S.I. No. 97/1989 - Merchant Shipping (Passenger Ship Construction) (Amendment) Rules, 1989.

S.I. No. 97 of 1989.

MERCHANT SHIPPING (PASSENGER SHIP CONSTRUCTION) (AMENDMENT) RULES, 1989.

I, BRENDAN DALY, Minister for the Marine, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 10 of the Merchant Shipping (Safety Convention) Act, 1952 (No. 29 of 1952), as amended by section 9 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1966 (No. 20 of 1966), and the Communications (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order, 1987 ( S.I. No. 91 of 1987 ), hereby make the following Rules:

1. (1) These Rules may be cited as the Merchant Shipping (Passenger Ship Construction) (Amendment) Rules, 1989.

(2) These Rules shall come into operation on the 1st day of May, 1989.

2. The Merchant Shipping (Passenger Ship Construction and Survey) Rules 1985 ( S.I. No. 274 of 1985 ), are hereby amended by—

(1) the insertion in Rule 1 (2) after the definition of "Ro/ro cargo spaces" of the following definition:

" 'ro/ro passenger ship' means a passenger ship provided with cargo or vehicle spaces in which vehicles or cargo can be loaded or unloaded in a horizontal direction;",

(2) the substitution for Rule 1 (3) of the following Rule:

"(3) ( a ) Subject to subparagraph (b) of this Rule, these Rules apply to:—

(i) new passenger ships (including ro/ro passenger ships) registered in the State and any passenger ships (including ro/ro passenger ships) registered in the State that have undergone major repairs, alterations or modifications on or after 1st September, 1984;

Provided that any such repairs, alterations or modifications carried out pursuant to a contract entered into before that date shall be deemed to have been carried out before that date, and

(ii) other new seagoing passenger ships (including ro/ro passenger ships), while they are within the State or the territorial waters thereof.

( b ) Part VIA of these Rules shall only apply to ro/ro passenger ships".,

(3) the insertion of the following part after Rule 80.

"PART VIA

Miscellaneous: Ships with Special Category or Ro/Ro Cargo Spaces

Access opening indicator lights

80A Indicators shall be provided on the navigating bridge of a passenger ship for all shell doors, loading doors and other closing appliances which if left open or not properly secured could, in the opinion of the Minister, lead to major flooding of a special category space or ro/ro cargo space. The indicator system shall be designed on the fail safe principle and shall show if the doors are not fully closed or not secured. The power supply for the indicator system shall be independent of the power supply for operating and securing the doors.

Supplementary emergency lighting

80B (1) All passenger public spaces and alleyways in a passenger ship shall be provided with supplementary electric lighting that can operate for at least three hours when all other sources of electric power have failed and under any condition of heel. The illumination provided shall be such that the approach to the means of escape can be readily seen. The source of power for the supplementary lighting shall consist of accumulator batteries located within the lighting units that are continuously charged, where practicable, from the emergency switchboard or any other means of lighting that, in the opinion of the Minister, is at least as effective. The supplementary lighting shall be such that any failure of the lamp will be immediately apparent. Any accumulator battery provided shall be replaced at intervals having regard to the specified service life in the ambient conditions that they are subject to in service.

(2) A portable rechargeable battery operated lamp shall be provided in every crew space, alleyway and recreational space and in every working space in a passenger ship which is normally occupied unless the supplementary emergency lighting specified in paragraph (1) of this Rule is provided.

Television surveillance

80C (1) A system shall be installed in a passenger ship, such as television surveillance or a water leakage detection system, to provide an indication to the navigating bridge of any leakage through bow doors, stern doors or any other cargo or vehicle loading doors which could lead to major flooding of special category spaces or ro/ro cargo spaces.

(2) Special category spaces and ro/ro cargo spaces in a passenger ship shall either be patrolled or monitored by effective means, such as television surveillance, so that movement of vehicles in adverse weather and unauthorised access by passengers to those spaces can be observed whilst the ship is underway.".

