calibration, and results.
(c) A description or photographs of procedures and equipment used in testing required by § 159.007-13(a)(4) of this chapter, is not required if the manufacturer's procedures and equipment meet the requirements of this subpart.
(d) The records required by paragraph (b)(4) of this section must be kept for at least 120 months after preparation. All other records required by paragraph (b) of this section must be kept for at least 60 months after the PFD approval expires or is terminated.
§ 160.076-35   Information pamphlet or placard.
A pamphlet or placard accepted by the Commandant must be attached to each inflatable PFD sold or offered for sale in such a way that a prospective purchaser can read the pamphlet prior to purchase. The pamphlet or placard text and layout must be submitted to the Commandant for approval. The text must be printed in each pamphlet or placard exactly as approved by the Commandant. Additional information, instructions, or illustrations must not be included within the approved text and layout. Sample pamphlet text and layout may be obtained by contacting the Commandant. This pamphlet or placard may be combined with the manual required by § 160.076-37 if PFD selection and warning information is provided on the PFD packaging in such a way that it remains visible until purchase.
§ 160.076-37   Owner's manual.
(a) General. The manufacturer must provide an owner's manual with each inflatable PFD sold or offered for sale.
(b) Manual contents. The manual must contain the information as approved by the Commandant. If the PFD is conditionally approved, an explanation of the meaning of and reasons for the approval conditions must be included.
§ 160.076-39   Marking.
Each inflatable PFD must be marked as approved by the Commandant. At a minimum, all labels must include—
(a) Size information, as appropriate;
(b) The Coast Guard approval number;
(c) Manufacturer's contact information;
(d) Model name/number;
(e) Lot number, manufacturer date; and
(f) Any limitations or restrictions on approval or special instructions for use.
§ 160.115-1   Scope.
This subpart prescribes standards, tests, and procedures for seeking Coast Guard approval of a winch used in conjunction with a davit approved under subpart 160.132 of this part for lifeboats approved under subpart 160.135 of this part, liferafts approved under subparts 160.051 or 160.151 of this part, and rescue boats approved under subparts 160.056 or 160.156 of this part.
§ 160.115-3   Definitions.
In addition to the definitions in the IMO LSA Code (incorporated by reference, see § 160.115-5 of this subpart), in this subpart, the term:
Commandant means the Chief of the Lifesaving and Fire Safety Standards Division. Address: Commandant (CG-ENG-4), Attn: Lifesaving and Fire Safety Division, U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20593-7509; telephone 202-372-1392 or fax 202-372-1924.
Independent laboratory has the same meaning as 46 CFR 159.001-3. A list of accepted independent laboratories is available from the Commandant and online at http://cgmix.uscg.mil.
Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI) means an officer of the Coast Guard designated as such by the Commandant and who fulfills the duties described in 46 CFR 1.01-15(b). The “cognizant OCMI” is the OCMI who has immediate jurisdiction over a vessel or geographic area for the purpose of performing the duties previously described.
SOLAS means the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended.
§ 160.115-5   Incorporation by reference.
(a) Certain material is incorporated by reference into this part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. All approved incorporation by reference (IBR) material is available for inspection at Coast Guard Headquarters and at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Contact the Coast Guard at: Commandant (CG-ENG-4), U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20593-7509; or email typeapproval@uscg.mil or visit https://www.dco.uscg.mil/CG-ENG-4/. For information on the availability of this material at NARA, email: fr.inspection@nara.gov, or go to: www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html. The material may be obtained from the source in the following paragraph of this section.
(b) International Maritime Organization (IMO) Publications Section, 4 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7SR, United Kingdom, + 44 (0)20 7735 7611, http://www.imo.org/.
(1) IMO Resolution A.760(18), Symbols Related to Life-Saving Appliances and Arrangements, (adopted November 4, 1993), IBR approved for § 160.115-19 (“IMO Res. A.760(18)”).
(2) Life-Saving Appliances, including LSA Code, 2010 Edition, (2010), pages 7-71 (“IMO LSA Code”), IBR approved for § 160.115-7.
(3) Life-Saving Appliances, including LSA Code, 2010 Edition, (2010), Revised recommendation on testing of live-saving appliances, pages 79-254 (“IMO Revised recommendation on testing”), IBR approved for §§ 160.115-7, 160.115-13, and 160.115-15.
(4) MSC/Circular 980, Standardized Life-saving Appliance Evaluation and Test Report Forms, (February 13, 2001), IBR approved for § 160.115-13 (“IMO MSC Circ. 980”).
(5) MSC.1/Circular 1205, Guidelines for Developing Operation and Maintenance Manuals for Lifeboat Systems, (May 26, 2006), IBR approved for § 160.115-21 (“IMO MSC.1 Circ. 1205”).
§ 160.115-7   Design, construction, and performance of winches.
(a) To seek Coast Guard approval of a winch, a manufacturer must comply with, and each winch must meet, the requirements of the following—
(1) IMO LSA Code, chapter I/1.2.2 and chapter VI/6.1. (incorporated by reference, see § 160.115-5 of this subpart) applicable to the design and intended service of the winch;
(2) IMO Revised recommendation on testing, Part 1/8.1 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.115-5 of this subpart) applicable to the winch;
(3) 46 CFR part 159; and
(4) This subpart.
(b) Each winch must meet each of the following requirements:
(1) Materials. (i) All gears must be machine cut and made of steel, bronze, or other suitable materials properly keyed to shafts. The use of cast iron is not permitted for these parts.
(ii) Metals in contact with each other must be either galvanically compatible or insulated with suitable non-porous materials. Provisions must also be made to prevent loosening or tightening resulting from differences of thermal expansion, freezing, buckling of parts, galvanic corrosion, or other incompatibilities.
(iii) Screws, nuts, bolts, pins, keys, and other similar hardware, securing moving parts must be fitted with suitable lock washers, cotter pins, or locks to prevent them from coming adrift.
(2) Bearings and gears. (i) Positive means of lubrication must be provided for all bearings.
(ii) When worm gears are used, the worm wheel must operate in an oil bath. Means to easily check the oil level in the gear case must be provided.
(iii) The manufacturer must furnish a lubrication chart and a plate attached to the winch indicating the lubricant recommended for extremes in temperature.
(3) Guards. All moving parts must have suitable guards.
(4) Welding. Welding must be performed by welders certified by the Commandant, a classification society recognized by the Commandant in accordance with 46 CFR 8.220, the U.S. Navy, or the national body where the winch is constructed or the national body's designated recognized organization. Only electrodes intended for use with the material being welded may be used. All welds must be checked using appropriate non-destructive tests.
