The Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Oil Pollution) Regulations 2019

Oil Record Book

20.—(1) Every oil tanker of 150 GT and above, and every ship of 400 GT and above other than an oil tanker, must be provided with an Oil Record Book Part I (Machinery Space Operations).

(2) Every oil tanker of 150 GT and above must be provided with an Oil Record Book Part II (Cargo/ Ballast Operations).

(3) The Oil Record Books referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) must be in the form specified in Appendix III to Annex I.

(4) The relevant Part of the Oil Record Book must be completed in accordance with the requirements in paragraph (5).

(5) The requirements are that—

(a) Part I must be completed, on a tank-to-tank basis if appropriate, whenever any of the machinery space operations listed in regulation 17.2 of Annex I take place in the ship; and

(b) Part II must be completed, on a tank-to-tank basis if appropriate, whenever any of the cargo/ ballast operations listed in regulation 36.2 or 3 of Annex I take place in the ship.

(6) In the event of a discharge of oil or oily mixture as referred to in regulation 17.3 or 36.4 of Annex I, or in the event of accidental or other exceptional discharge of oil not excepted by those regulations, a record must be made in that part of the Oil Record Book which is relevant to the source of the discharge about the circumstances of, and the reasons for, the discharge.

(7) Each operation referred to in paragraph (5) must be fully recorded without delay in the Oil Record Book and all entries in the book appropriate to that operation must be completed.

(8) Once an operation recorded under paragraph (7) is complete, the entry in the Oil Record Book for that operation must be signed-off by the officer or officers in charge of that operation, and each completed page must be signed by the master.

(9) Any failure of the—

(a) oil filtering equipment must be recorded in the Oil Record Book Part I; and

(b) oil discharge monitoring and control system must be recorded in the Oil Record Book Part II.

(10) The Oil Record Book must be kept in such a place as to be readily available for inspection at all reasonable times and, other than in the case of unmanned ships under tow, must be kept on board the ship.

(11) The Oil Record Book must be preserved for a period of three years after the last entry has been made.

(12) The Secretary of State, or a person authorised by the Certifying Authority, may—

(a) inspect the Oil Record Book on board a ship which is in a port or offshore terminal;

(b) make a copy of any entry in the Oil Record Book; and

(c) require the master of the ship to certify that the copy is a true copy of any such entry.

(13) A copy of an entry described in paragraph (12)(c) is admissible in any judicial proceedings as evidence of the facts stated in that entry.

(14) The inspection of an Oil Record Book and the taking of a certified copy of any entry as described in paragraph (12) must be performed as expeditiously as possible without causing the ship to be unduly delayed.

(15) In this Regulation “filtering equipment” means filters or any combination of separators and filters which are designed to produce effluent containing not more than 15 ppm of oil.