S.I. No. 267/1947 - Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances) (Amendment) Rules, 1947.

STATUTORY RULES AND ORDERS. 1947. No. 267.

MERCHANT SHIPPING (LIFE-SAVING APPLIANCES) (AMENDMENT) RULES, 1947.

The Minister for Industry and Commerce, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 427 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, as amended by sections 4 and 5 of the Merchant Shipping (Safety and Load Line Conventions) Act, 1933 (No. 42 of 1933), and section 4 of the Merchant Shipping (Amendment) Act, 1939 (No. 12 of 1939), and of every and any other power him in this behalf enabling, hereby makes the following rules :—

1. These Rules may be cited as the Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances) (Amendment) Rules, 1947.

2. These Rules shall come into operation on the 1st day of January, 1948.

3. The Interpretation Act, 1937 (No. 38 of 1937), applies to these Rules.

4. In these Rules the expression " the Principal Rules " means the Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances) Rules, 1938, (Statutory Rules and Orders, No. 155 of 1938).

5. Rule 2 of the Principal Rules is hereby amended by the addition after Class XVI under the heading " Non-Passenger Ships " of the following class, that is to say :—

" Class XVII. Fishing boats within the meaning of section 370 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894."

6. Paragraph (3) of rule 3 of the Principal Rules is hereby amended by the deletion therefrom of the expression " rules 4 to 19 " and the substitution in lieu thereof of the expression " rules 4 to 19A ".

7. Subparagraph (b) of paragraph (2) of rule 6 of the Principal Rules is hereby revoked.

8. Paragraph (8) of rule 7, paragraph (8) of rule 8, paragraph (5) of rule 12, paragraph (5) of rule 13, and paragraph (5) of rule 14 of the Principal Rules are hereby amended by the deletion from each of the said paragraphs of the expression " of 500 tons gross tonnage and upwards ".

9. Paragraph (6) of rule 15, paragraph (5) of rule 18, and paragraph (6) of rule 19 of the Principal Rules are hereby amended by the deletion from each of the said paragraphs of the expression " 500 tons gross tonnage " and the substitution in lieu thereof in each case of the expression " 80 tons gross tonnage ".

10. The Principal Rules are hereby amended by the insertion after rule 19 of the following new rule, that is to say :—

" SHIPS OF CLASS XVII.

FISHING BOATS.

19A. (1) This rule applies to ships of Class XVII.

(2) Every ship to which this rule applies which is under 30 feet in length and is propelled mechanically shall carry one approved life-jacket for each person on board.

(3) Every ship to which this rule applies of 30 feet or over in length but of under 70 feet in length shall carry—

(a) one approved life-jacket for each person on board,

(b) one approved lifebuoy, and

(c) approved buoyant apparatus sufficient to support all persons on board.

(4) Every ship to which this rule applies of 70 feet or over in length but of under 100 feet in length shall carry—

(a) one Class I lifeboat of sufficient capacity to accommodate all persons on board, so stowed that it can readily be placed in the water on either side of the ship,

(b) two approved lifebuoys,

(c) one approved life-jacket for each person on board, and

(d) one approved line-throwing appliance.

(5) Every ship to which this rule applies of 100 feet or over in length but of under 145 feet in length shall carry—

(a) one Class I lifeboat of sufficient capacity to accommodate all persons on board, so stowed that it can readily be placed in the water on either side of the vessel,

(b) four approved lifebuoys,

(c) one approved life-jacket for each person on board, and

(d) one approved line-throwing appliance.

(6) Every ship to which this rule applies of 145 feet or over in length shall carry—

(a) two Class I lifeboats, one on each side of the ship, each lifeboat to be attached to davits and to be of sufficient capacity to accommodate all persons on board,

(b) four approved lifebuoys,

(c) one approved life-jacket for each person on board, and

(d) one approved line-throwing appliance."

11. Paragraph (6) of rule 32 of the Principal Rules is hereby amended by the deletion therefrom of the expression " ships of Classes III, X, XII and XVI " and the substitution in lieu thereof of the expression " ships of Classes III, X, XII, XVI, and XVII".

12. Paragraph (6) of rule 36 of the Principal Rules is hereby amended by the addition of the following sentence at the end of the said paragraph, that is to say :—

" In the case of ships of Class XVII the Minister may modify the requirements of this Paragraph and in that event the boats shall be placed to the satisfaction of the Minister."

13. Rule 40 of the Principal Rules is hereby amended by the deletion therefrom of paragraph (1) and the substitution in lieu thereof of the following paragraph, that is to say :—

" (1) An approved line-throwing appliance shall consist of—

(a) four line-throwing rockets with sticks or other approved apparatus capable of throwing a line ½-inch in circumference in calm weather in such manner that the lateraldeflection of the line on either side of the direction of firing does not exceed 10 per cent. of the length of flight of the rocket a minimum distance of—

(i) in the case of a ship of 500 or more tons gross tonnage, 200 yards, or

(ii) in the case of a ship of less than 500 tons gross tonnage, 120 yards, and

(b) four lines each of which is ½-inch in circumference, has a breaking strain of not less than 250 lbs., and is not less in length than—

(i) in the case of a ship of 500 or more tons gross tonnage, 240 yards, or

(ii) in the case of a ship of less than 500 tons gross tonnage, 150 yards."

14. Paragraph 7 of rule 44 or the Principal Rules is hereby amended by the insertion therein before the words " from any of the requirements " of the words " or any ship of Class XVII constructed before the 1st day of January, 1948 ".

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Industry and Commerce, this 12th day of August, 1947.

SEÁN F. LEMASS.

Minister for Industry and Commerce.