Merchant Shipping (Special Limits Passenger Ships) Safety Regulations

Merchant Shipping Act

(CHAPTER 179, Section 143)

Rg 8

G.N. No. S 355/1981

REVISED EDITION 1990

(25th March 1992)

[23rd April 1982]

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Citation

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Merchant Shipping (Special Limits Passenger Ships) Safety Regulations.

Definitions

2. In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires —

“approved” means approved by the Director;

“Director” means the Director of Marine appointed under section 6 of the Merchant Shipping Act;

“existing ship” means a ship which is not a new ship;

“length”, in relation to a ship, means 96% of the total length on a waterline at 85% of the least moulded depth measured from the top of the keel, or the length from the foreside of the stem to the axis of the rudder stock on that waterline, if that be the greater. In a ship designed with a rake of keel, the waterline on which this length is measured shall be parallel to the designed waterline;

“new ship” means a passenger ship the keel of which is laid or which is at a similar stage of construction on or after 23rd April 1982, and includes a ship which is undergoing or has undergone conversion into a passenger ship or which is used as a passenger ship within the port limit and the 30-mile limit on or after that date;

“passenger” means every person other than —

(a)	the master and members of the crew or other persons employed or engaged in any capacity on board a passenger ship on the business of the ship; and
(b)	a child under one year of age;

“passenger ship” means a ship which carries more than 12 passengers;

“person” means a person above the age of one year;

“port limit” means the limit of the port declared under section 3 of the Port of Singapore Authority Act [Cap. 236];

“ship” means a passenger ship and includes a new ship or an existing ship.

Application

3.—(1) Unless otherwise provided, these Regulations shall apply to a ship which plies —

(a)	within the port limit; or
(b)	not more than 30 miles from the port limit and not more than 20 miles from the nearest land (referred to in these Regulations as the 30-mile limit).

(2) These Regulations shall not apply to

(a)	any Government vessel which is not used for commercial services; and
(b)	any ship referred to in paragraph (1) which is not engaged in trade. [S 402/2001 wef 01/09/2001]

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(b), a ship is not engaged in trade if —

(a)	it is used exclusively for pleasure purposes other than for the carriage of passengers on sightseeing tours; and
(b)	the use of which a passenger, if any, is not charged a separate and distinct fare. [S 402/2001 wef 01/09/2001]

Prohibition

4. A ship which is less than 24 metres in length shall not proceed beyond the port limit.

Exemption

5. The Director may exempt a ship from any regulation either unconditionally or subject to such conditions as he thinks fit if he is satisfied that compliance with that regulation is either impracticable or unreasonable in respect of the ship.

[S 59/96 wef 02/02/1996]

Standards

6. Any fitting, material, appliance or apparatus required by these Regulations shall be of an approved type.

PART II

SURVEYS AND CERTIFICATES

Application for survey

7.—(1) An application for survey of a ship shall be accompanied by such plans, calculations and any other information on the ship as the Director may require.

(2) The plans shall contain such information as is necessary for full consideration of the strength of the ship and also proposals for complying with these Regulations.

Initial and subsequent surveys

8.—(1) A ship shall be subject to the following surveys:

(a)	a survey before the ship is put in service;
(b)	a periodical survey once every 12 months; and
(c)	additional surveys, as may be required by the Director.

(2) the surveys referred to in paragraph (1) shall be carried out as follows:

(a)	the survey before the ship is put in service shall include a complete inspection of its hull, machinery and equipment including the outside of the bottom of the hull and the inside and outside of the boilers. This survey shall be such as to ensure that the construction arrangements, materials and scantlings of the hull, boilers and the appurtenances thereto, main and auxiliary machinery, electrical installation, life-saving appliances, fire-extinguishing appliances and other equipment fully comply with these Regulations;
(b)	the periodical survey shall include an inspection of the whole of the hull, boilers, machinery and equipment, including the outside of the bottom of the hull. The survey shall be such as to ensure that the ship’s hull, boilers and other appurtenances thereto, main and auxiliary machinery, electrical installation, life-saving appliances, fire-extinguishing appliances and other equipment are in satisfactory condition and fit for the service for which they are intended, and that they comply with these Regulations. The manner of inspection shall be as specified in Part I of the First Schedule; and
(c)	the additional survey, which may be general or partial according to the circumstances, shall be made every time an accident occurs or a defect is discovered which affects the safety of the ship or the efficiency or completeness of its life-saving appliances or other equipment or whenever any important repair or renewal is made. The survey shall be such as to ensure that the necessary repairs or renewals have been effectively made, that the material and workmanship of such repairs or renewals are in all respects satisfactory and that the ship fully complies with these Regulations.

Maintenance of conditions after survey

9. After a survey of the ship under regulation 8 has been completed, no change shall be made to the structural arrangements, machinery, equipment, etc., covered by the survey, without the prior approval of the Director.

Issue of certificates

10.—(1) After a survey of a ship under regulation 8 a 30-Mile Limit Passenger Ship Safety Certificate or a Port Limit Passenger Ship Safety Certificate shall be issued if the ship complies with the relevant regulations.

(2) When a ship is exempted from any of these Regulations an Exemption Certificate shall be issued in addition to the certificate issued under paragraph (1).

Duration of certificates

11.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), a certificate issued under regulation 10 shall be valid for a period not exceeding 12 months.

(2) The Director may extend the period of validity of a certificate issued under regulation 10 for a period not exceeding one month.

(3) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), an Exemption Certificate of a ship shall not be valid for a period longer than the validity of its Safety Certificate.

(4) The Director may cancel a certificate issued under regulation 10 if he has reason to believe that since the survey, the hull, equipment or machinery of the ship has sustained damage or the ship has not complied with these Regulations.

Form of certificates

12. The certificates issued under regulation 10 shall be in the forms set out in the Second Schedule.

Posting up of certificates

13. A certificate issued under regulation 10 or a certified copy thereof shall be posted up in a prominent and accessible place in the ship.

Penalty

13A.—(1) The owner and the master of a ship to which these Regulations apply shall —

(a)	comply with these Regulations in respect of any matter that is governed thereby; and
(b)	ensure that the ship and its equipment comply with these Regulations.

(2) Any owner or master who contravenes paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 and the ship may be detained.

[S 59/96 wef 02/02/1996]

[G.N. No. S 355/81]