(5) Winch drums.
(i) Winch drums must either be grooved or otherwise designed to wind the falls evenly on and off each drum.
(ii) The diameter of the drums must be at least 16 times the diameter of the falls.
(iii) Drums must be so arranged as to keep the falls separate, and to pay out the falls at the same rate. Clutches between drums are not permitted unless bolted locking devices are used.
(6) Winch motors. For a winch powered by electric or hydraulic motors, or portable power units such as air or electric drills—
(i) Positive means must be provided for controlling the power to the winch, arranged so that the operator must hold the master switch or controller in the “on” or “hoist” position for hoisting, and when released, will immediately shut off the power;
(ii) A clutch must be fitted to disengage the power installation during the lowering operation;
(iii) A means must be provided to disconnect power to the winch before a hand crank can be engaged with the winch operating shaft, and this interruption of power must be maintained while the hand crank is so engaged;
(iv) The air or electric power outlet for a portable power unit must be located adjacent to the winch where the unit is to be coupled, and the outlet must be interconnected with, and protected by, the same system of safety devices as required for a winch with built-in-motors;
(v) A main line emergency disconnect switch, the opening of which disconnects all electrical potential to the winch, must be provided. This switch must be located in a position accessible to the person in charge of the boat stowage and must be in a position from which the movement of both davit arms can be observed as they approach the final stowed position;
(vi) Limit switches must be provided to limit the travel of the davit arms as they approach the final stowed position and prevent overstressing the falls or davits. These switches must—
(A) Be arranged so that the activation of any limit switch will stop the travel of all of the davit arms;
(B) Be arranged to stop the travel of the davit arms not less than 0.3m (12 in) from their final stowed position; and
(C) Remain open until the davit arms move outboard beyond the tripping position of the switches;
(vii) Motor clutches, when used, must be of either frictional or positive engaging type. When one motor is used for two winches, the clutch must be so arranged that only one winch may be engaged at any one time. The clutch operating lever must be capable of remaining in any position when subject to vibration and must be so arranged that when in neutral position both lifeboats may be lowered simultaneously;
(viii) Motors, switches, controls, and cables must be waterproof if installed on an open deck. Controls may be of the drip-proof type if installed in a deck house or under deck;
(ix) Hydraulic systems must be in accordance with 46 CFR part 58, subpart 58.30; and
(x) Electrical installations must comply with 46 CFR 111.01-9, 111.01-11, 111.01-19, 111.25, 111.55, 111.70, and 111.95.
(7) Quick return. For a winch used to launch an inflatable liferaft means must be provided for rapidly retrieving the falls by hand power.
(c) Determinations of equivalence of design, construction, and materials will be made by the Commandant only.
§ 160.115-9   Preapproval review.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, the Commandant must conduct the preapproval review required by this section, in accordance with 46 CFR 159.005-5.
(b) Manufacturer requirements. To seek Coast Guard approval of a winch, the manufacturer must submit an application to the Commandant meeting the requirements of 46 CFR 159.005-5 for preapproval review. To meet the requirements of 46 CFR 159.005-5(a)(2), the manufacturer must submit—
(1) A list of drawings, specifications, manuals, and any other documentation submitted, with each document identified by number, title, revision number, and issue date;
(2) General arrangement and assembly drawings, including principal dimensions;
(3) Stress calculations for all load carrying parts;
(4) An operation, maintenance, and training manual as described in §§ 160.115-19 and 160.115-21 of this subpart;
(5) A description of the quality control procedures and recordkeeping that will apply to the production of the winch, which must include, but is not limited to—
(i) The system for checking material certifications received from suppliers;
(ii) The method for controlling the inventory of materials;
(iii) The method for checking quality of fabrication and joints, including welding inspection procedures; and
(iv) The inspection checklists used during various stages of fabrication to assure that the approved winch complies with the approved plans and the requirements of this subpart;
(6) Any other drawing(s) necessary to show that the winch complies with the requirements of this subpart;
(7) The location or address of all manufacturing sites, including the name and address of any subcontractors, where the winch will be constructed; and
(8) The name of the independent laboratory that will perform the duties prescribed in § 160.115-15 of this subpart.
(c) At the request of the manufacturer and discretion of the Commandant, an independent laboratory may conduct preapproval review required by this section; so long as the preapproval review is conducted in accordance with the procedures agreed upon between the independent laboratory and Commandant under 46 CFR part 159, subpart 159.010.
(d) Plan quality. All plans and specifications submitted to the Commandant under this section must—
(1) Be provided in English, including all notes, inscriptions, and designations for configuration control;
(2) Address each of the applicable items in paragraph (b) of this section in sufficient detail to show that the winch meets the construction requirements of this subpart;
(3) Accurately depict the proposed winch;
(4) Be internally consistent;
(5) Be legible; and
(6) If reviewed by an independent laboratory under paragraph (c) of this section, include the independent laboratory's attestation that the plans meet the quality requirements of this section.
(e) Alternatives. Alternatives in materials, parts, or construction, and each item replaced by an alternative, must be clearly indicated as such in the plans and specifications submitted to the Commandant under this section.
(f) Coast Guard review. If the plans or specifications do not comply with the requirements of this section, Coast Guard review may be suspended, and the applicant notified accordingly.
§ 160.115-11   [Reserved]
§ 160.115-13   Approval inspections and tests for prototype winches.
(a) If the manufacturer is notified that the information submitted in accordance with § 160.115-9 of this subpart is satisfactory to the Commandant, the manufacturer may proceed with fabrication of the prototype winch and the approval inspections and tests required under this section.
(b) Except as provided in paragraph (f) of this section, the Coast Guard must conduct the approval inspections and witness the approval tests required under this section.
(c) Manufacturer requirements. To proceed with approval inspections and tests required by this section, the manufacturer must—
(1) Notify the Commandant and cognizant Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI) of where the approval inspections and tests required under this section will take place, and such notifications must be in sufficient time to allow making travel arrangements;
(2) Arrange a testing schedule that allows for a Coast Guard inspector to travel to the site where the testing is to be performed;
(3) Admit the Coast Guard inspector to any place where work or testing is performed on winches or their component parts and materials for the purpose of—
(i) Conducting inspections as necessary to determine that the prototype—
(A) Conforms with the plans reviewed under § 160.115-9 of this subpart;
(B) Is constructed by the methods and with the materials specified in the plans reviewed under § 160.115-9 of this subpart; and
(C) When welding is part of the construction process, is constructed by the welding procedure and materials as per the plans reviewed under § 160.115-9 of this subpart and the welders are appropriately qualified;
(ii) Assuring that the quality-assurance program of the manufacturer is satisfactory;
(iii) Witnessing tests; and
(iv) Taking samples of parts or materials for additional inspections or tests; and
(4) Make available to the Coast Guard inspector the affidavits or invoices from the suppliers of all essential materials used in the production of winches, together with records identifying the lot or serial numbers of the winches in which such materials were used.
