Life Raft & Lifeboat Safety for Offshore Evacuations

When a fire, blowout, or structural failure forces an offshore crew to abandon ship, the only thing between them and open water is the vessel’s life-saving appliances, including life rafts and lifeboats.

Under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the companion Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) Code, every offshore facility must carry enough enclosed lifeboats (Totally Enclosed Motor Propelled Survival Crafts, or TEMPSCs) and inflatable life rafts for everyone on board.

This equipment is not optional; it is a worker’s only ticket home when everything goes wrong. Yet too often, operators treat rafts, lifeboats, and their launching gear as afterthoughts. Design shortcuts, deferred maintenance, or sloppy drills can turn a life-saving appliance into a 10-ton projectile.

Below, we outline current international requirements, best-practice training, and, critically, the real-world consequences when companies cut corners.

Lifeboats vs. Life Rafts—Two Tools, One Goal

When SOLAS talks about “life-saving appliances,” it is really speaking of two very different pieces of equipment that serve complementary purposes.

Enclosed Lifeboats (TEMPSCs)

Enclosed lifeboats are rigid capsules made of fire-resistant fiberglass that seal shut to protect everyone inside from flames, toxic smoke, high winds, and pounding waves. They carry their own diesel or electric engine, so crews can steer clear of a burning rig or drifting debris instead of waiting to be found.

Modern models hold 50 to 150 people and come stocked with water, food packs, radios, and sea anchors designed to keep survivors safe and supplied for several days. Because these boats hang from gravity or hydraulic davits, every hook, cable, and winch must be inspected and serviced on a strict schedule; a single corroded wire or jammed release latch can turn a lifesaving launch into a deadly free-fall.

Inflatable Life Rafts

Inflatable life rafts serve as the emergency back-up if lifeboats are damaged, jammed, or already full. Each raft is packed inside a hard canister with a small CO₂ bottle and a hydrostatic release valve. If a vessel sinks before the crew can muster, water pressure pops the canister open, and the raft inflates automatically at the surface.

Rafts are lighter and easier to throw overboard than lifeboats, but they have no motor—survivors rely on a drift anchor, paddles, and signal beacons to stay upright and get noticed. Capacity ranges from four to a few dozen people, and annual service at a certified shop is critical; expired gas cylinders, cracked fabric, or tangled painter lines can leave a raft useless when it’s needed most.

Why Offshore Installations Need Both

Enclosed lifeboats are the first choice when time and conditions permit: they shelter crews from fire, ice-cold spray, and hurricane-force winds. But lifeboats can jam in their davits, be damaged by explosions, or simply lack enough seats during shift changes. Inflatable rafts provide backup capacity and will float free if the rig or vessel sinks before a full abandon-ship order is given.

Life raft and lifeboat safety training may include:

• Proper deployment and boarding of both TEMPSCs and inflatable life rafts
• Maintenance, storage, and launching procedures for each appliance
• Essential emergency supplies and first aid equipment requirements
• Survival techniques, such as managing injuries and illnesses during evacuations
• Periodic drills mandated by SOLAS to maintain crew readiness

Best practices for life raft and lifeboat safety include:

• Regular inspection and maintenance according to manufacturer specifications and SOLAS standards
• Clear marking and accessible positioning of all life-saving appliances
• Consistent training for crew members, emphasizing drills for quick and efficient evacuation
• Proper stowage of emergency supplies within life-saving appliances to ensure readiness in crises

Where the System Breaks Down

Design or Manufacturing Defects
If a life raft’s hydrostatic release unit is assembled backwards, the canister can remain bolted to the deck as the vessel slips beneath the surface. Mis-routed painter lines, under-strength canopy seams, or lifeboat hooks cast from sub-standard steel create the same lethal outcome: equipment that fails at the precise moment it is needed.

Cost-Cutting Maintenance
Life-saving appliances require strict, manufacturer-approved service intervals. Swapping a marine-rated electrical contactor for a cheaper industrial unit, delaying a five-year raft overhaul, or hiring unqualified technicians may shave a line item today—and leave an entire crew stranded tomorrow. 

Inadequate Crew Instruction
Even the best equipment is useless in untrained hands. Crew members must know how to launch a lifeboat while the deck is listing, free a raft canister under smoke conditions, and board safely amid breaking waves. Abbreviated drills, missing log entries, or “desk-only” safety briefings leave workers guessing when seconds matter.

Lifeboat-Drill Injuries: When Practice Turns Deadly

Auger TLP, Gulf of Mexico (2019) – A routine retrieval drill ended in tragedy when Lifeboat 6 fell 80 ft, killing two Shell contractors and seriously injuring a third. The U.S. Coast Guard investigation cited inadequate maintenance of the on-load release gear and insufficient oversight of third-party service providers.

Industry statistics paint a grim picture: more sailors have died in drills than in actual abandon-ship events in recent decades.

IMO circular MSC.1/1206/Rev.1 highlights “an unacceptably high number of accidents in which crew were injured, sometimes fatally, while participating in lifeboat drills,” driven by faulty release mechanisms and poor communication.

These incidents are not the fault of deckhands who follow orders. They stem from cost-cutting at the ownership and management level.

Consequences of Ignoring Life-Saving Standards

When companies skip inspections or buy bargain-basement equipment, the fallout is immediate and far-reaching:

• Loss of Life & Catastrophic Injury: Free-fall accidents, hook failures, or raft-inflation malfunctions can maim or kill crew members before the evacuation even begins.
• Regulatory Detentions & Fines: Port-State Control can hold a vessel until deficiencies are corrected, costing millions in delayed charters.
• Civil Liability & Punitive Damages: Under U.S. maritime law, ignoring known safety rules opens the door to punitive awards that dwarf statutory penalties.

The Bottom Line

Life rafts, once viewed as “last-chance” gear, are now a front-line compliance item. SOLAS, the LSA Code, and USCG policies leave no grey area: if a raft fails or a crew member doesn’t know how to launch it, the liability rests with the company that supplied, maintained, or approved the equipment.

Arnold & Itkin has represented seamen and offshore crews after every major maritime disaster in the last 20 years. When life rafts fail or drills turn deadly, we uncover the paper trail—maintenance shortcuts, design flaws, and ignored safety alerts—and fight to secure life-changing compensation. If you or a loved one were hurt during an offshore evacuation or drill or in any maritime accident, contact us today. We don’t just win cases; we force change. No matter what.