The Merchant Shipping (Passenger Ship Construction: Ships of Classes I, II and II(A)) Regulations 1998

Openings in watertight bulkheads U.K.

14.—(1) The number of openings in watertight bulkheads shall be reduced to the minimum compatible with the design and proper working of the ship and means shall be provided for satisfactorily closing these openings.

(2) (a) Every tunnel above the double bottom, if any, whether for access from the crew space to the machinery space, for piping or for any other purpose, which passes through such a bulkhead shall be watertight;

(b) The means of access to at least one end of such a tunnel, if it may be used as a passage at sea, shall be through a trunkway extending watertight to a height sufficient to permit access above the bulkhead deck;

(c) The means of access to the other end of the tunnel shall be through a watertight door;

(d) No tunnel shall extend through the first subdivision bulkhead abaft the collision bulkhead.

(3) (a) Within spaces containing the main and auxiliary propelling machinery including boilers serving the needs of propulsion and all permanent bunkers, not more than one doorway, apart from the doorways to shaft tunnels, may be fitted in each main transverse bulkhead;

(b) Where two or more shafts are fitted, the tunnels shall be connected by an inter-communicating passage;

(c) There shall be only one doorway between the machinery space and tunnel spaces where one or two shafts are fitted and only two doorways where there are more than two shafts;

(d) All such doorways shall be located so as to have their sills as high as practicable.

(4) Doorways, manholes and access openings shall not be fitted in the collision bulkhead below the bulkhead deck of any ship or in any other bulkhead which is required by these Regulations to be watertight and which divides a cargo space from another cargo space or from a permanent or reserve bunker: Provided that any ship may be permitted to fit doorways in bulkheads dividing two between-deck cargo spaces if—

(a) the doorways are necessary for the proper working of the ship;

(b) the number of such doorways in the ship is the minimum compatible with the design and proper working of the ship, and they are fitted at the highest practicable level; and

(c) the outboard vertical edges of such doorways are situated at a distance as far as practicable from the ship’s shell plating and in no case less than one-fifth of the breadth of the ship, such distance being measured at right angles to the centre line of the ship at the level of the deepest subdivision load water line,

provided also that in ships constructed on or after 1st September 1984 carrying goods vehicles and accompanying personnel, doorways may be fitted in bulkheads dividing cargo spaces at any level, subject to compliance with regulation 19(1).

(5) Bulkheads in spaces that do not contain machinery and are required by these Regulations to be watertight shall not be pierced by openings which are capable of being closed only by portable bolted plates.

(6) (a) In every ship—

(i) valves not forming part of a pipe system shall not be fitted in any bulkhead or other division required by these Regulations to be watertight;

(ii) if any such bulkhead or other division is pierced by pipes, scuppers, electric cables or other similar fittings, provision shall be made which will ensure that its watertightness is not thereby impaired;

(iii) lead or other heat sensitive materials shall not be used in systems which penetrate watertight subdivision bulkheads where deterioration of such systems in the event of fire would impair the watertight integrity of the bulkheads; and

(iv) in ships constructed on or after 1st September 1984, valves which are fitted in piping systems to maintain the integrity of the watertight bulkheads in the event of damage, should be screw-down valves capable of being controlled manually at the valve, and from a position above the bulkhead deck.

(b) (i) The collision bulkhead of a ship shall not be pierced below the bulkhead deck by more than one pipe: Provided that if the forepeak in such a ship is divided to hold two different kinds of liquids the collision bulkhead may be pierced below the bulkhead deck by not more than two pipes;

(ii) Any pipe which pierces the collision bulkhead of such a ship shall be fitted with a screw-down valve capable of being operated from above the bulkhead deck, the valve chest being secured to the forward side of the collision bulkhead;

(iii) This valve may be fitted on the after side of the collision bulkhead if it is readily accessible under all service conditions and the space in which it is located is not a cargo space.

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 14 in force at 12.11.1998, see reg. 1(1)