These Regulations may be cited as the Merchant Shipping (Non-Convention Ships) Safety Regulations.
Regulation 2
Application
(1) Unless otherwise expressly provided, these Regulations shall apply to the following cargo ships:
(a)
cargo ships of less than 500 tonnes propelled by mechanical means engaged on international voyages;
(b)
barges of any tonnage engaged on international voyages; and
(c)
tankers of any tonnage engaged on 30-mile limit voyages or plying within the port.
(2) These Regulations shall not apply to —
(a)
ships of war and troop ships;
(b)
wooden ships of primitive build such as dhows, junks, etc.;
(c)
pleasure yachts not engaged in trade;
(d)
fishing vessels; and
(e)
Government vessels not used for commercial services.
Regulation 3
Definitions
In these Regulations, unless the context othewise requires —
“approved” means approved by the Director;
“barge” means a cargo ship of any tonnage not propelled by mechanical means;
“breadth (B)” means the maximum breadth of the ship, measured amidships to the moulded line of the frame in a ship with a metal shell and to the outer surface of the hull in a ship with a shell of any other material;
“Certifying Authority” means the Director of Marine and any other organisation authorised by the Minister under the Merchant Shipping (Authorised Organisations) Regulations 1996 [G.N. No. S 44/96];
[S 60/96 wef 02/02/1996]
“control station” means the spaces in which the ship’s radio or main navigation equipment or the emergency source of power is located, or where the fire recording or fire control equipment is centralised;
“depth (D)” means the vertical distance measured amidships from the keel line to the top of the freeboard deck beam at side except that —
(a)
in vessels having rounded gunwales, the depth shall be measured to the point of intersection of the moulded lines of the deck and side shell plating, the lines extending as though the gunwale were of angular design;
(b)
where the freeboard deck is stepped and the raised part of the deck extends over the point at which the depth is to be determined, the depth shall be measured to a line of reference extending from the lower part of the deck along a line parallel with the raised part;
“existing ship” means a ship which is not a new ship;
“fishing vessel” means a vessel used for catching fish, whales, seals, walrus or other living resources of the sea;
“fuel oil unit” means the equipment used for the preparation of fuel oil for delivery to an oil-fired boiler, or equipment used for the preparation of oil for delivery to an internal combustion engine, and includes any oil pressure pumps, filters and heaters dealing with oil at a pressure greater than 0.18 newtons per square millimetre;
“international voyage” means a voyage from Singapore to a port or place outside Singapore, or conversely, or between two ports or places which are outside Singapore;
“length (L)” in relation to a ship means 96% of the total length on a waterline at 85% of the least depth measured from the keel line, or as the length from the foreside of the stem to the axis of the rudder stock on that waterline, if that be greater. In ships designed with rake of keel the waterline on which this length is measured shall be parallel to the designed waterline;
“machinery spaces of Category A” means those spaces (including trunks to such spaces) which contain —
(a)
internal combustion type machinery used for main propulsion or for other purposes where such machinery has in the aggregate a total power output of not less than 375 kilowatts; or
(b)
any oil-fired boiler or fuel oil unit;
“machinery spaces” means those machinery spaces of Category A and all other spaces containing propulsion machinery, boilers, fuel oil units, steam and internal combustion engines, generators, steering gear, major electrical machinery, oil filling stations, refrigerating, stabilising, ventilating and air conditioning machinery and similar spaces and trunks to such spaces;
“new ship” means a ship the keel of which is laid or which is at a similar stage of construction on or after 23rd April 1982;
“off-shore supply vessel” means a cargo ship propelled by mechanical means —
(a)
whose primary use is the transport of stores, materials and equipment to off-shore installations and which may also be used for the laying of anchors, towage of off-shore installations; and
(b)
which is designed with accommodation and bridge erections in the forward part of the vessel and an exposed cargo deck in the after part for the handling of cargo at sea;
“service barge” means a barge especially designed (or suitably converted), fitted out or equipped to operate wholly or generally as a dredger, hopper dredger, sand carrier, hopper barge, reclamation craft or crane barge;
“tonnes” means tonnes gross tonnage;
“tanker” means a cargo ship constructed or adapted for the carriage in bulk of liquid cargoes of a flammable nature;
“30-mile limit voyage” means a voyage which does not extend beyond 20 miles from the nearest land and 30 miles from the port limit.
Regulation 4
Exemptions
(1) A cargo ship to which these Regulations apply which is not normally engaged on international voyages but which, in exceptional circumstances, is required to undertake a single international voyage may be exempted by the Director from any of the requirements of these Regulations provided that it complies with such other requirements which are, in the opinion of the Director, adequate for the voyage which is to be undertaken by the ship.
[S 60/96 wef 02/02/1996]
(2) The Director may, either absolutely or subject to such conditions as he thinks fit, exempt from any of the provisions of these Regulations any ship to which these Regulations apply, if he is satisfied that compliance with that provision is either impracticable or unreasonable in view of the distance of the ship’s area of operation from its base port, the type of ship, the weather conditions and the absence of general navigational hazards, provided that it complies with such other requirements which, in the opinion of the Director, are adequate for the service for which it is intended.
[S 60/96 wef 02/02/1996]
Regulation 5
Standard
The construction, installation, structural strength, fittings, materials, appliances and apparatus unless expressly provided by these Regulations shall be of a standard acceptable to the Certifying Authority.
