Merchant Shipping (Cargo Ship Construction and Survey) Rules, 1983.
Statutory Instruments
Source: Statutory Instruments

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paragraphs: (1) These Rules may be cited as the Merchant Shipping (Cargo Ship Construction and Survey) Rules, 1983, and shall come into operation on the 1st day of December, 1983.
(2) In these Rules—
" 'A' Class division" means a bulkhead or part of a deck which is—
( a ) constructed of steel or other equivalent material;
( b ) suitably stiffened;
( c ) so constructed as to be capable of preventing the passage of smoke and flame to the end of the 60 minute standard fire test; and
( d ) so insulated where necessary with suitable non-combustible materials that if the division is exposed to a standard fire test the average temperature on the unexposed side of the division shall not increase more than 139°C above the initial temperature, nor shall the temperature at any one point, including any joint, rise more than 180°C above the initial temperature within the time listed below:
A60 standard 60 minutes
A15 standard 15 minutes
A0 standard 0 minutes;
"accommodation spaces" means passenger spaces, corridors, lavatories, cabins, offices, crew spaces, barbers shops, pantries not containing cooking appliances and lockers, and similar spaces;
"anniversary date" means the date in each year corresponding to the date of expiry of the cargo ship safety construction certificate;
" 'B' Class division of B0 standard" means a bulkhead, ceiling or lining which is—
( a ) so constructed as to be capable of preventing the passage of flame to the end of the first 30 minutes of the standard fire test; and
( b ) constructed of suitable non-combustible materials, and in relation to which all materials the use of which is necessary for or ancillary to its construction and erection are non-combustible;
" 'B' Class panel" means a panel complying with the requirements of Rule 12 of these Rules;
"bulkhead deck" means the deck up to which the majority of transverse watertight bulkheads are carried;
" 'C' Class division" means a bulkhead, ceiling or lining which is constructed of suitable non-combustible materials not being an 'A' Class division or a 'B' Class division of B0 standard;
"cargo control station" means a space from which the loading, discharging or transferring of any oil cargo may be controlled;
"cargo pump room" means a room in which any pumps used for loading, discharging or transferring oil cargoes are located;
"certifying authority" means the Minister or any person authorised by the Minister to issue a cargo ship safety construction certificate;
"continuous 'B' Class ceiling or lining" means a 'B' Class ceiling or lining which terminates only at an 'A' Class or 'B' Class division;
"control stations" means spaces in which radio or main navigating equipment, or the emergency source of power, or the central fire recording or fire control equipment are located;
"deadweight" means the difference in tonnes between the displacement of a ship at the summer load waterline and the lightweight of the ship;
"equivalent material" where the words are used in the expression "steel or other equivalent material" means any material which, by itself or due to insulation provided, has structural and integrity properties equivalent to steel at the end of an appropriate fire test;
"lightweight" means the displacement of a ship in tonnes without cargo, oil fuel, lubricating oil, ballast and fresh water in tanks, stores and crew and their effects;
"machinery control room" means a room from which the propelling machinery and boilers serving the needs of propulsion may be controlled;
"machinery space of Category A" means any space which contains—
(i) internal combustion type machinery used either for main propulsion purposes, or for other purposes where such machinery has in the aggregate a total power output of not less than 373 kW, or
(ii) any oil-fired boiler or oil fuel unit, and trunks to such spaces;
"machinery space" means any machinery space of Category A and any other space containing propelling machinery, boilers, oil fuel units, steam and internal combustion engines, generators and major electrical machinery, oil filling stations, refrigerating, stabilizing, ventilation and air conditioning machinery, and similar spaces; and trunks to such spaces:
"maximum service speed" means the greatest speed which the ship is designed to maintain at sea at her deepest seagoing draught;
"Marine Notice" means a Notice described as such issued by the Department of Transport;
"the Minister" means the Minister for Transport;
"navigable speed" means the minimum speed at which the ship can be effectively steered in the ahead direction;
"non-combustible material" means a material which when heated to a temperature of 750°C neither flames for longer than 10 seconds duration, nor raises either its internal temperature or the temperature of the test furnace more than 50°C above 750°C when tested in accordance with British Standard 476: Part 4: 1970, and "combustible material" shall be construed accordingly;
"oil fuel unit" means the equipment used for the preparation of oil fuel for delivery to an oil fired boiler or equipment used for the preparation for delivery of heated oil to an internal combustion engine and includes any oil pressure pumps, filters and heaters dealing with oil at a pressure greater than 1·8 bar guage;
"pleasure craft" means a vessel primarily used for sport or recreation;
"proper officer" means an Irish consul, a superintendent of the Mercantile Marine Office or any officer in a port in the State exercising the functions of such a superintendent;
"Reid vapour pressure" means the vapour pressure of a liquid as determined by laboratory testing in a standard manner in the Reid apparatus;
"service space" includes galleys, pantries containing cooking appliances, laundries, store rooms, workshops other than those forming part of machinery spaces, and similar spaces, and trunks to such spaces;
"settling tank" means an oil storage tank having a heating surface of not less than 0.183 square metre per tonne of oil capacity;
"standard fire test" means a test in which a specimen of the relevant 'A' Class or 'B' Class division having an exposed surface area of not less than 4.65 square metres and a bulkhead height or deck length of 2.44 metres resembling as closely as possible the intended construction and including where appropriate at least one joint, is exposed in a test furnace to a series of time temperature relationships, approximately as follows:—
at the end of the first 5 minutes 538°C
at the end of the first 10 minutes 704°C
at the end of the first 30 minutes 843°C
at the end of the first 60 minutes 927°C;
"steering gear power unit" means—
( a ) in the case of electric steering gear, the electric motor and its associated electrical equipment; or
( b ) in the case of electro-hydraulic steering gear, the electric motor, its associated electrical equipment and connected pump; or
( c ) in the case of steam-hydraulic or pneumatic-hydraulic steering gear, the driving engine and connected pump;
"suitable", in relation to material, means approved by the Minister as suitable for the purpose for which it is used;
"surface spread of flame" means the surface spread of flame classified as Class 1, Class 2 or Class 3 within the meaning of British Standard 476: Part 7:1971;
"surveyor", for the purposes of Part IV of these Rules, means a surveyor appointed by a certifying authority; and, for the purposes of Part V of these Rules, means a marine surveyor of the Department of Transport;
"tanker" means a cargo ship constructed or adapted for the carriage in bulk of liquid cargoes of a flammable nature;
"tons" means gross tons and the gross tonnage of a ship having alternative gross tonnages shall be taken to be the larger of those tonnages;
"upper deck" means the uppermost complete deck exposed to the sea and weather fitted as an integral part of the ship's structure, being a deck, openings in the weather portions of which are fitted with permanent means of closing and below which all openings in the sides of the ship are fitted with permanent means of watertight closing.
