The Merchant Shipping (Crew Accommodation) (Fishing Vessels) Regulations 1975

Water closets

28.—(1) Water closets shall be provided for the crew and, in every vessel of 35·1 metres or more in length, water closets for officers shall be separate from those for ratings.

(2) One water closet shall be provided for every eight persons or less or, where water closets for officers are separate from those for ratings, for every eight officers and every eight ratings;

provided that where the number of persons to be counted exceeds 8 or a multiple of 8 by less than 4, that excess number may be ignored for the purpose of this paragraph;

and

provided also that, in determining the number of water closets required, no account shall be taken of a private water closet or the person to whose use it is appropriated.

(3) (a) Water closets shall be situated conveniently near to but separate from sleeping rooms and washing accommodation.

(b) Subject to sub-paragraph (c), access to a water closet shall not be directly from a mess room or sleeping room or from a passageway between sleeping rooms and water closets where there is no other access to that passageway.

(c) Access to a water closet provided for the exclusive use of the occupants of not more than two sleeping rooms accommodating not more than 4 persons in all may be directly from those sleeping rooms.

(4) (a) Subject to sub-paragraph (b), a water closet shall be separated from all other parts of the crew accommodation by bulkheads which comply with the requirements of regulation 8.

(b) A water closet need not be separated:

(i) from another water closet,

(ii) from a urinal, or

(iii) if the water closet is served by a trunked mechanical ventilation system which effectively removes the odours from it, from washing accommodation,

if it is separated from that water closet, urinal or washing accommodation by a partition made of steel or other suitable material and open at the top and bottom.

(5) Every water closet shall be provided with exhaust ventilation direct to the open air or to another water closet which is itself ventilated directly to the open air.

(6) Every water closet shall be provided with the following:

(a) (i) a water closet pedestal of single type with a pan of white vitreous china or other suitable material;

(ii) a seat of polished hardwood or other suitable material;

(iii) a trap with a metal inspection plate; and

(iv) an efficient ventilator connected to the outlet;

(b) an adequate flush of water, which shall always be available and supplied through self-closing non-concussive supply valves with a portable seating of metal which is not likely to become corroded;

(c) a soil pipe of not less than 100 mm internal diameter, so constructed as to facilitate cleaning and minimise the risk of obstruction; the pipe shall be adequately ventilated and shall have a direct overboard outfall fitted with a storm valve, unless it is connected to a main sewage outfall by an efficient and hygienic system, or to a collecting tank or sewage plant;

(d) a rack for holding toilet paper;

(e) a hand rail or grip.