The Liberian Government has notified of carriage of immersion suits for that flagged ships by Bureau of Maritime Affairs MARINE OPERATIONS NOTE: New 8/2006 as follows. And, the following supersedes ClassNK Technical Information TEC-0643, Paragraph 3 "carriage of immersion suits for Liberian flag" issued on 16 November 2005.

1. Warm Climates: The Liberian government has revised its definition of warm climate for purposes of SOLAS Regulations III/7.3, 22.4.1.2, III/32.3.2.3 and III/32.3.3.3, as being that between 30°North and 30°South latitudes.

2. Definition of remote locations: Due to different ship designs and configurations, the Liberia government allows some flexibility in determining the number of immersion suits required for "remote locations".
The examples of "remote locations" on for different ship types contained in the attached sketch, and included an interpretation of the term "remotely located", as follows:
(1) Remotely located is an area not integrated into the superstructure/living quarters, and therefore not in the direct vicinity of the survival craft and/or the normal stowage position of the immersion suits. And, the same number of immersion suits as watch or working person in these places is required.
(2) To determine if at least one additional immersion suit of adequate size are required when there is an additional liferaft forward or aft; "remotely located" would only apply if distance between bow or stern from the primary survival craft is more than 100m to the where the additional liferaft is fitted (see SOLAS Reg.III/31.1.4).

3. Rescue boat crew: The immersion suits required for every person assigned to crew the rescue boat, may be the same as those immersion suits required by SOLAS III/32.3.2.

4. Immersion suits and thermal protective aids are to be assigned by the Master. It is recommended that they should be kept in staterooms along with life jackets.

(To be continued)