(d) Tests. (1) IMO Revised recommendation on testing. Each prototype winch of each design must pass each of the tests described in IMO Revised recommendation on testing, part 1, paragraph 8.1 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.115-5 of this subpart) applicable to winches.
(2) Visual inspection. Each winch must be visually inspected to confirm—
(i) Compliance with this subpart;
(ii) Conformance with the examined plans; and
(iii) Ease of operation and maintenance.
(3) Hydraulic controls. If the winch motor includes a fluid power and control system, a test of the hydraulic controls must be conducted in accordance with 46 CFR 58.30-35.
(4) Winch drum. Each winch designed without grooved drums must demonstrate during prototype testing that the falls wind evenly on and off each drum.
(e) Test waiver. The Commandant may waive certain tests for a winch similar in construction to a winch that has successfully completed the tests.
(f) At the request of the manufacturer and discretion of the Commandant, an independent laboratory may perform approval inspections and witness approval tests required by this section so long as the inspections and tests are performed and witnessed in accordance with the procedures agreed upon between the independent laboratory and Commandant under 46 CFR part 159, subpart 159.010.
(g) After completion of approval inspections and tests required by this section, the manufacturer must comply with the requirements of 46 CFR 159.005-9(a)(5) by preparing and submitting to the Commandant for review—
(1) The prototype approval test report containing the same information recommended by IMO MSC Circ. 980 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.115-5). The report must include a signed statement by the Coast Guard inspector (or independent laboratory as permitted under paragraph (f) of this section) who witnessed the testing, indicating that the report accurately describes the testing and its results; and
(2) The final version of the plans required under § 160.115-9 of this subpart.
(h) The Commandant will review the report and plans submitted under paragraph (g) of this section, and if satisfactory to the Commandant, will approve the plans under 46 CFR 159.005-13.
§ 160.115-15   Production inspections, tests, quality control, and conformance of winches.
(a) Unless the Commandant directs otherwise, an independent laboratory must perform or witness, as appropriate, inspections, tests, and oversight required by this section. Production inspections and tests of a winch must be carried out in accordance with the procedures for independent laboratory inspection in 46 CFR part 159, subpart 159.007 and in this section, unless the Commandant authorizes alternative tests and inspections. The Commandant may prescribe additional production tests and inspections necessary to maintain quality control and to monitor compliance with the requirements of this subpart.
(b) Manufacturer's responsibility. The manufacturer must—
(1) Institute a quality control procedure to ensure that all production winches are produced to the same standard, and in the same manner, as the prototype winch approved by the Commandant. The manufacturer's quality control personnel must not work directly under the department or person responsible for either production or sales;
(2) Schedule and coordinate with the independent laboratory (or Coast Guard inspector if required under paragraph (a) of this section) to ensure that all tests are performed as described in this section;
(3) Submit to the Commandant a yearly report that contains the following—
(i) Serial number and date of final assembly of each winch constructed;
(ii) The name of the representative of the independent laboratory (or Coast Guard inspector if required under paragraph (a) of this section); and
(iii) Name of the vessel and company receiving the winch, if known;
(4) Ensure that the arrangement and materials entering into the construction of the winch are in accordance with plans approved under § 160.115-13(h) of this subpart;
(5) Allow an independent laboratory (or Coast Guard inspector if required under paragraph (a) of this section) access to any place where materials are stored for the winch, work or testing is performed on winches or their component parts and materials, or records are retained to meet the requirements of paragraph (c) of this section, below, for the purpose of—
(i) Assuring that the quality control program of the manufacturer is satisfactory;
(ii) Witnessing tests; or
(iii) Taking samples of parts or materials for additional inspections or tests; and
(6) Ensure that the independent laboratory (or Coast Guard inspector if required under paragraph (a) of this section) conducts the inspections and witnesses the tests required by paragraph (e) of this section, and further conducts a visual inspection to verify that the winches are being made in accordance with the plans approved under § 160.115-13(h) of this subpart and the requirements of this subpart.
(c) Recordkeeping. The manufacturer must maintain records in accordance with 46 CFR 159.007-13. The manufacturer must keep records of all items listed in this section for at least 5 years from the date of termination of approval of each winch. The records must include—
(1) A copy of this subpart, other CFR sections referenced in this subpart, and each document listed in § 160.115-5 of this subpart;
(2) A copy of the approved plans, documentation, and certifications;
(3) A current certificate of approval for each approved winch;
(4) Affidavits, certificates, or invoices from the suppliers identifying all essential materials used in the production of approved winches, together with records identifying the serial numbers of the winches in which such materials were used;
(5) Records of all structural welding and name of operator(s);
(6) Records of welder certificates, training, and qualifications;
(7) Date and results of calibration of test equipment and the name and address of the company or agency that performed the calibration;
(8) The serial number of each production winch, along with records of its inspections and tests carried out under this section; and
(9) The original purchaser of each winch and the vessel on which it was installed, if known.
(d) Independent laboratory responsibility. The independent laboratory must perform or witness, as appropriate, the inspections and tests under this section for each Coast Guard-approved winch to be installed on a U.S. flag vessel. If the manufacturer also produces winches for approval by other maritime safety administrations, the inspections may be coordinated with inspection visits for those administrations.
(e) Production inspections and tests. (1) Each approved winch must be inspected and tested in accordance with the procedures in 46 CFR part 159, subpart 159.007 and the brake test described in IMO Revised recommendation on testing, part 2, paragraph 6.1.1 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.115-5 of this subpart).
(2) The lowering tests described in IMO Revised recommendation on testing, Part 2, paragraph 6.1 may be performed if the installation height is known. If these tests are performed, the results must be in accordance with 46 CFR 199.153(h) through (j).
§ 160.115-17   Marking and labeling.
(a) Each winch must be marked with a plate or label permanently affixed in a conspicuous place readily accessible for inspection and sufficiently durable to withstand continuous exposure to environmental conditions at sea for the life of the winch.
(b) The plate or label must be in English, but may also be in other languages.
