The Committee of the Indian Ocean MoU recently agreed to conduct a concentrated inspection campaign on lifeboats and lifeboat-launching equipment to ensure that the seafarers in the Indian Ocean region have access to appropriate appliances in times of emergency. The campaign, to be held between May and July, targets vessels covered by the relevant provisions of the Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS) Convention — all passenger and cargo vessels of the capacity of 500 GRT and above. The authorities concerned with the Indian Ocean MoU member countries will inspect as many vessels as possible during the campaign period. Thus, Port State Control officers will carry out the checks along with their routine PSC inspections, with focus on the condition of lifeboats and lifeboat-launching appliances, along with associated maintenance and training records, to verify that the equipment meet the standards as laid down in SOLAS. For the purpose of uniformity, PSC officers will use a standard checklist. On completion of the campaign, the Indian Ocean MoU will publish a summary of the results. India is a member of the Committee whose secretariat is located in Goa.

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