3. The Merchant Shipping (Passenger Ship Construction) Rules, 1983 ( S.I. No. 300 of 1983 ), are hereby amended by—

(1) the insertion in Rule 1 (2) after the definition of "Radiotelegraph room" of the following definitions:

" 'ro/ro cargo spaces' means spaces not normally subdivided in any way, extending either a substantial length or the entire length of the ship and in which goods (packaged or in bulk, in or on rail or road cars, vehicles (including road or rail tankers), trailers, containers, pallets, demountable tanks or in or on similar stowage units or other receptacles) can be loaded and unloaded in a horizontal direction;",

" 'ro/ro passenger ship' means a passenger ship provided with cargo or vehicle spaces in which vehicles or cargo can be loaded or unloaded in a horizontal direction;",

(2) the substitution for Rule 1 (3) (inserted by the Merchant Shipping (Passenger Ship Construction) (Amendment) Rules, 1985 ( S.I. No. 273 of 1985 )) of the following Rule:

"(3) (a) Subject to subparagraph ( b ) of this Rule, these Rules apply to:

(i) passenger ships (including ro/ro passenger ships) registered in the State except—

(I) those of which the keels were laid or which were at a similar stage of construction on or after the 1st day of September, 1984, and

(II) those which, although constructed before that date, were subsequently converted into passenger ships, such conversion having commenced after that date,

(ii) other passenger ships (including ro/ro passenger ships) while they are within the State or the territorial waters thereof, except—

(I) those of which the keels were laid or which were at a similar stage of construction on or after the 1st day of September, 1984; and

(II) those which, although constructed before that date, were subsequently converted into passenger ships, such conversion having commenced after that date;

(iii) for the purposes of this Rule "similar stage of construction" means the stage at which:

(I) construction identifiable with a specific ship begins; and

(II) assembly of that ship has commenced and there is in place at least 50 tonnes or one per cent. of the estimated mass of all structural material, whichever is less.

( b ) Part VIIB of these Rules shall only apply to ro/ro passenger ships to which these Rules apply.".

(3) the insertion after Rule 131 of the following Part:

"PART VIIB

Miscellaneous: Ships with Special Category or Ro/Ro Cargo Spaces

Access opening indicator lights

131A Indicators shall be provided on the navigating bridge of a passenger ship for all shell doors, loading doors and other closing appliances fitted to openings which if left open or not properly secured could, in the opinion of the Minister, lead to major flooding of a special category space or ro/ro cargo space. The indicator system shall be designed on the fail safe principle and shall show if the door is not fully closed or not secured. The power supply for the indicator system shall be independent of the power supply for operating and securing the doors.

Supplementary emergency lighting

131B (1) All passenger public spaces and alleyways in a passenger ship shall be provided with supplementary electric lighting that can operate for at least three hours when all other sources of electric power have failed and under any condition of heel. The illumination provided shall be such that the approach to the means of escape can be readily seen. The source of power for the supplementary lighting shall consist of accumulator batteries located within the lighting units that are continuously charged, where practicable, from the emergency switchboard or any other means of lighting that, in the opinion of the Minister, is at least as effective. The supplementary lighting shall be such that any failure of the lamp will be immediately apparent. Any accumulator battery provided shall be replaced at intervals having regard to the specified service life in the ambient conditions that they are subject to in service.

(2) A portable rechargeable battery operated lamp shall be provided in every crew space, alleyway and recreational space in a passenger ship and in every working space in a passenger ship which is normally occupied unless the supplementary emergency lighting specified in paragraph (1) of this Rule is provided.

Television Surveillance

131C (1) A system shall be installed in a passenger ship, such as television surveillance or a water leakage detection system, to provide an indication to the navigating bridge of any leakage through bow doors, stern doors or any other cargo or vehicle loading doors which could lead to major flooding of special category spaces or ro/ro cargo spaces.

(2) Special category spaces and ro/ro cargo spaces in a passenger ship shall either be patrolled or monitored by effective means, such as television surveillance, so that movement of vehicles in adverse weather and unauthorised access by passengers to those spaces can be observed whilst the ship is underway.".

4. The Merchant Shipping (Passenger Ship Construction) (Amendment) Rules, 1985 ( S.I. No. 273 of 1985 ) are hereby revoked.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 28th day of April, 1989.

BRENDAN DALY,

Minister for the Marine.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These Rules amend the Merchant Shipping (Passenger Ship Construction and Survey) Rules, 1985 and the Merchant Shipping (Passenger Ship Construction) Rules, 1983.

The amendments introduce requirements for access door indicating systems, supplementary emergency lighting and television systems on all ro/ro passenger ships registered in the State and on other ro/ro passenger ships while they are within the State or the territorial waters thereof.