(c) The plate or label must contain the—
(1) Name and address of the manufacturer;
(2) Manufacturer's model identification;
(3) Name of the independent laboratory that witnessed the prototype or production tests;
(4) Serial number of the winch;
(5) U.S. Coast Guard approval number;
(6) Month and year of manufacture;
(7) Safe working load of the winch; and
(8) Word “SOLAS”.
§ 160.115-19   Operating instructions and information for the ship's training manual.
(a) Each winch must have instructions and information for the ship's training manual that use the symbols from IMO Res. A.760(18) (incorporated by reference, see § 160.115-5 of this subpart) to describe the location and operation of the winch.
(b) The instructions and information required by paragraph (a) of this section may be combined with similar material for survival craft and rescue boats, and their complete launching systems.
(c) The winch manufacturer must make operating instructions and information required by paragraph (a) of this section available in English to the purchaser of a winch approved by the Coast Guard.
§ 160.115-21   Operation and maintenance instructions.
(a) Each winch must have operation and maintenance instructions that—
(1) Follows the general format and content specified in IMO MSC.1 Circ. 1205 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.115-5 of this subpart); and
(2) Includes a checklist for use in monthly, external visual inspections of the winch.
(b) The winch manufacturer must make the manual required by paragraph (a) of this section available in English to the purchaser of a winch approved by the Coast Guard.
(c) The operation and maintenance instructions required by paragraph (a) of this section may be combined with similar material for survival craft and rescue boats, and their complete launching systems.
§ 160.115-23   Procedure for approval of design or material change.
(a) Each change in design, material, or construction from the plans approved under 46 CFR 159.005-13 and § 160.115-13(h) of this subpart must be approved by the Commandant before being used in any production winch. The manufacturer must submit any such change following the procedures in § 160.115-9 of this subpart, but documentation on items that are unchanged from the plans approved under 46 CFR 159.005-13 and § 160.115-13(h) of this subpart need not be resubmitted.
(b) Unless determined by the Commandant to be unnecessary, a prototype winch with each change described in paragraph (a) of this section must be made and tested according to the procedures for new approvals in §§ 160.115-9 through 160.115-13 of this subpart.
(c) Determinations of equivalence of design, construction, and materials will be made by the Commandant only.
§ 160.132-1   Scope.
This subpart prescribes standards, tests, and procedures for seeking Coast Guard approval of a davit used in conjunction with a winch approved under subpart 160.115 of this part for lifeboats approved under subpart 160.135 of this part, liferafts approved under subparts 160.051 or 160.151 of this part, and rescue boats approved under subparts 160.056 or 160.156 of this part.
§ 160.132-3   Definitions.
In addition to the definitions in the IMO LSA Code (incorporated by reference, see § 160.132-5 of this subpart), in this subpart, the term:
Commandant means the Chief of the Lifesaving and Fire Safety Standards Division. Address: Commandant (CG-ENG-4), Attn: Lifesaving and Fire Safety Division, U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20593-7509; telephone 202-372-1392 or fax 202-372-1924.
Independent laboratory has the same meaning as 46 CFR 159.001-3. A list of accepted independent laboratories is available from the Commandant and online at http://cgmix.uscg.mil.
Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI) means an officer of the Coast Guard designated as such by the Commandant and who fulfills the duties described in 46 CFR 1.01-15(b). The “cognizant OCMI” is the OCMI who has immediate jurisdiction over a vessel or geographic area for the purpose of performing the duties previously described.
SOLAS means the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended.
§ 160.132-5   Incorporation by reference.
(a) Certain material is incorporated by reference into this part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. All approved incorporation by reference (IBR) material is available for inspection at Coast Guard Headquarters and at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Contact the Coast Guard at: Commandant (CG-ENG-4), U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20593-7509; or email typeapproval@uscg.mil or visit https://www.dco.uscg.mil/CG-ENG-4/. For information on the availability of this material at NARA, email: fr.inspection@nara.gov, or go to: www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html. The material may be obtained from the sources in the following paragraphs of this section.
(b) American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), 100 Barr Harbor Drive, P.O. Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA, 19428-2959.
(1) ASTM A 36/A 36M-08, Standard Specification for Carbon Structural Steel, (approved May 15, 2008), IBR approved for § 160.132-7 (“ASTM A 36”).
(2) ASTM A 216/A 216M-08, Standard Specification for Steel Castings, Carbon, Suitable for Fusion Welding, for High-Temperature Service, (approved November 1, 2008), IBR approved for § 160.132-7 (“ASTM A 216”).
(c) International Maritime Organization (IMO) Publications Section, 4 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7SR, United Kingdom, + 44 (0)20 7735 7611, http://www.imo.org/.
(1) IMO Resolution A.760(18), Symbols Related to Life-Saving Appliances and Arrangements, (adopted November 4, 1993), IBR approved for § 160.132-19 (“IMO Res. A.760(18)”).
(2) International Life-Saving Appliances, including LSA Code, 2010 Edition, (2010), pages 7-71 (“IMO LSA Code”), IBR approved for §§ 160.132-3 and 160.132-7.
(3) Life-Saving Appliances, including LSA Code, 2010 Edition, (2010), Revised recommendation on testing of live-saving appliances, pages 79-254 (“IMO Revised recommendation on testing”), IBR approved for §§ 160.132-7, 160.132-13, and 160.132-15.
(4) MSC/Circular 980, Standardized Life-Saving Appliance Evaluation and Test Report Forms, (February 13, 2001), IBR approved for § 160.132-13 (“IMO MSC Circ. 980”).
(5) MSC.1/Circular 1205, Guidelines for Developing Operation and Maintenance Manuals for Lifeboat Systems, (May 26, 2006), IBR approved for § 160.132-21 (“IMO MSC.1 Circ. 1205”).
§ 160.132-7   Design, construction, and performance of davits.
(a) To seek Coast Guard approval of a davit, a manufacturer must comply with, and each davit must meet, the requirements of following—
(1) IMO LSA Code chapter I/1.2.2 and Chapter VI/6.1 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.132-5 of this subpart) applicable to the design and intended service of the davit;
(2) IMO Revised recommendation on testing, part 1/8.1 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.132-5 of this subpart) applicable to the design and intended service of the davit;
(3) 46 CFR part 159; and
(4) This subpart.
