Survitec SOLAS 360 gathers pace

(Posted on 18/04/19)

Maritime safety equipment supplier Survitec has registered increased interest in its SOLAS 360 service in the run up to the entry-into-force of amendments to SOLAS.

The SOLAS 360 service, launched last year to ease the operational burden of ship operators by keeping vessels’ regulatory compliant, is gaining traction as the industry gears up to meet the revised rules governing the frequency of safety and survival equipment maintenance.

IMO Resolutions MSC.402(96), MSC.404(96) and MSC.409(97) were adopted in 2016 and will become mandatory on the 1st January 2020. MSC 402(96) is particularly important as it revises the requirements for maintenance, thorough examination, operational testing, overhaul and repair of lifeboats and rescue boats, launching appliances and release gear.

The revision to SOLAS permits authorised multi-brand service providers to carry out the work, reducing the number of suppliers and simplifying training and service regimes.

Robert Wallace, Global Technical Sales Manager, Survitec, said: “We launched our SOLAS 360 concept in September last year very much with the regulatory revisions in mind. The concept completely covers an operator’s safety equipment needs, from procurement, servicing and replacement, while reducing risks and optimising service costs. SOLAS 360 aims to reduce the operational challenges that shipowners and crews face in meeting the new requirements.”

The benefit of SOLAS 360 in helping operators meet the revised rules is that the concept maps out a full inventory of a ship’s safety equipment and then manages the due dates for servicing and inspections, alerting the ship’s master and operator at 90, 60 and 30-day intervals in the run up to the deadline.

Survitec then ensures that equipment is maintained, serviced, inspected and certified. The company can also replace liferafts, which have lengthy servicing times, with newly-overhauled and refurbished rafts.

Finn Lende-Harung, Offer Development Manager, Survitec, said: “Survitec led the trend 10 years ago in the liferaft rental concept. It promoted the idea that liferafts can be replaced by like-for-like, fully-serviced rafts when the vessel is in port. This means ships no longer have to lay idle for three or four days while its own raft is serviced. SOLAS 360 builds on this model and applies its benefits to a full circle of safety equipment.”

Each customer is designated its own service representative. This enables Survitec to work with its customers to harmonise service due dates so that as many pieces of equipment as possible are serviced at the same time, resulting in fewer vessel visits and reduced maintenance costs.

All vessel-specific SOLAS compliancy status and safety certificates are kept in an online portal, giving customers easy access to the information whenever required.

As a fixed rate is agreed at the outset, depending on the scope of equipment, Survitec offers price predictability through SOLAS 360. Typically, ship managers source suppliers at the port, compare prices, travel charges, spare part costs etc and coordinate inspections. Survitec’s SOLAS 360 removes this complexity and uncertainty.

Lende-Harung, said: “One of the advantages of SOLAS 360 is that we can provide, and service all onboard safety equipment required under SOLAS. From liferafts and lifeboats, to personal lifesaving appliances and fire detection systems, Survitec’s extensive and uniform range simplifies procurement, training and service regime for customers.

“As part of the SOLAS 360 services, Survitec customers have access to the company’s regulatory experts to ensure they are meeting all necessary rules and regulations.”