🔍 Key Concepts

• 46 CFR Subchapter W – Lifesaving Appliances requirements for lifeboat construction and equipment • Design and safety features specific to fuel tanks on motor-propelled lifeboats • The difference between maintenance/testing requirements and design/ construction requirements

💭 Think About

• Ask yourself: Is the question about a recurring maintenance action, a test at each inspection, or about how the fuel tank must be built from the start? • Consider which option would most directly prevent pollution and fire hazard during normal operations and emergencies, not just at scheduled maintenance times. • Which choice describes a permanent characteristic of the tank, rather than something the crew would periodically do?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify whether Subchapter W language for fuel tanks is written as a design requirement ("shall be constructed…") or an operational/maintenance requirement ("shall be emptied/tested…"). • Check if Subchapter W actually requires annual fuel changes or hydrostatic tests for small lifeboat fuel tanks, or if that sounds more like it applies to other types of pressure vessels/tanks. • Focus on the wording that matches regulatory style for lifeboat construction standards, especially phrases like "shall be constructed so as to…"