(b) Each davit must meet the following requirements—
(1) Materials. Each major structural component of each davit must be constructed of steel. Other materials may be used if accepted by the Commandant as equivalent or superior—
(i) Structural steel made by the open-hearth or electric furnace process must be in accordance with ASTM A 36 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.132-5 of this subpart);
(ii) Steel castings not intended for fusion welding must be in accordance with ASTM A 36, Grades U-60-30, 60-30, 65-30, 65-35, and 70-36;
(iii) Steel castings intended to be fabricated by fusion welding must be in accordance with ASTM A 216 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.132-5 of this subpart), Grades WCA and WCB;
(iv) Cast iron must not be used in the construction of a davit; and
(v) Metals in contact with each other must be either galvanically compatible or insulated with suitable non-porous materials. Provisions must also be made to prevent loosening or tightening resulting from differences of thermal expansion, freezing, buckling of parts, galvanic corrosion, or other incompatibilities;
(2) Bearings. (i) Bearings must be of non-ferrous metal, or must be of the roller or ball-bearing type;
(ii) Positive means of lubrication must be provided; and
(iii) The manufacturer must furnish a lubrication chart for each davit together with a plate attached to the davit indicating the lubricants recommended for extremes in temperature;
(3) Guards. All moving parts must have guards;
(4) Welding. Welding must be performed by welders certified by the Commandant, a classification society recognized by the Commandant in accordance with 46 CFR 8.220, the U.S. Navy, or the national body where the davit is constructed or the national body's designated recognized organization. Only electrodes intended for use with the material being welded may be used. All welds must be checked using appropriate non-destructive tests; and
(5) Hydraulic systems, if installed, must be in accordance with 46 CFR part 58, subpart 58.30.
(c) Determinations of equivalence of design, construction, and materials will be made by the Commandant only.
§ 160.132-9   Preapproval review.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, the Commandant must conduct the preapproval review required by this section, in accordance with 46 CFR 159.005-5.
(b) Manufacturer requirements. To seek Coast Guard approval of a davit, the manufacturer must submit an application to the Commandant meeting the requirements of 46 CFR 159.005-5 for preapproval review. To meet the requirements of 46 CFR 159.005-5(a)(2), the manufacturer must submit—
(1) A list of drawings, specifications, manuals, and any other documentation submitted, with each document identified by number, title, revision issue, and date;
(2) General arrangement and assembly drawings, including principal dimensions;
(3) Stress calculations for all load carrying parts;
(4) An operation, maintenance, and training manual as described in §§ 160.132-19 and 160.132-21 of this subpart;
(5) A description of the quality control procedures and recordkeeping that will apply to the production of the davit, which must include, but is not limited to—
(i) The system for checking material certifications received from suppliers;
(ii) The method for controlling the inventory of materials;
(iii) The method for checking quality of fabrication and joints, including welding inspection procedures; and
(iv) The inspection checklists used during various stages of fabrication to assure that the approved release mechanism complies with the approved plans and the requirements of this subpart;
(6) Any other drawing(s) necessary to show that the davit complies with the requirements of this subpart;
(7) The location or address of all manufacturing sites, including the name and address of any subcontractors, where the davit will be constructed; and
(8) The name of the independent laboratory that will perform the duties prescribed in § 160.132-15 of this subpart.
(c) At the request of the manufacturer and discretion of the Commandant, an independent laboratory may conduct preapproval review required by this section; so long as the preapproval review is conducted in accordance with the procedures agreed upon between the independent laboratory and Commandant under 46 CFR subpart 159.010.
(d) Plan quality. All plans and specifications submitted to the Commandant under this section must—
(1) Be provided in English, including all notes, inscriptions, and designations for configuration control;
(2) Address each of the applicable items in paragraph (b) of this section in sufficient detail to show that the davit meets the construction requirements of this subpart;
(3) Accurately depict the proposed davit;
(4) Be internally consistent;
(5) Be legible; and
(6) If reviewed by an independent laboratory under paragraph (c) of this section, include the independent laboratory's attestation that the plans meet the quality requirements of this section.
(e) Alternatives. Alternatives in materials, parts, or construction, and each item replaced by an alternative, must be clearly indicated as such in the plans and specifications submitted to the Commandant under this section.
(f) Coast Guard review. If the plans or specifications do not comply with the requirements of this section, Coast Guard review may be suspended, and the applicant notified accordingly.
§ 160.132-11   [Reserved]
§ 160.132-13   Approval inspections and tests for prototype davits.
(a) If the manufacturer is notified that the information submitted in accordance with § 160.132-9 of this subpart is satisfactory to the Commandant, the manufacturer may proceed with fabrication of the prototype davit, and the approval inspections and tests required under this section.
(b) Except as provided in paragraph (f) of this section, the Coast Guard must conduct the approval inspections and witness the approval tests required under this section.
(c) Manufacturer requirements. To proceed with approval inspections and tests required by this section, the manufacturer must—
(1) Notify the Commandant and cognizant Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI) of where the approval inspections and tests required under this section will take place, and such notifications must be in sufficient time to allow making travel arrangements;
(2) Arrange a testing schedule with the cognizant OCMI that allows for a Coast Guard inspector to travel to the site where the testing is to be performed;
(3) Admit the Coast Guard inspector to any place where work or testing is performed on davits or their component parts and materials for the purpose of—
(i) Conducting inspections as necessary to determine that the prototype—
(A) Conforms with the plans reviewed under § 160.132-9 of this subpart;
(B) Is constructed by the methods and with the materials specified in the plans reviewed under § 160.132-9 of this subpart; and
(C) When welding is part of the construction process, is constructed by the welding procedure and materials as per the plans reviewed under § 160.132-9 of this subpart and the welders are appropriately qualified;
(ii) Assuring that the quality-assurance program of the manufacturer is satisfactory;
(iii) Witnessing tests; and
(iv) Taking samples of parts or materials for additional inspections or tests; and
(4) Make available to the Coast Guard inspector the affidavits or invoices from the suppliers of all essential materials used in the production of davits, together with records identifying the lot or serial numbers of the davits in which such materials were used.
(d) Tests. (1) IMO Revised recommendation on testing. Each prototype davit of each design must pass each of the tests described in IMO Revised recommendation on testing, part 1, paragraph 8.1 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.132-5 of this subpart) applicable to the design and service of the davit.
(2) Visual inspection. Each davit must be visually inspected to confirm—
(i) Compliance with this subpart;
(ii) Conformance with the examined plans; and
(iii) Ease of operation and maintenance.
(3) Hydraulic controls. If the davit design includes a fluid power and control system, a test of the hydraulic controls must be conducted in accordance with 46 CFR 58.30-35.
