🔍 Key Concepts
• Hydrostatic release units (HRUs) purpose and how they work
• Required inspection and servicing intervals for lifesaving appliances on fishing vessels
• Difference between inspection, servicing, testing, and replacement schedules
💭 Think About
• Think about how often a device that is activated by water pressure and exposed to the weather should be checked, versus fully replaced
• Consider which interval (monthly, quarterly, annually, five years) is most realistic and commonly used in regulations for safety-critical equipment like liferaft releases
• Ask yourself: Do regulations usually require frequent ‘testing’ of HRUs on board, or periodic servicing/replacement by an approved facility?
✅ Before You Answer
• Verify in 46 CFR requirements for inflatable liferafts and hydrostatic release units on fishing vessels
• Check which action is specified in regulations: servicing, testing, overhaul, or replacement, and at what time interval
• Confirm whether the same time interval used for HRUs matches any of the answer choices (monthly, quarterly, annually, five years)