The Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances For Ships Other Than Ships Of Classes III To VI(A)) Regulations 1999

Survival craft assembly and embarkation arrangements

50.—(1) Lifeboats and liferafts for which launching appliances are required shall be stowed as close to accommodation and service spaces as possible.

(2) Assembly stations shall be provided close to the embarkation stations. Each assembly station shall have sufficient space to accommodate all persons assigned to muster at that station. In ships of Classes I, II and II(A) passenger assembly stations shall have ample room for the marshalling and instruction of the passengers and there shall be ready access between assembly stations and the embarkation station.

(3) Assembly and embarkation stations shall be readily accessible from accommodation and work areas.

(4) In ships of Classes I, II and II(A) and in ships of Classes VII, VII(T), VIII, VIII(T), VIII(A), VIII(A)(T) and IX of 500 tons or over, assembly and embarkation stations shall be adequately illuminated by lighting supplied from the emergency source of electrical power required by the Merchant Shipping (Passenger Ship Construction: Ships of Classes I, II and II(A)) Regulations 1998 or the Merchant Shipping (Cargo Ship Construction) Regulations 1997, as appropriate.

(5) Alleyways, internal and external stairways and exits giving access to the assembly and embarkation stations shall be lighted. In ships of the Classes referred to in paragraph (4) such lighting shall be capable of being supplied by the emergency source of electrical power required by the Merchant Shipping (Passenger Ship Construction: Ships of Classes I, II and II(A)) Regulations 1998 or the Merchant Shipping (Cargo Ship Construction) Regulations 1997, as appropriate.

(6) Davit-launched survival craft assembly and embarkation stations shall be so arranged as to enable stretcher cases to be placed in survival craft.

(7) In ships of Classes I, II, II(A), VII, VII(T), VIII, VIII(T), VIII(A), VIII(A)(T), IX, XI and XII an embarkation ladder shall be provided at each launching station or at every two adjacent launching stations, extending, in a single length, from the deck to the waterline in the lightest seagoing condition under unfavourable conditions of trim and with the ship listed not less than 15 degrees either way and where such distance exceeds 1 metre. Such ladders may be replaced by devices to afford access to survival craft when waterborne, provided that there shall be at least one embarkation ladder on each side of the ship. Handholds shall be provided to assist in a safe passage from the deck to the ladder and vice-versa. Other means of embarkation may be permitted for the liferafts required to be carried in compliance with regulations 44(5) and 45(8).

(8) Means shall be provided for bringing davit-launched survival craft against the ship’s side and holding them alongside so that persons can be safely embarked.

(9) On ships of Classes I, II and II(A) survival craft embarkation arrangements shall be so designed that—

(a) all lifeboats can be boarded and launched either directly from the stowed position or from an embarkation deck but not both; and

(b) davit-launched liferafts can be boarded and launched from a position immediately adjacent to the stowed position or from a position to which, in compliance with the requirements of regulation 51(5), the liferaft is transferred prior to launching.

Notwithstanding the requirements of subparagraph (a), if the rescue boat is also a lifeboat and the other lifeboats are boarded and launched from an embarkation deck, the arrangements shall be such that the rescue boat can also be boarded and launched from the embarkation deck.

(10) On every ship provided with a rescue boat, arrangements shall be such that the rescue boat can be boarded and launched directly from the stowed position with the number of persons assigned to crew the rescue boat on board.

(11) On ships of Classes VII, VII(T), VIII, VIII(T), VIII(A), VIII(A)(T), IX, and XI embarkation arrangements for survival craft shall be so designed that lifeboats can be boarded and launched directly from the stowed position and davit-launched liferafts can be boarded and launched from a position immediately adjacent to the stowed position or from a position to which the liferaft is transferred prior to launching in compliance with the requirements of regulation 53(5).

(12) For ro-ro passenger ships of Classes I, II and II(A) the term “muster station” shall be replaced with “assembly station” on all signs and in all emergency procedure instructions.