The Merchant Shipping (Radiocommunications) (Amendment) Regulations 2021

PART 3 U.K. Requirements relating to Radio Installations, Equipment etc.

Performance standards U.K.

9.  All radio equipment fitted on or carried in a ship must—

(a) in relation to a United Kingdom ship, unless approved in accordance with the Merchant Shipping (Marine Equipment) Regulations 2016(1), be of a type approved by the Secretary of State or any person authorised by the Secretary of State; or

(b) in relation to a non-United Kingdom ship, must conform to standards not inferior to those set out in Section 5 of Annex 1 to Merchant Shipping Notice 1874 (M+F) Amendment 4(2).

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 9 in force at 24.12.2021, see reg. 1(1)

Radio installations and equipment U.K.

10.  A ship must comply with each of the requirements in the following provisions of Chapter IV applicable to that ship—

(a) regulation 6 (radio installations);

(b) regulation 7 (radio equipment: general);

(c) regulation 8 (radio equipment: sea area A1);

(d) regulation 9.1 to 9.3 (radio equipment: sea areas A1 and A2):

(e) regulation 10.1 to 10.3 (radio equipment: sea areas A1, A2 and A3);

(f) regulation 11.1 (radio equipment: sea areas A1, A2, A3 and A4).

Commencement Information

I2 Reg. 10 in force at 24.12.2021, see reg. 1(1)

Watches, maintenance requirements, radio personnel and records etc. U.K.

11.—(1) A ship must comply with each of the requirements in the following provisions of Chapter IV applicable to that ship—

(a) regulation 12 (watches);

(b) regulation 13 (sources of energy);

(c) regulation 15.1 to 15.4 and 15.6, 15.7 and 15.9.2 (maintenance requirements);

(d) regulation 16 (radio personnel);

(e) regulation 17 (radio records);

(f) regulation 18 (position-updating).

(2) For the purposes of regulation 15.3 of Chapter IV, accepted methods are those listed in paragraph 6.7 of Marine Guidance Note 641(3).

(3) For the purposes of regulation 17 of Chapter IV, a GMDSS radio log must be maintained on the ship.

(4) In this regulation, a “GMDSS radio log” means a document for keeping a record of—

(a) communications relating to distress, urgency and safety traffic and the time such communications occurred;

(b) important incidents connected with the radio service and the time such incidents occurred;

(c) the position of the ship at least once a day and the time at which the ship was in that position.

Commencement Information

I3 Reg. 11 in force at 24.12.2021, see reg. 1(1)

Testing of equipment U.K.

12.—(1) This regulation applies to a person who—

(a) holds an operator certificate of a type described in Articles 47.20 to 47.23 of the Radio Regulations; and

(b) has been designated by the master to carry out tests on radio equipment.

(2) A person to whom this regulation applies must—

(a) carry out the tests specified in paragraph (3); and

(b) inform the master if any radio equipment required by these Regulations is not in working order.

(3) The specified tests are—

(a) the tests specified in regulation 15.9.1 of Chapter IV; and

(b) in relation to a United Kingdom ship, the tests specified in Schedule 2.

Commencement Information

I4 Reg. 12 in force at 24.12.2021, see reg. 1(1)

(1)

S.I. 2016/1025, amended by S.I. 2019/470, 2019/1304 and 2020/1000; there are other amending instruments but none is relevant.

(2)

The standards are set out in column 2 of section 5 of Annex 1 of Merchant Shipping Notice 1874 (M+F) Amendment 4, which is available on https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/msn-1874mf-amendment-4-marine-directive-other-approval-and-standards and in hard copy from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) of Spring Place, 105 Commercial Road, Southampton SO15 1EG (telephone [phone] and email [e-mail]).

(3)

Marine Guidance Note (MGN) 641(M) is available on https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/marine-guidance-notices-mgns and in hard copy from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) of Spring Place, 105 Commercial Road, Southampton SO15 1EG (telephone [phone] and email [e-mail]).