What is ISO 15738 - Gas inflation system about?
ISO 15738 specifies performance and testing requirements for gas inflation systems for inflatable life-saving appliances. ISO 15738 applies to gas inflation systems which consist of an inflation gas, a gas cylinder valve, a gas cylinder operating head, high-pressure hoses, and pressure-relief/transfer, inflate/deflate and non-return valves.
Note1: ISO 15738 addresses only systems in which compressed inflation gas in cylinders is used as the inflation medium.
Note2: National requirements for qualification, use, and testing of gas cylinders vary widely. Such requirements for gas cylinders are not addressed in ISO 15738, but it is presupposed that gas cylinders meet the requirements of the applicable regulatory bodies.
Note3: The systems addressed in ISO 15738 are of the type generally used in life-saving appliances, such as survival craft, marine evacuation systems, and means of rescue.
Who is ISO 15738 - Gas inflation system for?
ISO 15738 on gas inflation system sample port is useful for:
- inflatable life-saving appliances manufacturers
- Shipboard personnel
- Ballast water discharge installers
- Maritime personnel
- Ship owner
Why should you use ISO 15738 - Gas inflation systems?
A gas inflation system for inflatable life-saving appliances is a vital system to inflate life-saving appliances appropriately. ISO 15738 addresses the performance and testing of the gas inflation systems for inflatable lifesaving appliances including those specified in the 1974 Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS 74), as amended, and the IMO International Life-Saving Appliance Code (LSA Code), adopted by IMO Resolution MSC.48(66), as amended. In this sense, it supplements the International Maritime Organization (IMO) requirements for inflatable lifesaving appliances. Overall, ISO 15738 provides tests that ensures that the gas inflation system is durable that will boost component reliability, successfully resist corrosion and achieve long service life in saltwater environments. 
What’s changed since the last update?
BS ISO 11674:2019 cancels and replaces BS ISO 15738:2002.
The main changes are as follows:
- Addition of the saltwater exposure test for cylinders
- Modifications of the exposure period of the saltwater exposure test according to ISO 9227:2017
- Restructuring of clauses of gas cylinder valves and operating heads
- Changes from the absolute values to the relative values in the test pressure of the pressure tests
- Modifications of the test pull loads of operating heads considering the friction in containers of liferafts
