Liferaft Launching Sign

The Liferaft Launching sign marks the station where crew must consult company safety instructions and complete a risk assessment before launching a liferaft, whether for a drill or a genuine emergency. Manufactured to the ISO 7010 mandatory-action standard, the blue circular pictogram shows a liferaft canister being lowered toward the water, paired with the bold text “LIFERAFT LAUNCHING” and a secondary mandatory-action panel reminding crew that company safety instructions must be consulted before launching for drills, and that a risk assessment with all control measures in place is required before launching.

Why Face Protection Matters

Although this sign concerns liferaft launching procedure rather than personal protective equipment, the underlying ISO 7010 mandatory-action principle is identical to that behind any face or respiratory protection sign: a hazard exists, and a specific, verified action is mandatory before proceeding. Just as a crew member must not skip PPE before entering a hazardous space, a crew member must not skip the safety-instruction review and risk assessment before launching a liferaft. Liferaft launching involves genuine risks — falling loads, pinch points on davits and falls, sudden vessel motion, and the possibility of a liferaft inflating unexpectedly — and skipping the mandated checks has caused serious injuries and fatalities during both drills and real emergencies across the maritime industry.

SOLAS Chapter III requires liferafts and their launching appliances to be properly maintained, tested, and operated only by trained personnel following the vessel’s approved procedures. The Liferaft Launching sign reinforces this requirement visually at the exact point of use, ensuring that even under the stress of an abandon-ship situation, or during a routine monthly drill, the crew is reminded to follow the correct sequence: consult safety instructions, complete the risk assessment, confirm control measures, and only then launch. This sequencing matters enormously during drills, which statistically carry a disproportionate share of liferaft-related injuries precisely because complacency can creep in when the situation is not a genuine emergency.

This sign is manufactured from durable, UV-stable, corrosion-resistant material suited to prolonged exposure at the liferaft stowage and launching station, typically on an open deck subject to sun, salt spray, and temperature extremes. The photoluminescent pictogram remains visible in low light or during a power failure, supporting SOLAS and ISM Code requirements for signage that functions reliably in every emergency lighting condition, including total blackout during a drill or real casualty.

Fitting the Liferaft Launching sign at every liferaft launching station, alongside related signage such as Lower Liferaft to Water and Release the Falls, gives the crew a complete, consistent visual system for safe liferaft operations from stowage to water. This is precisely the kind of consistent, ISO 7010-compliant signage that Port State Control officers and SOLAS surveyors look for during safety equipment inspections and abandon-ship drill audits.

Safety Sign Hub supplies IMO-compliant, ISO 7010-conformant signage engineered for the marine and offshore environment, backed by full IMPA and ISSA cross-referencing so procurement teams and superintendents can specify with confidence. Every Liferaft Launching sign we supply meets the visual and durability standards expected under SOLAS-driven safety management practice. For the full regulatory framework behind shipboard safety signage, see the IMO SOLAS convention.

Vessel operators preparing liferaft stations for a SOLAS survey or ISM internal audit should treat a clear, legible Liferaft Launching sign as a baseline requirement, not an optional extra, replacing any faded or damaged sign immediately to keep the abandon-ship procedure unambiguous for every crew member, regardless of experience level or first language.

Because liferaft launching is one of the most physically demanding evolutions a crew performs, many ship operators pair this sign with a nearby laminated checklist reflecting the exact steps expected during liferaft launching drills, so the risk assessment referenced on the sign is not a vague instruction but a concrete, repeatable procedure every watch can follow identically.