The Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Oil Pollution) Regulations 2019

PART 7 U.K. Prevention of Pollution arising from an Oil Pollution Incident

Shipboard oil pollution emergency plan U.K.

34.—(1) Every—

(a) oil tanker of 150 GT and above; and

(b) ship (other than an oil tanker) of 400 GT and above,

must carry on board a shipboard oil pollution emergency plan approved by the Secretary of State.

(2) The plan referred to in paragraph (1) must be prepared in accordance with the guidelines for the Development of Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plans adopted by the Marine Environment Protection Committee of the IMO M1 .

(3) The plan must include—

(a) the procedure to be followed by the master or other persons having charge of the ship to report an oil pollution incident, as required by the Merchant Shipping (Reporting Requirements for Ships Carrying Dangerous or Polluting Goods) Regulations 1995 M2 and the Merchant Shipping (Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Reporting Requirements) Regulations 2004 M3 ;

(b) the list of persons (including national and local authorities) to be contacted in the event of an oil pollution incident;

(c) a detailed description of the action to be taken immediately by persons on board to reduce or control the discharge of oil following the incident; and

(d) the procedures and point of contact on the ship for co-ordinating shipboard action with national and local authorities in combating the pollution.

(4) In the case of ships to which regulation 17 of Annex II M4 of the Convention also applies, such a plan may be combined with the shipboard marine pollution emergency plan for noxious liquid substances required under that regulation.

(5) Where paragraph (4) applies the title of the combined plan must be the “Shipboard Marine Pollution Emergency Plan”.

(6) The owner and master of an oil tanker of 5,000 tonnes deadweight or more must ensure the ship has prompt access to computerised, shore-based damage stability and residual structural strength calculation programmes.

(7) In this Regulation “noxious liquid substance” has the meaning given in regulation 1 of Annex II of the Convention.

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 34 in force at 1.3.2019, see reg. 1(1)

Marginal Citations

M1 See Resolution MEPC.54(32) adopted on 6 March 1992, as amended by Resolution MEPC.86(44) adopted on 13 March 2000. Copies of the resolutions may be obtained from the IMO Library at www.imo.org.en/MediaCentre/Pages/Default.aspx and in hard copy from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

M2 S.I. 1995/2498, amended by S.I. 1999/2121; S.I. 2001/1638; S.I. 2004/2110; S.I. 2005/1092; S.I. 2008/3145; S.I. 2014/3306 and S.I. 2018/68.

M3 S.I. 2004/2110, amended by S.I. 2005/1092; S.I. 2008/3145: S.I. 2011/2616; S.I. 2014/3306; S.I. 2018/68 and, prospectively, by S.I. 2018/1221.

M4 Regulations for the Control of Pollution by Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk.