Merchant Shipping (Fire Appliances) (Amendment) Rules, 1983.
Statutory Instruments
Source: Statutory Instruments

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paragraphs: (1) These Rules may be cited as the Merchant Shipping (Fire Appliances) (Amendment) Rules, 1983.
(2) The Merchant Shipping (Fire Appliances) Rules, 1967 ( S.I. No. 101 of 1967 ), and these Rules may be cited together as the Merchant Shipping (Fire Appliances) Rules, 1967 and 1983.
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paragraphs: The Merchant Shipping (Fire Appliances) Rules, 1967, are hereby amended by:—
(a) the insertion in Rule 2(2) of the following new definitions in the appropriate places:
"combination carrier" means a tanker designed to carry oil or solid cargoes in bulk;
"deadweight" means the difference in metric tons between the displacement of a ship at summer load waterline and the lightweight of the ship;
"dangerous goods of Classes 1 to 5" means goods classed as such in the Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods) Rules, 1983 ( S.I. No. 306 of 1983 );
"lightweight" means the displacement of a ship in metric tons without cargo, oil fuel, lubricating oil, ballast and fresh water in tanks, stores and crew and their effects;
"metric tons" means tons of 1,000 kilogrammes;
"passenger ship" means a ship carrying more than 12 passengers, and any reference in these Rules to a passenger steamer, wherever it occurs, shall be construed as being a reference to a passenger ship;
"pleasure craft" means a vessel primarily used for sport or recreation;
"Protocol of 1978" means the Protocol of 1978 relating to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, signed in London on behalf of the Government on the 1st day of November, 1974;
"Reid vapour pressure" means the vapour pressure of a liquid as determined by laboratory testing in a standard manner in the Reid apparatus;
"special category space" means an enclosed space, above or below the bulkhead deck, which is intended for the carriage of motor vehicles with fuel in their tanks for their own propulsion, and into and from which such vehicles can be driven and to which passengers have access;
"water lock" means an arrangement or device, using water, to prevent the back flow of gases or vapours from cargo tanks;
(b) the substitution of the following paragraph for paragraph (3) of Rule 2:
"(3) These Rules apply to ships registered in the State and to any other ship while in any port in the State, unless—
(a) the ship is a new ship within the meaning of the Merchant Shipping (Fire Appliances) (Post-1980 Ships) Rules, 1983 ( S.I. No. 303 of 1983 ), or
(b) the ship would not have been in the port but for stress of weather or any other circumstance that neither the master, the owner nor the charterer (if any) of the ship could have prevented or forestalled, or
(c) the ship is a pleasure craft which is not a passenger ship and is of less than 45 feet in length, or
(d) the ship is a mechanically operated seagoing fishing vessel which is registered in the State under the Mercantile Marine Act, 1955 (No. 29 of 1955), or entered in the fishing boat register under Part IV of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894.";
(c) the substitution of the following paragraph for paragraph (4) of Rule 2:
"(4) For the purposes of these Rules ships to which these Rules apply shall be arranged, and are referred to in these Rules, in the following classes:
(a) Class I — Passenger ships engaged on voyages (not being short international voyages) any of which are long international voyages,
(b) Class II — Passenger ships engaged on voyages (not being long international voyages) any of which are short international voyages,
(c) Class II(A) — Passenger ships in respect of which there is or should be in force a certificate entitled "Passenger Certificate Class II(A)" beicng a certificate for ships engaged on voyages of any kind other than international voyages,
(d) Class III — Passenger ships in respect of which there is or should be in force a certificate entitled "Passenger Certificate Class III" being a certificate for ships engaged only on voyages in the course of which they are at no time more than 70 miles by sea from their point of departure and not more than 18 miles from the coast of the State, and which are at sea only in fine weather and during restricted periods,
(e) Class IV — Passenger ships in respect of which there is or should be in force a certificate entitled "Passenger Certificate Class IV" being a certificate for ships engaged only on voyages in partially smooth waters, or in smooth and partially smooth waters,
(f) Class V — Passenger ships in respect of which there is or should be in force a certificate entitled "Passenger Certificate Class V" being a certificate for ships engaged only on voyages in smooth waters,
(g) Class VI — Passenger ships in respect of which there is or should be in force a certificate entitled "Passenger Certificate Class VI" being a certificate for ships engaged only on voyages with not more than 250 passengers on board, to sea, in smooth or in partially smooth waters, in all cases in fine weather and during restricted periods, in the course of which the ships are at no time more than 15 miles, exclusive of any smooth waters, from their point of departure nor more than three miles from land,
(h) Class VII — Ships (other than ships of Classes I, VII(a), VII(T), X, XI and XII) engaged on voyages any of which are long international voyages,
( i ) Class VII(A) — Ships engaged in the whaling industry or employed as fish processing or canning factory ships, and steamers engaged in the carriage of persons employed in the whaling, fish processing or canning industries,
( j ) Class VII(T) — Tankers engaged on voyages any of which are long international voyages,
( k ) Class VIII — Ships other than ships of Classes II, VIII(T), IX, X, XI and XII and other ships engaged on voyages (not being long international voyages) any of which are short international voyages,
( l ) Class VIII(A) — Ships other than ships of Classes II(A) to VI inclusive, VIII(A) (T), IX, IX(A), X, XI, and XII and other ships engaged only on voyages which are not international voyages,
( m ) Class VIII(T) — Tankers engaged on voyages (not being long international voyages) any of which are short international voyages,
( n ) Class VIII(A) (T) —Tankers engaged only on voyages which are not international voyages,
( o ) Class IX — Tugs and tenders other than ships of Classes II, II(A), III and VI which proceed to sea but are not engaged on long international voyages,
( p ) Class IX(A) — Ships other than ships of Classes IV to VI and other ships which do not proceed to sea,
( q ) Class IX(A) (T) — Tankers which do not proceed to sea,
( r ) Class X — Fishing boats other than ships of Classes I to VI,
( s ) Class XI — Sailing ships other than fishing boats and ships of Class XII which proceed to sea,
( t ) Class XII — Pleasure craft other than ships of Classes I to VI of 45 feet in length or over.";
(d) the insertion of the following paragraphs after paragraph (2) of Rule 3:
"(3) as regards a ship of Class I, each member of the fire patrol shall be trained to be familiar with the arrangements of the ship as well as the location and operation of any equipment he may be called upon to use.
(4) Every ship of Class I shall at all times when at sea, or in port (except when out of service), be so manned and equipped as to ensure that any initial fire alarm is immediately received by a responsible member of the crew.
(5) In every ship of Class I carrying more than 36 passengers:
(i) a special alarm to summon the crew shall be fitted which may be part of the ship's general alarm system;
(ii) a public address system or other effective means of communication shall also be available throughout the accommodation and the public and service spaces.";
(e) the insertion of the following paragraph after paragraph (4) of Rule 4:
"(4A) Water from the fire main of every ship of Class I carrying more than 36 passengers shall, as far as practicable, be immediately available, such as by maintenance of pressure or by remote control of fire pumps, which control shall be easily operable and readily accessible.";
(f) the addition of the following paragraph to Rule 4:
"(7) In every ship of Class I, dual-purpose nozzles shall be provided for at least one quarter of the number of hoses required in parts of the ship other than machinery spaces.";
(g) the addition of the following paragraph to Rule 5:
"(3) In every ship of Class I there shall be provided in each special category space and cargo space intended for the carriage of motor vehicles with fuel in their tanks for their own propulsion:
(a) at least two portable extinguishers, suitable for extinguishing oil fires, for every 40 metres length of deck space, and so arranged that at least one extinguisher is available on each side of the space and at least one extinguisher is available at each access to the space, and