🔍 Key Concepts

• SOLAS liferaft launching arrangements – why are liferaft containers usually secured with weak/quick‑release lashings, not solid steel bands? • Who is responsible on board for ensuring lifesaving appliances are correctly rigged and ready for immediate use (Master/Officer in charge)? • Immediate readiness for use – SOLAS requirement that survival craft can be launched within a short time without external tools.

💭 Think About

• Think about what steel bands around a liferaft container would mean in an emergency—could the raft be launched quickly if they stay in place? • Consider your own rank in this question: are you normally authorized to alter safety equipment on your own initiative, or are you expected to report problems to a specific person? • Which option best ensures both compliance with safety regulations AND that the problem will be corrected properly and documented?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify who has overall responsibility for lifesaving appliances (LSA) condition and readiness (usually the Master and deck officers). • Check whether crew at your level are normally permitted to cut or remove securing arrangements on survival craft without permission. • Confirm that liferafts must be ready for immediate use without needing special tools to free them.