(e) Test waiver. The Commandant may waive certain tests for a davit similar in construction to a davit that has successfully completed the tests.
(f) At the request of the manufacturer and discretion of the Commandant, an independent laboratory may perform approval inspections and witness approval tests required by this section so long as the inspections and tests are performed and witnessed in accordance with the procedures agreed upon between the independent laboratory and Commandant under 46 CFR part 159, subpart 159.010.
(g) After completion of approval inspections and tests required by this section, the manufacturer must comply with the requirements of 46 CFR 159.005-9(a)(5) by preparing and submitting to the Commandant for review—
(1) The prototype approval test report containing the same information recommended by IMO MSC Circ. 980 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.132-5 of this subpart). The report must include a signed statement by the Coast Guard inspector (or independent laboratory as permitted by paragraph (f) of this section) who witnessed the testing, indicating that the report accurately describes the testing and its results; and
(2) The final version of the plans required under § 160.132-9 of this subpart.
(h) The Commandant will review the report and plans submitted under paragraph (g) of this section, and if satisfactory to the Commandant, will approve the plans under 46 CFR 159.005-13.
§ 160.132-15   Production inspections, tests, quality control, and conformance of davits.
(a) Unless the Commandant directs otherwise, an independent laboratory must perform or witness, as appropriate, inspections, tests, and oversight required by this section. Production inspections and tests of davits must be carried out in accordance with the procedures for independent laboratory inspection in 46 CFR part 159, subpart 159.007 and in this section, unless the Commandant authorizes alternative tests and inspections. The Commandant may prescribe additional production tests and inspections necessary to maintain quality control and to monitor compliance with the requirements of this subpart.
(b) Manufacturer's responsibility. The manufacturer must—
(1) Institute a quality control procedure to ensure that all production davits are produced to the same standard, and in the same manner, as the prototype davit approved by the Commandant. The manufacturer's quality control personnel must not work directly under the department or person responsible for either production or sales;
(2) Schedule and coordinate with the independent laboratory (or Coast Guard inspector if required under paragraph (a) of this section), to ensure that all tests are performed as described in this section;
(3) Submit to the Commandant a yearly report that contains the following—
(i) Serial number and date of final assembly of each davit constructed;
(ii) The name of the representative of the independent laboratory (or Coast Guard inspector if required under paragraph (a) of this section); and
(iii) Name of the vessel and company receiving the davit, if known;
(4) Ensure that the arrangement and materials entering into the construction of the davit are in accordance with plans approved under § 160.132-13(h) of this subpart;
(5) Allow an independent laboratory (or Coast Guard inspector if required under paragraph (a) of this section) access to any place where materials are stored for the davit, work or testing is performed on davits or their component parts and materials, or records are retained to meet the requirements of paragraph (c) of this section, below, for the purpose of—
(i) Assuring that the quality control program of the manufacturer is satisfactory;
(ii) Witnessing tests; or
(iii) Taking samples of parts or materials for additional inspections or tests; and
(6) Ensure that the independent laboratory (or Coast Guard inspector if required under paragraph (a) of this section) conducts the inspections and witnesses the tests required by paragraph (e) of this section, and further conducts a visual inspection to verify that the davits are being made in accordance with the plans approved under § 160.132-13(h) of this subpart and the requirements of this subpart.
(c) Recordkeeping. The manufacturer must maintain records in accordance with 46 CFR 159.007-13. The manufacturer must keep records of all items listed in this section for at least 5 years from the date of termination of approval of each davit. The records must include—
(1) A copy of this subpart, other CFR sections referenced in this subpart, and each document listed in § 160.132-5 of this subpart;
(2) A copy of the approved plans, documentation, and certifications;
(3) A current certificate of approval for each approved davit;
(4) Affidavits, certificates, or invoices from the suppliers identifying all essential materials used in the production of approved davits, together with records identifying the serial numbers of davits in which such materials were used;
(5) Records of all structural welding and name of operator(s);
(6) Records of welder certificates, training, and qualifications;
(7) Date and results of calibration of test equipment and the name and address of the company or agency that performed the calibration;
(8) The serial number of each production davit, along with records of its inspections and tests carried out under this section; and
(9) The original purchaser of each davit and the vessel on which it was installed, if known.
(d) Independent laboratory responsibility. The independent laboratory must perform or witness, as appropriate, the inspections and tests under this section for each Coast Guard-approved davit to be installed on a U.S.-flagged vessel. If the manufacturer also produces davits for approval by other maritime safety administrations, the inspections may be coordinated with inspection visits for those administrations.
(e) Production inspections and tests. Each approved davit must be inspected and tested in accordance with the procedures in 46 CFR part 159, subpart 159.007 and the load test described in IMO Revised recommendation on testing, Part 2, paragraph 6.1.1 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.132-5 of this subpart).
§ 160.132-17   Marking and labeling.
(a) Each davit must be marked with a plate or label permanently affixed in a conspicuous place readily for inspection and sufficiently durable to withstand continuous exposure to environmental conditions at sea for the life of the davit.
(b) The plate or label must be in English, but may also be in other languages.
(c) The plate or label must contain the—
(1) Name and address of the manufacturer;
(2) Manufacturer's model identification;
(3) Name of the independent laboratory that witnessed the prototype or production tests;
(4) Serial number of the davit;
(5) U.S. Coast Guard approval number;
(6) Month and year of manufacture;
(7) Safe working load of the davit; and
(8) Word “SOLAS”.
§ 160.132-19   Operating instructions and information for the ship's training manual.
(a) Each davit must have instructions and information for the ship's training manual that use the symbols from IMO Res. A.760(18) (incorporated by reference, see § 160.132-5 of this subpart) to describe the location and operation of the davit.
(b) The instructions and information required by paragraph (a) of this section may be combined with similar material for survival craft and rescue boats, and their complete launching systems.
(c) The davit manufacturer must make operating instructions and information required by paragraph (a) of this section available in English to the purchaser of a davit approved by the Coast Guard.
§ 160.132-21   Operation and maintenance instructions.
(a) Each davit must have operation and maintenance instructions that—
(1) Follows the general format and content specified in IMO MSC.1 Circ. 1205 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.132-5 of this subpart); and
(2) Includes a checklist for use in monthly, external visual inspections of the davit.
(b) The davit manufacturer must make the manual required by paragraph (a) of this section available in English to the purchaser of a davit approved by the Coast Guard.
(c) The operation and maintenance instructions required by paragraph (a) of this section may be combined with similar material for survival craft and rescue boats, and their complete launching systems.
