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New IMO rules take effect in quick succession.

1. New LSA Davit Lowering Speed ​​Regulation MSC.554 (108)

Effective Date: January 1, 2026; applicable only to lifeboat and rescue boat davit lowering equipment installed after January 1, 2026

• Key Revisions: A unified maximum lowering speed of 1.3 m/s for fully loaded davits is set, with the lower limit calculated using the ship's height formula; addresses the risk of injury from excessively fast davit lowering speeds on large container ships and bulk carriers.

• Industry Impact: The hydraulic speed control system for davits in new ships will be redesigned; existing ships will not be required to undergo modifications, but the PSC will conduct thorough inspections of potential davit lowering impact hazards.

2. New Mandatory Regulations for Lifeboat Maintenance and Overhaul MSC.559 (108)

• Effective Date: January 1, 2026

• Key Changes: Lifeboat/rescue boat hooks and release mechanisms must undergo major overhauls and load tests every five years by a flag-approved certified service provider; simple onboard repairs by crew members are no longer compliant; improved procedures for winch brake, davit wire rope flaw detection, and release mechanism load testing.

3. New Standards for Ventilation and Oxygen Supply in Lifeboats (Medium- to Long-Term Air Vent Retrofitting)

• The SSE12 meeting (March 9–13, 2026, IMO Subcommittee on Marine Equipment) finalized mandatory ventilation requirements.

• Fully enclosed lifeboats: From January 1, 2029, newly built ships must be equipped with a ventilation system, providing 5 m³/h of ventilation per person, operating continuously for 24 hours, with independent power supply, and controlling CO₂ < 5000 ppm.

• Partially enclosed lifeboats will simultaneously have mandatory ventilation opening area standards added, to be fully implemented by 2032.

4. Implementation of a No-Submersion Load Testing Solution for Free Fall Lifeboats

• MSC110 was revised in the first half of 2026: A new shore-based simulated load testing fixture was added, allowing verification of the release hook strength without directly dropping the lifeboat into the water, with a safety factor ≥6.