Regulation 6
Alterations and Modifications
Alterations and modifications of a major character and outfitting related thereto shall meet the requirements prescribed for a new ship to such extent as the Director thinks reasonable and practicable.
Regulation 7
Surveys
(1) Every cargo ship shall be subjected to the surveys specified below:
(a)
An initial survey before the ship is put into service or before the certificate required under regulation 8 is issued for the first time, which shall include a complete survey of its —
(i)
structure, stability, machinery, arrangements and materials, including outside the ship’s hull and inside and outside of the boiler and equipment. This survey shall be such as to ensure the arrangements, materials and scantlings of the structure, boiler and other pressure vessels and their appurtenances, main and auxiliary machinery, electrical installations, compasses and other equipment fully comply with these Regulations;
(ii)
life-saving appliances, fire-detection and extinguishing systems and the lights and means of making sound signals and distress signals, required by these Regulations and the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Collisions at Sea) Regulations [Rg 10]. Where pilot ladders are carried, these shall also be surveyed to ensure that they are in a safe working condition and comply with the relevant requirements of these Regulations; and
(iii)
radio installations, portable radio apparatus for survival craft and emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB).
(b)
Periodical surveys at intervals specified below —
(i)
4 years in the case of structure and machinery of the ship referred to in Chapters II-1 and II-2 except that the period may be extended for one year subject to the ship being surveyed internally or externally as far as it is reasonable and practicable;
(ii)
two years in the case of the equipment of the ship referred to in Chapters II-2 and III; and
(iii)
one year in the case of the radio installations.
The survey shall be such as to ensure that the items referred to in sub-paragraph (a), in particular the safety equipment, fully comply with the applicable requirements of these Regulations, that the equipment is in good working order and that the stability information is readily available on board. However, where the duration of the certificate issued under regulation 8 is extended under regulation 10(3), the interval of the periodical survey may be extended correspondingly.
(c)
Intermediate surveys in the case of the structure or machinery and equipment of the ship at intervals specified by the Certifying Authority. The survey shall be such as to ensure that alterations which would adversely affect the safety of the ship or the crew have not been made.
(2) After any survey of the ship under this regulation has been completed, no significant change shall be made to the structure, equipment, fittings, arrangements or material covered by the survey without the permission of the Director, except the direct replacement of such equipment or fittings.
Regulation 8
Issue of Certificates
(1) A Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate shall be issued to a cargo ship which complies with the relevant requirements of Chapters II-1, II-2 and IV.
(2) A Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate shall be issued to a cargo ship which complies with the relevant requirements of Chapters II-2, III, IV and the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Collisions at Sea) Regulations [Rg 10].
(3) A Cargo Ship Safety Radiotelephony Certificate shall be issued to a cargo ship fitted with the radiotelephone installation which complies with the requirements of Part B of Chapter IV.
(4) Where a cargo ship is provided with a radiotelegraph installation complying with the requirements of Part B of Chapter IV a Cargo Ship Safety Radiotelegraphy Certificate shall be issued.
(5) A Cargo Ship Exemption Certificate shall be issued to a cargo ship when an exemption is granted to that ship under regulation 4.
(6) The certificates issued under this regulation shall be in the forms set out in the First Schedule.
Regulation 9
Posting up of Certificate
All certificates or certified copies thereof issued under these Regulations shall be posted up in a prominent and accessible place in the ship.
Regulation 10
Validity of Certificates
(1) (a) A Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate shall be valid for a period of not more than 60 months.
(b)
A Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate shall be valid for a period of not more than 24 months.
(c)
A Cargo Ship Safety Radiotelephony Certificate or a Cargo Ship Safety Radiotelegraphy Certificate shall be valid for a period of not more than 12 months.
(2) A Cargo Ship Exemption Certificate shall not be valid for a longer period than that of the certificate to which it refers.
(3) If a ship at the time when its certificate expires is not in Singapore, the certificate may be extended by the Director, but such extension shall be granted only for the purpose of allowing the ship to complete its voyage to Singapore or a port in which it is to be surveyed, and then only in cases where it appears proper and reasonable to do so.
(4) No certificate shall be thus extended for a longer period than 5 months, and a ship to which such extension is granted shall not, on its arrival in Singapore or the port in which it is to be surveyed, be entitled by virtue of such extension to leave Singapore or that port without having obtained a new certificate.
(5) A certificate which has not been extended under paragraphs (3) and (4) may remain valid for a further period of one month from the date of expiry.
(6) A certificate shall cease to be valid —
(a)
if major alterations have taken place in the construction, equipment, fittings, arrangements, or material required without the permission of the Director;
(b)
if periodical or intermediate surveys are not carried out within the periods specified under regulation 7(1)(b) and (c); or
(c)
unless it has been extended in accordance with paragraph (3).
Regulation 11
Carriage of Oil
(1) No oil shall be carried in tanks or spaces of any cargo ship which are not approved by the Certifying Authority for such purposes.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) no oil or other liquid substances flammable or harmful to the marine environment shall be carried in the forepeak tank of a ship.
Regulation 12
Safety Convention Regulations
Unless otherwise expressly provided, the Merchant Shipping (Safety Convention) Regulations [Rg 11] shall not apply to ships to which these Regulations apply.
Regulation 13
Penalty
(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.
