Carriage of EPIRB on ship or fishing boat complying with Merchant Shipping. Life Saving Appliance (MS-LSA) Rules - (1991) and Merchant Shipping. Distress and Safety Radio Communication (MS-DSRC) Rules 1995.

Applicable to: Indian seafarers on ships/fishing boats of 20m+ or 300GT+, and Indian ships in Indian ports

Effective Date: 13.05.2008

Superseded Circulars: None mentioned

Key Changes and Requirements

Previously, ships/fishing boats were required to carry two satellite EPIRBs. Now, the requirement is amended to align with SOLAS:

One: Satellite EPIRB is sufficient, meeting the following criteria:
Transmission: Through the 406 MHz band
Accessibility: Installed in an easily accessible position
Manual Release: Ready to be manually released and carried into a survival craft
Float-Free: Capable of floating free and activating automatically when afloat
Manual Activation: Capable of being activated manually

II/4 Merchant Shipping (Distress and Safety Radio Communication) Rules, 1995

Important Note

Vessels fitted with S-VDR should ensure the float-free capsule meets the 406 MHz EPIRB requirement.

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