What are the new amendments for enclosed lifeboats, and what do they change about on-load release hooks?

flowchart LR
  A["Fatal drill accidents: hooks opening under load"] --> B["MSC.317(89): SOLAS III/1.5, evaluate existing hooks"]
  B --> C["Non-compliant: replace by the first dry-docking after 1 July 2014, not later than 1 July 2019"]
  B --> D["MSC.320(89): LSA §4.4.7.6 design, hydrostatic interlock, locked hook, two-action release"]
  C --> E["Drills conducted safely; release gear maintained and tested (III/19, III/20)"]
  D --> E

• Driver: more seafarers were killed in lifeboat drills than in real abandonments, mostly by on-load release hooks opening while the boat was suspended.
• SOLAS III/1.5 (MSC.317(89)): existing on-load release mechanisms evaluated and, if non-compliant, replaced by the first dry-docking after 1 July 2014 and not later than 1 July 2019.
• LSA Code §4.4.7.6 (MSC.320(89)): no opening under load unless waterborne (hydrostatic interlock), hook locked with a visual reset indication, a deliberate two-action release.
• Operations (SOLAS III/19 and III/20): drills conducted safely; weekly and monthly inspections, maker’s maintenance, periodic operational and 5-yearly overload tests of the release gear.
• Interim: fall-preventer devices (MSC.1/Circ.1327 and 1392) and the interim recommendation MSC.1/Circ.1277 protected crews pending replacement.
• As Chief Engineer: the release gear is the critical safety interface; I keep it maintained and tested (India: MS Act 2025 s.147).