Date :13.05.2008

Subject: Carriage of EPIRB on ship or fishing boat complying with Merchant Shipping. Life Saving Appliance (MS-LSA) Rules - (1991) and Merchant Shipping. Distress and Safety Radio Communication (MS-DSRC) Rules 1995.

1.        Background:

1.1          Govt. of India implements  Radio Communication requirement for their ships of  300 GT and above by notification of Merchant Shipping (Distress and Safety Radio Communication)  Rules, 1995.  These rules shall apply to unless otherwise specified.

1.1.1       All sea-going Indian passenger and cargo ships and fishing boats of 20 meters or  more in length  and

1.1.2       All ships other than Indian ships of more than 300 gross tons, while they are in any port or place in India

1.2          These rules shall not apply to

1.2.1       Ships proceeding to sea which are not mechanically propelled

1.2.2       Fishing boats of less than 20 meters in length and

1.2.3       Pleasure crafts

1.3          Under provision of these rule, regulation 4.(2)a every such ship or fishing boats subject to the requirement of Merchant Shipping (Life Saving Appliances Rules) , 1982 shall carry the following :

1.3.1       Two satellite EPIRB so installed that :

1.3.1.1    One shall be capable of float free if the ships sinks and activate automatically when
              afloat,

1.3.1.2    The other shall be close to the position from which the ship is normally navigated and
              be capable of manual activation from that position, and

1.3.1.3   Each shall be capable of being carried by a person into a survival craft and being
                         activated manually. 

1.4       The Directorate had received various representations from INSA members to amend the requirement of Two EPIRBs as per our M.S. (DSRC) Rules 1995 to the SOLAS requirement as per Chapter IV, Regulation 7.1.6 of one Float Free EPIRB.

1.5       Vessels fitted with simplified - Voice Data Recorder (S-VDR) the float free capsule of the S-VDR is fitted with 406 MHz satellite EPIRB.

2.        Justification:

            2.1        As per SOLAS Ch.IV Reg.7.6:

            2.1.1     a satellite EPIRB which shall be:

            2.1.1.1  capable of transmitting a distress alert either through the polar orbiting satellite service
            operating in the 406 MHz band or, if the ship is engaged only on voyages within Inmarsat
            coverage, through the Inmarsat geostationary satellite service operating in the 1.6 GHz
            band;

2.1.1.2  installed in an easily accessible position;

2.1.1.3  ready to be manually released and capable of being carried by one person into a survival
      craft;

2.1.1.4  capable of floating free if the ship sinks and of being automatically activated when afloat;
      and

2.1.1.5  capable of being activated manually."Unquote.  

2.2       Directorate General of Shipping has reviewed the request and has decided to amend the requirement so to align the Indian flag requirement to SOLAS requirement, henceforth in place of two satellite EPIRBs, only one satellite EPIRB will be sufficient provided that it is:

2.2.1     capable of transmitting a distress alert either through the polar orbiting satellite service operating in the 406 MHz band,

2.2.2     installed in an easily accessible position;

2.2.3     ready to be manually released and capable of being carried by one person into a survival craft;

2.2.4     capable of floating free if the ship sinks and of being automatically activated when afloat; and

2.2.5     capable of being activated manually.

This issues with the approval of the Director General of Shipping. 

Sd/-
[K H Mehta]
Sr. Radio Survzeyor-cum-ADG (GMDSS)