The requirements of the Maltese Government for immersion suits and thermal protective aids for Maltese registered cargo ships not equipped with totally enclosed/free-fall launching lifeboats, whitch the Society has recently been informed by the Maltese Government, are shown below. It is recommended that necessary arrangements shall be made for Maltese flag ships owned and/or operated by you in accordance with the requirements.

1.On ships equipped with only liferafts of the throw-in type, one immersion suit should be provided for every person on board.

2.If a ship equipped with open-type lifeboats or davit-launched liferafts engaged on voyages in the following areas, the ship may carry at least three immersion suits for every lifeboat and liferaft and one thermal protective aidfor every person on board not provided with the immersion suit.

- The areas surrounded by latitude 65°N of the North Atlantic Ocean, 55'N of the North Pacific Ocean and 50°S and
- The east of longitude 10°E in the Kattegat and Baltic Sea between 1 May and 30 November, both dates inclusive.

In this case, however, the Safety Equipment Certificate shall be endorsed with the areas as the navigation areas permitted.

3.Immersion suits and thermal protective aids need not be provided on ships which habitually trade between the latitudes of 20°N and 20°S. However, the permission of Maltese Government is required for every ship.

The End