§ 160.132-23   Procedure for approval of design or material change.
(a) Each change in design, material, or construction from the plans approved under 46 CFR 159.005-13 and § 160.132-13(h) of this subpart must be approved by the Commandant before being used in any production davit. The manufacturer must submit any such change following the procedures in § 160.132-9 of this subpart, but documentation on items that are unchanged from the plans approved under 46 CFR 159.005-13 and § 160.115-13(h) of this subpart need not be resubmitted.
(b) Unless determined by the Commandant to be unnecessary, a prototype davit with each change described in paragraph (a) of this section must be made and tested according to the procedures for new approvals in §§ 160.132-9 through 160.132-13 of this subpart.
(c) Determinations of equivalence of design, construction, and materials will be made by the Commandant only.
§ 160.133-1   Scope.
This subpart prescribes standards, tests, and procedures for seeking Coast Guard approval of a release mechanism used for davit-launched and free-fall lifeboats approved under subpart 160.135 of this part, and rescue boats approved under subpart 160.156 of this part.
§ 160.133-3   Definitions.
In addition to the definitions in the IMO LSA Code, as amended by Resolution MSC.320(89) (incorporated by reference, see § 160.133-5 of this subpart), in this subpart, the term:
Commandant means the Chief of the Lifesaving and Fire Safety Standards Division. Address: Commandant (CG-ENG-4), Attn: Lifesaving and Fire Safety Division, U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20593-7509; telephone 202-372-1392 or fax 202-372-1924.
Full load means the weight of the complete lifeboat or rescue boat including all required equipment, provisions, fuel, and the number of persons for which it is approved. This is also known as the “condition B” weight.
Independent laboratory has the same meaning as 46 CFR 159.001-3. A list of accepted independent laboratories is available from the Commandant and online at http://cgmix.uscg.mil.
Light load means the weight of the complete lifeboat or rescue boat empty and does not include fuel, required equipment, or the equivalent weight of persons. This is also known as the “condition A” weight.
Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI) means an officer of the Coast Guard designated as such by the Commandant and who fulfills the duties described in 46 CFR 1.01-15(b). The “cognizant OCMI” is the OCMI who has immediate jurisdiction over a vessel or geographic area for the purpose of performing the duties previously described.
SOLAS means the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended.
§ 160.133-5   Incorporation by reference.
(a) Certain material is incorporated by reference into this part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. All approved incorporation by reference (IBR) material is available for inspection at Coast Guard Headquarters and at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Contact the Coast Guard at: Commandant (CG-ENG-4), U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20593-7509; or email typeapproval@uscg.mil or visit https://www.dco.uscg.mil/CG-ENG-4/. For information on the availability of this material at NARA, email: fr.inspection@nara.gov, or go to: www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html. The material may be obtained from the sources in the following paragraphs of this section.
(b) American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), 100 Barr Harbor Drive, P.O. Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA, 19428-2959.
(1) ASTM A 276-08a, Standard Specification for Stainless Steel Bars and Shapes, (approved October 1, 2008), IBR approved for § 160.133-7 (“ASTM A 276”).
(2) ASTM A 313/A 313M -08, Standard Specification for Stainless Steel Spring Wire, (approved October 1, 2008), IBR approved for § 160.133-7 (“ASTM A 313”).
(3) ASTM A 314-08, Standard Specification for Stainless Steel Billets and Bars for Forging, (approved October 1, 2008), IBR approved for § 160.133-7 (“ASTM A 314”).
(4) ASTM F 1166-07, Standard Practice for Human Engineering Design for Marine Systems, Equipment, and Facilities, (approved January 1, 2007), IBR approved for § 160.133-7 (“ASTM F 1166”).
(c) International Maritime Organization (IMO), Publications Section, 4 Albert Embankment, London, SE1 7SR, United Kingdom, + 44 (0)20 7735 7611, http://www.imo.org/.
(1) IMO Resolution A.760(18), Symbols Related to Life-Saving Appliances and Arrangements, (adopted November 4, 1993), IBR approved for § 160.133-19 (“IMO Res. A.760(18)”).
(2) Life-Saving Appliances, including LSA Code, 2010 Edition, (2010), pages 7-71 , IBR approved for §§ 160.133-3 and 160.133-7 (“IMO LSA Code”) .
(3) Life-Saving Appliances, including LSA Code, 2010 Edition, (2010), Revised recommendation on testing of life-saving appliances, pages 79-254, IBR approved for §§ 160.133-7 and 160.133-13 (“IMO Revised recommendation on testing”).
(4) MSC/Circular 980, Standardized Life-saving Appliance Evaluation and Test Report Forms, (February 13, 2001), IBR approved for § 160.133-13 (“IMO MSC Circ. 980”).
(5) MSC.1/Circular 1205, Guidelines for Developing Operation and Maintenance Manuals for Lifeboat Systems, (May 26, 2006), IBR approved for § 160.133-21 (“IMO MSC.1 Circ. 1205”).
(6) Annex 4 to MSC 89/25, Report of the Maritime Safety Committee on its Eighty-Ninth Session, “Resolution MSC.320(89), Adoption of Amendments to the International Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) Code,” (adopted May 20, 2011), IBR approved for §§ 160.133-3, 160.133-5(c)(6), 160.133-7(d)(1), 160.133-7(b)(8), and 160.133-7(b)(9) (“Resolution MSC.320(89)”).
(7) Annex 5 to MSC 89/25, Report of the Maritime Safety Committee on its Eighty-Ninth Session, “Resolution MSC.321(89), Adoption of Amendments to the Revised Recommendation on Testing of Life-Saving Appliances (Resolution MSC.81(70)),” (adopted May 20, 2011), IBR approved for §§ 160.133-5(c)(7), 160.133-7(a)(2), and 160.133-13(d)(2) (“Resolution MSC.321(89)”).
§ 160.133-7   Design, construction, and performance of release mechanisms.
(a) To seek Coast Guard approval of a release mechanism, a manufacturer must comply with, and each release mechanism must meet, the requirements of the following—
(1) IMO LSA Code, as amended by Resolution MSC.320(89), chapter IV/4.4.7.6 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.133-5 of this subpart), and a release mechanism for free-fall lifeboats must also meet the applicable provisions of chapter VI/6.1.4;
(2) IMO Revised recommendation on testing, as amended by Resolution MSC.321(89), Part 1/6.9 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.133-5 of this subpart);
(3) 46 CFR part 159; and
(4) This subpart.
