(a) Inspection and repair. Inflatable liferafts carried under the regulations in this chapter, and in chapter I of title 33 CFR, must be inspected periodically by a servicing facility approved by the Coast Guard, repaired as necessary, and repacked. Requirements for periodic inspection and repair of liferafts approved by the Coast Guard appear in §§160.151-37 through 160.151-57.

(b) Manufacturer's requirements. To retain Coast Guard approval of liferafts, the manufacturer must:

(1) Prepare a servicing manual or manuals complying with §160.151-37 to cover each model and size of liferaft that the manufacturer produces. The manual or manuals must be submitted to the Commandant for approval.

(2) At least once each year, issue a list of revisions to the manual or manuals, and issue a list of bulletins affecting the manual or manuals, that are in effect.

(3) Make available to each servicing facility approved by the Coast Guard the manual or manuals, the revisions, the bulletins, the plans, and any unique parts and tools that may be necessary to service the liferaft. The plans may be either the manufacturing drawings, or special plans prepared especially for use by servicing technicians. They may be incorporated into the manual or manuals.

(4) Have a training program complying with §160.151-39 for the certification of servicing technicians.

(5) Notify the OCMI for the zone in which the servicing facility is located whenever the manufacturer becomes aware of servicing at approved facilities that is not in accordance with the requirements of this subpart, or aware of falsification by an approved facility of records required by this subpart.

(c) A manufacturer of liferafts not approved by the Coast Guard may establish servicing facilities approved by the Coast Guard for such liferafts in the United States if the manufacturer meets the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section.