(3) ( a ) Subject to paragraphs (4) and (6) of this Rule, Parts I, II, IV, VI and VII of these Rules apply in relation to ships (except passenger ships, troopships, pleasure craft and fishing vessels and ships not propelled by mechanical means) which are seagoing ships registered in the State of 500 tons or over.
( b ) Subject to paragraphs (4) and (6) of this Rule, Parts I, II, VI and VII of these Rules apply in relation to all other sea-going ships of 500 tons or over (except passenger ships, troopships, pleasure craft and fishing vessels and ships not propelled by mechanical means) while they are within the State or the territorial waters thereof.
(4) ( a ) Subject to paragraph (6) of this Rule, Rule 3, except paragraph (1), Rules 5 to 19 inclusive, Rule 20(2), Rule 25(2), Rule 27(2)(c) and (d), Rule 31, Rule 32 except paragraph (1), Rule 34 and Rule 36(2) shall not apply to any ship the keel of which was laid before the 14th day of May, 1967;
( b ) Subject to paragraph (6) of this Rule, Rule 4(2) shall apply only to ships registered in the State the keels of which were laid or were at a similar stage of construction on or after the commencement of these Rules;
( c ) Subject to paragraph (6) of this Rule, Section III of Part II of these Rules shall apply only to ships registered in the State the keels of which are laid or are at a similar stage of construction on or after the commencement of these Rules.
(5) In relation to tankers carrying crude oil and petroleum products having a closed flashpoint not exceeding 60°C, and the Reid vapour pressure of which is below that of atmospheric pressure, or carrying other liquids having a similar fire hazard, which are—
( a ) sea-going tankers registered in the State of 500 tons or over, these Rules except Rules 11 to 19 shall apply where the keels were laid or were at a similar stage of construction on or after the commencement of these Rules, or where they were converted into or adapted to be tankers carrying such products on or after such commencement; and
( b ) sea-going tankers of 500 tons or over while they are within the State or the territorial waters thereof, these Rules except Rules 11 to 19 shall apply where the keels were laid or were at a similar stage of construction on or after the commencement of these Rules, or where they were converted into or adapted to be tankers carrying such products on or after such commencement.
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paragraphs: The Minister may grant exemptions from all or any of the provisions of these Rules (as may be specified in the exemption) for classes of cases on such terms (if any) as he may so specify and may, subject to giving reasonable notice, alter or cancel any such exemption.
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paragraphs: The Merchant Shipping (Cargo Ship Construction and Survey) Rules, 1967 ( S.I. No. 99 of 1967 ), are hereby revoked.
PART II —CONSTRUCTION
Section I
2 Structural strength.
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paragraphs: The structural strength of every ship to which these Rules apply and the number and disposition of transverse watertight bulkheads shall be adequate for the service for which the ship is intended.
3 Watertight doors.
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paragraphs: (1) In every ship to which these Rules apply in which a watertight door is provided to maintain the watertight integrity of a bulkhead, every such watertight door shall be made of suitable material and shall be efficiently constructed for its intended duty.
(2) ( a ) Every watertight door of the sliding type shall be capable of being operated by efficient hand operated gear both at the door itself and from an accessible position above the bulkhead deck.
( b ) The operating gear for operating from above the bulkhead deck any sliding watertight door fitted in the bulkhead of a machinery space shall be situated outside the machinery space unless such a position is inconsistent with the efficient arrangement of the necessary gearing.
(3) Where there is access from the lower part of a machinery space to a watertight shaft tunnel the access opening shall be provided with a sliding watertight door which shall be capable of being operated locally from both sides of the door.
(4) Means shall be provided at remote operating positions to indicate when a sliding door is closed.
(5) Watertight doors shall be capable of being operated when the ship is listed up to 15 degrees either way.
4 Bilge pumping and drainage arrangements.
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paragraphs: (1) Every ship to which these Rules apply shall be provided with efficient bilge pumping plant and means for drainage so arranged that water entering any part of the hull, up to the bulkhead deck, other than a space permanently appropriated for the carriage of fresh water, water ballast, oil fuel or liquid cargo and for which other efficient means of pumping or drainage are provided, can be pumped out through at least one suction pipe when the ship is on an even keel or is listed not more than 5 degrees either way. Wing suctions shall be provided where necessary for this purpose. Efficient means shall be provided whereby water may easily flow to the suction pipes:
Provided that the Minister may allow the means of pumping or drainage to be dispensed with in particular compartments of any class of ships, if he is satisfied that the safety of that class of ship is not thereby impaired.