Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Health and Safety Protection and Accident Prevention) Regulations 2014

No. S 177

Merchant Shipping
(Maritime Labour Convention) Act 2014

(ACT 6 OF 2014)

Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour
Convention) (Health and Safety Protection and
Accident Prevention) Regulations 2014

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 82 of the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) Act 2014, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, with the approval of the Minister for Transport, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Health and Safety Protection and Accident Prevention) Regulations 2014 and shall come into operation on 1st April 2014.

Definition

2. In these Regulations, “International Safety Management Code” means the International Management Code for the Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention 2002 adopted by the International Maritime Organization and any amendment thereto which has come into force and has been accepted by the Government.

Application

3. These Regulations shall apply to —

(a)	all Singapore ships ordinarily engaged in commercial activities wherever they may be; and
(b)	all seafarers employed on ships referred to in paragraph (a).

Safeguards and safety measures

4.—(1) It shall be the duty of the shipowner to develop, take and implement on board such occupational health and safety measures to prevent occupational accidents, injuries and diseases as are specified in paragraph (2).

(2) The occupational health and safety measures referred to in paragraph (1) shall either —

(a)

meet the requirements of an approved ship safety management system under the International Safety Management Code; or

(b)

include all of the following:

(i)	provision and maintenance of plant, machinery and equipment and systems of work that are, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risk to health;
(ii)	arrangements for ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, safety and absence of risk to health in connection with the use, handling, stowage and transport of articles and substances;
(iii)	provision of necessary, appropriately sized, personal protective equipment for seafarers; [S 991/2024 wef 23/12/2024]
(iv)	arrangements as are appropriate, having regard to the nature of, and the substances used in, the activities and size of the operation, for the effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review of preventive and protective measures;
(v)	arrangements to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that no person has access to any area of the ship to which it is necessary to restrict access on grounds of health and safety unless the individual concerned has received adequate and appropriate health and safety instruction.

Training of seafarers

5.—(1) A shipowner shall provide a seafarer with adequate and appropriate health and safety training and instruction —

(a)

before the seafarer is assigned to shipboard duties; and

(b)

on the seafarer being exposed to new or increased risks because of —

(i)	a requirement to take on any responsibility on board the ship that is not familiar to him;
(ii)	the absence or lack of practical knowledge of the operation of any equipment;
(iii)	the introduction of new technology; or
(iv)	the introduction of any new shipboard practice or a new system of work.

(2) The training and instruction referred to in paragraph (1) shall —

(a)	be repeated periodically where appropriate;
(b)	take into account any new or changed risks to the health or safety of the seafarer concerned; and
(c)	take place during the working hours of the seafarer concerned.

Risk evaluation

6.—(1) A shipowner shall conduct a risk evaluation in relation to the management of occupational health and safety on board the ship.

(2) The risk evaluation referred to in paragraph (1) shall cover —

(a)	the avoidance of risks, which among other things include the combating of risks at source and the replacement of dangerous practices, substances or equipment by non‑dangerous or less dangerous practices, substances or equipment;
(b)	the evaluation of unavoidable risks and the taking of action to reduce them; and
(c)	the review of appropriate statistical information from the shipowner’s ships and such general statistics as may be provided by the Authority from time to time.

(3) The shipowner shall ensure that the risk evaluation referred to in paragraph (1) is reviewed —

(a)	at suitable intervals; or
(b)	whenever there is any significant change in the working conditions on board the ship.

Reporting requirements by shipowners and masters

7.—(1) It shall be the duty of a shipowner and master to report to the Director any occupational accident, injury or disease arising from service on board any ship.

(2) The report shall be made in the form set out in the Schedule.

Investigation

8. An inspector, appointed by the Director under section 46(1) of the Act to investigate the cause and circumstances of any occupational accident, injury or disease, shall submit a report to the Director not later than one month after the investigation has been concluded.

Penalties

9. Any person who contravenes regulation 4, 5, 6 or 7 shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000.

Made this 12th day of March 2014.

LUCIEN WONG

Chairman,
Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

[MPA 46/11.C02.V01/LSK; AG/LLRD/SL/180A/2013/1 Vol. 1]

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