5.—(1) It shall be the duty of the company to ensure that in relation to every ship of 500 GT or more—
(a)a safe manning document is in force in respect of the ship and the manning of the ship;
(b)the safe manning document is kept on board the ship at all times; and
(c)the manning of the ship is maintained at all times to at least the levels specified in the safe manning document.
(2) The master of any ship to which this regulation applies shall ensure that the ship does not proceed to sea unless there is on board a valid safe manning document issued in respect of the ship and the manning of the ship complies with that document.
(3) (a) It shall be the duty of a company applying for a safe manning document in respect of any United Kingdom ship to submit to the MSA proposals as to the numbers and grade of personnel it considers should be carried so that the ship would be safely manned if it proceeded to sea on any intended voyages.
(b)In preparing such proposals the company shall take into account any guidance issued by the MSA.
(c)It shall be the duty of the company after the issue of a safe manning document to inform the MSA as soon as any of the circumstances which are pertinent to that safe manning document change, for the purpose of enabling the MSA to review the document’s continuing validity or approve fresh proposals from the company.
(4) Notwithstanding the revocation in regulation 1(2) of the Merchant Shipping (Safe Manning Document) Regulations 1992, a safe manning document issued pursuant to those Regulations shall continue to be valid (subject to paragraph (3)(c)) until 1st February 2002.