Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods) Rules, 1967.
Statutory Instruments
Source: Statutory Instruments

num: 1
paragraphs: (1) These Rules may be cited as the Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods) Rules, 1967.
(2) In these Rules—
"explosive" has the same meaning as in the Explosives Act, 1875;
"limited quantities" in relation to dangerous chemicals means quantities not exceeding the maximum quantities specified for those chemicals in scales for the time being approved by the Minister;
"the Minister" means the Minister for Transport and Power;
"passenger ship" means a ship carrying more than 12 passengers.
(3) Rules 2 to 10 apply to:—
(a) ships registered in the State;
(b) other ships while they are loading cargo within any port in the State or within the territorial waters of the State.
Rule 11 applies to all ships to which Rules 2 to 10 do not apply as aforesaid while they are within any port in the State or are embarking or disembarking passengers within the territorial waters of the State or are loading fuel or discharging cargo or fuel within those waters.
(4) For the purpose of these Rules the expression "dangerous goods" shall include empty receptacles which have been previously used for the carriage of dangerous goods unless such receptacles have been cleaned and dried or, when the nature of the former contents permits with safety, have been adequately closed, or in the case of radioactive substances have been both cleaned and adequately closed, but the expression shall not include—
(a) goods forming part of the equipment or stores of the ship in which they are carried;
(b) goods which neither the owner of the ship nor any of his servants or agents knew or ought to have known or had reasonable grounds for suspecting to be dangerous goods.
(5) These Rules shall come into operation on the 14th day of May, 1967.
(6) The Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods) Rules, 1953 ( S.I. No. 347 of 1953 ), are hereby revoked.
num: 2
paragraphs: (1) Dangerous goods shall not be taken on board any ship to which this Rule applies for carriage in that ship unless the shipper of the goods has furnished the owner or master of the ship with a certificate or declaration in writing that the shipment offered for carriage is properly marked and labelled in accordance with the provisions of these Rules and is packed in a manner adequate to withstand the ordinary risks of handling and transport by sea having regard to their nature.
(2) Such certificate or declaration shall indicate with the correct technical name the identity of the goods and shall indicate to which of the following classes the goods belong:
Class 1 —Explosives;
Class 2 —Gases: compressed, liquified or dissolved under pressure;
Class 3 —Inflammable liquids;
Class 4 (a)—Inflammable solids;
Class 4 (b)—Inflammable solids or substances liable to spontaneous combustion;
Class 4 (c)—Inflammable solids or substances which in contact with water emit inflammable gasses;
Class 5 (a)—Oxidising substances;
Class 5 (b)—Organic peroxides;
Class 6 (a)—Poisonous (toxic) substances;
Class 6 (b)—Infectious substances;
Class 7 —Radioactive substances;
Class 8 —Corrosives;
Class 9 —Miscellaneous dangerous substances, that is any other substance which experience has shown, or may show, to be of such dangerous character that these rules should apply to it;
Class 10 —Dangerous chemicals in limited quantities.
(3) The master of the ship shall cause a list, manifest or stowage plan to be carried in the ship setting forth, in accordance with the information provided under the foregoing provisions of this Rule, the dangerous goods carried in the ship on the voyage in which she is currently engaged and the places in the ship where they are stowed.
num: 3
paragraphs: (1) Dangerous goods, being goods contained in a vehicle, container, package or receptacle shall not be taken on board a ship to which this Rule applies for carriage in that ship unless the vehicle, container, package or receptacle in which the goods are contained is clearly marked with a distinctive label or stencil purporting to indicate the nature of the danger to which the goods give rise, and if the goods are taken on board the ship at any port in the State or within the territorial waters of the State a label or stencil purporting to indicate with the correct technical name the identity of the goods.
(2) Where goods are taken on board a ship in a vehicle or where goods are taken on board a ship in a container which is an additional body for a vehicle and is constructed or adapted for the purpose of being taken on or off the vehicle with goods contained therein, nothing in the foregoing provisions of this Rule shall be taken to require any package or receptacle in the vehicle or, as the case may be, any package or receptacle in the container to be also marked.
num: 4
paragraphs: Dangerous goods, being goods which are not loaded in bulk, shall not be taken on board any ship to which this Rule applies for carriage in that ship if the owner of the ship or any of his servants or agents knows or ought to know that the goods are not packed in a manner adequate to withstand the ordinary risks of handling and transport by sea, having regard to the nature of the goods and in accordance with conditions of packing laid down in the First Schedule to these Rules.
Provided that in any proceedings against an owner or master in respect of a failure to comply with the provisions of this Rule, it shall be a good defence to prove that before the goods were taken on board the ship—
(a) the owner or master was furnished with a statement in writing by the shipper to the effect that the goods were packed in accordance with the requirements of this Rule, and
(b) neither the owner nor any of his servants knew that the goods were not so packed.
num: 5
paragraphs: Dangerous goods shall not be loaded in bulk into any ship to which this Rule applies for carriage in that ship if the owner of the ship or any of his servants or agents knows or ought to know that the goods cannot safely be carried in bulk to the destination to which they are consigned.
num: 6
paragraphs: Dangerous goods and any vehicle, container, package or receptacle containing dangerous goods, taken on board any ship to which this Rule applies for carriage in that ship shall be stowed in the ship, and shall be kept so stowed, in a manner which is a safe and proper manner of stowage for the goods, or, as the case may be, for the vehicle, container, package or receptacle, having regard to the identity and dangerous nature indicated by the markings referred to in Rule 3. Dangerous goods of a different kind which the owner of the ship or any of his servants or agents knows or ought to know are liable to interact dangerously shall be effectively separated and kept effectively separated from one another.
num: 7
paragraphs: Liquids which the owner of the ship or any of his servants or agents knows or ought to know to be inflammable shall not be taken on board any ship to which this Rule applies for carriage in that ship as cargo unless ventilation adequate in the circumstances is provided for the spaces in which the liquids are to be carried.
num: 8
paragraphs: Substances which the owner of the ship or any of his servants or agents knows or ought to know to be liable to spontaneous combustion shall not be taken on board any ship to which this Rule applies for carriage in that ship as cargo unless precautions proper in the circumstances are taken for the prevention of the spontaneous combustion of such substances.
num: 9
paragraphs: (1) There shall not be taken on board any ship to which this Rule applies any explosives (other than ammunition) which the owner of the ship or any of his servants or agents knows or ought to know present a serious risk when carried in a ship unless such explosives are—
(a) stowed in a magazine which shall be kept securely closed while the ship is at sea; and
(b) effectively separated from detonators.
(2) Electrical apparatus and cables in any compartment in which such explosives are carried shall be designed and used so as to minimise the risk of fire or explosion.
num: 10
paragraphs: (1) Explosives shall not be taken on board any ship to which this Rule applies being a passenger ship for carriage in that ship except—