Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods) Rules, 1953.
Statutory Instruments
Source: Statutory Instruments

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paragraphs: These Rules may be cited as the Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods) Rules, 1953.
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paragraphs: In these Rules—
" explosive " has the same meaning as in the Explosives Act 1875 ;
" the Minister " means the Minister for Industry and Commerce ;
" limited quantities " in relation to laboratory chemicals or medicinal preparations means quantities not exceeding the maximum quantities specified for those chemicals or preparations in scales for the time being approved by the Minister ;
" steamer " includes a ship propelled by electricity or other mechanical power ;
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paragraphs: —(1) Rules 6 to 12 of these Rules 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.
(2) Rule 13 of these Rules applies to all ships to which Rules 6 to 12 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 or discharging cargo or fuel within these waters.
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paragraphs: For the purposes of these Rules, the following shall not be included in the expression " dangerous goods " :—
(a) goods forming part of the equipment of 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.
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paragraphs: These Rules shall come into operation on the 19th day of November, 1953.
6 DESCRIPTION AND CLASSIFICATION OF DANGEROUS GOODS
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paragraphs: —(1) It shall be unlawful for dangerous goods to 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 statement in writing of the identity of the goods and of the nature of the danger to which the goods give rise, indicating to which of the following categories the goods belong :—
(i) Explosives ;
(ii) Compressed, liquefied and dissolved gases ;
(iii) Corrosives ;
(iv) Poisons ;
(v) Substances giving off inflammable vapours ;
(vi) Substances which become dangerous by interaction with water or air ;
(vii) Strong oxidising agents ;
(viii) Substances which are liable to spontaneous combustion ;
(ix) Laboratory chemicals and medicinal preparations in limited quantities ;
(x) Other dangerous goods.
(2) The Master of the ship shall cause a list to be carried in the ship setting forth, in accordance with the information furnished under paragraph (1) of this Rule, the dangerous goods carried in the ship on the voyage in which she is currently engaged.
7 MARKING
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paragraphs: —(1) It shall be unlawful for dangerous goods, being goods contained in a vehicle, receptacle or package, to be taken on board a ship to which this Rule applies for carriage in that ship unless the vehicle, receptacle or package 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 the identity of the goods.
(2) Where goods are taken on board a ship together with the vehicle in which they are contained, or where goods are taken on board a ship together with the receptacle in which they are contained, being a receptacle 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 paragraph (1) of this Rule shall be taken to require any such receptacle or any packagein which the goods in the vehicle may be contained, or, as the case may be, any package in which the goods in the receptacle may be contained, to be also marked.
8 PACKING AND CARRIAGE IN BULK
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paragraphs: —(1) It shall be unlawful for dangerous goods, being goods which are not loaded in bulk, to 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 their nature.
(2) In any proceedings against an owner or master in respect of a failure to comply with the provisions of paragraph (1) 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 paragraph, and
(b) neither the owner nor any of his servants or agents knew that the goods were not so packed.
(3) It shall be unlawful for dangerous goods to 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.
9 STOWAGE
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paragraphs: Dangerous goods and any vehicle, receptacle or package 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, receptacle or package having regard to the identity and dangerous nature indicated by the markings referred to in Rule 7 of these Rules.
10 CARRIAGE OF DANGEROUS GOODS IN PASSENGER STEAMERS
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paragraphs: —(1) It shall be unlawful for any explosives to be taken on board any ship to which this Rule applies being a passenger steamer, for carriage in that ship, except