§ 28.140 - Operational readiness, maintenance, and inspection of lifesaving equipment.

§ 28.140 Operational readiness, maintenance, and inspection of lifesaving equipment.

(a) The master or individual in charge of a vessel must ensure that each item of lifesaving equipment must be in good working order, ready for immediate use, and readily accessible before the vessel leaves port and at all times when the vessel is operated.

(b) Each item of lifesaving equipment, including unapproved equipment, must be maintained and inspected in accordance with:

(1) Table 28.140 in this section;

(2) The servicing procedure under the subpart of this chapter applicable to the item's approval; and

(3) The manufacturer's guidelines.

(c) An inflatable liferaft or inflatable buoyant apparatus must be serviced no later than the month and year on its servicing sticker affixed under 46 CFR 160.151-57(n), and whenever the container is damaged or the container straps or seals are broken. It must be serviced at a facility specifically approved by the Commandant for the particular brand.

(d) An escape route from a space where an individual may be employed or an accommodation space must not be obstructed.

Table 28.140 - Scheduled Maintenance and Inspection of Lifesaving Equipment

Item	Interval		Regulation
	Monthly	Annually
(1) Inflatable wearable personal flotation device (Type V commercial hybrid)		Servicing	28.140
(2) Personal flotation devices, exposure suits and immersion suits		Inspect, clean and repair as necessary	28.140
(3) Buoyant apparatus and life floats		Inspect, clean and repair as necessary	28.140
(4) Inflatable liferaft		Servicing1	28.140
(5) Inflatable buoyant apparatus		Servicing1	28.140
(6) Hydrostatic release		Servicing1	28.140
(7) Disposable hydrostatic release		Replace on or before expiration date	28.140
(8) Undated batteries		Replace	28.140
(9) Dated batteries2 and other items		Replace on or before expiration date	25.26-50, 28.140
(10) EPIRB	Test		25.26-50

¹ For a new liferaft or inflatable buoyant apparatus, the first annual servicing may be deferred to two years from the date of first packing if so indicated on the servicing sticker.

² Water activated batteries must be replaced whenever they are used.

[CGD 88-079, 56 FR 40393, Aug. 14, 1991; 56 FR 49822, Oct. 1, 1991, as amended at USCG-2001-11118, 67 FR 58540, Sept. 17, 2002; USCG-2004-18884, 69 FR 58344, Sept. 30, 2004]