(b) Each release mechanism must meet the following requirements—
(1) Design. All functions of the release mechanism, including removal of interlocks, operation of the release handle, resetting the hooks, and reattaching the falls to the hooks, must be designed to be operable by persons wearing immersion suits;
(2) Each release mechanism should be designed following standard human engineering practices described in ASTM F 1166 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.133-5 of this subpart). Design limits should be based on a range from the fifth percentile female to the ninety-fifth percentile male values for critical body dimensions and functional capabilities as described in ASTM F 1166. The dimensions for a person wearing an immersion suit correspond to the arctic clothed dimensions of ASTM F 1166;
(3) Steel. Each major structural component of each release mechanism must be constructed of corrosion-resistant steel. Corrosion-resistant steel must be a type 302 stainless steel per ASTM A 276, ASTM A 313 or ASTM A 314 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.133-5 of this subpart). Other corrosion-resistant materials may be used if accepted by the Commandant as having equivalent or superior corrosion-resistant characteristics;
(4) Welding. Welding must be performed by welders certified by the Commandant, a classification society recognized by the Commandant in accordance with 46 CFR 8.220, the U.S. Navy, or the national body where the release mechanism is constructed or the national body's designated recognized organization. Only electrodes intended for use with the material being welded may be used. All welds must be checked using appropriate non-destructive tests;
(5) Metals in contact with each other must be either galvanically compatible or insulated with suitable non-porous materials. Provisions must also be made to prevent loosening or tightening resulting from differences of thermal expansion, freezing, buckling of parts, galvanic corrosion, or other incompatibilities;
(6) Screws, nuts, bolts, pins, keys, and other similar hardware, securing moving parts must be fitted with suitable lock washers, cotter pins, or locks to prevent them from coming adrift;
(7) The on-load operation of the release mechanism must require two separate, deliberate actions by the operator;
(8) The mechanical protection required by “IMO”, LSA Code, as amended by Resolution MSC.320(89), Chapter IV/4.4.7.6.2.2 must only be able to be engaged when the release mechanism is properly and completely reset. Proper engagement of the mechanical protection must be visually indicated;
(9) The release and recovery procedures required by “IMO” LSA Code, as amended by Resolution MSC.320(89),Chapter IV/4.4.7.6.5 must be included as an illustrated operation instruction plate or placard. The plate or placard must be corrosion resistant and weatherproof and must be marked with the word “Danger”. The illustrations must correspond exactly to those used in the instruction and maintenance manual provided by the manufacturer;
(10) The release lever or control must be red in color, and the area immediately surrounding the control must be a sharply contrasting light color;
(11) The release lever and its connection to the release mechanism must be of sufficient strength so that there is no deformation of the release lever or the release control assembly during on-load release;
(12) Positive means of lubrication must be provided for each bearing which is not permanently lubricated. Points of lubrication must be so located that they are clearly visible and accessible in the installed position in the boat;
(13) A hydraulic system, if used to activate the release mechanism, must be in accordance with 46 CFR part 58, subpart 58.30, with hose and fittings in accordance with 46 CFR part 56, subpart 56.60, except that—
(i) Push-on type fittings such as Aeroquip 1525-X, 25156-X, and FC332-X are not permitted;
(ii) The length of nonmetallic flexible hose is limited to 760 mm (30 in); and
(iii) If a hand pump is provided, adequate space must be provided for the hand pump or hand operation;
(14) Each release mechanism designed to launch a boat by free-fall must not be able to carry any weight until the release mechanism is properly reset, and each of the two independent activation systems required to be operated from inside the boat must require at least two independent actions from different locations inside the boat to release the hook; and
(c) Determinations of equivalence of design, construction, and materials will be made by the Commandant only.
§ 160.133-9   Preapproval review.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, the Commandant must conduct the preapproval review, required by this section, in accordance with 46 CFR 159.005-5.
(b) Manufacturer requirements. To seek Coast Guard approval of a release mechanism, the manufacturer must submit an application to the Commandant meeting the requirements of 46 CFR 159.005-5 for preapproval review. To meet the requirements of 46 CFR 159.005-5(a)(2), the manufacturer must submit—
(1) A list of drawings, specifications, manuals, and any other documentation submitted, with each document identified by number, title, revision issue, and date;
(2) General arrangement and assembly drawings, including principal dimensions;
(3) Stress calculations for all load carrying parts, including the release hooks, release mechanisms, and connections;
(4) Hydraulic systems drawings and specifications, if installed;
(5) Drawings of all signs and placards showing actual inscription, format, color, and size;
(6) An operation, maintenance, and training manual as described in §§ 160.133-19 and 160.133-21 of this subpart;
(7) A description of the quality control procedures and recordkeeping that will apply to the production of the release mechanism, which must include but is not limited to—
(i) The system for checking material certifications received from suppliers;
(ii) The method for controlling the inventory of materials;
(iii) The method for checking quality of fabrication and joints, including welding inspection procedures; and
(iv) The inspection checklists used during various stages of fabrication to assure that the approved release mechanism complies with the approved plans and the requirements of this subpart;
(8) Full details of any other unique capability;
(9) Any other drawing(s) necessary to show that the release mechanism complies with the requirements of this subpart;
(10) The location or address of all manufacturing sites, including the name and address of any subcontractors, where the release mechanism will be constructed; and
(11) The name of the independent laboratory that will perform the duties prescribed in § 160.133-15 of this subpart.
(c) At the request of the manufacturer and discretion of the Commandant, an independent laboratory may conduct preapproval review required by this section, so long as the preapproval review is conducted in accordance with the procedures agreed upon between the independent laboratory and Commandant under 46 CFR part 159, subpart 159.010.
(d) Plan quality. The plans and specifications submitted to the Commandant under this section must—
(1) Be provided in English, including all notes, inscriptions, and designations for configuration control;
(2) Address each of the applicable items in paragraph (b) of this section in sufficient detail to show that the release mechanism meets the construction requirements of this subpart;
(3) Accurately depict the proposed release mechanism;
(4) Be internally consistent;
(5) Be legible; and
(6) If reviewed by an independent laboratory under paragraph (c) of this section, include the independent laboratory's attestation that the plans meet the quality requirements of this section.
(e) Alternatives. Alternatives in materials, parts, or construction, and each item replaced by an alternative, must be clearly indicated as such in the plans and specifications submitted to the Commandant under this section.
(f) Coast Guard review. If the plans or specifications do not comply with the requirements of this section, Coast Guard review may be suspended, and the applicant notified accordingly.
§ 160.133-11   [Reserved]