Exemption 41—Marine Safety (Unpowered barges)

This exemption is for owners of certain kinds of unpowered barges where is may not be practical to comply with specified construction, equipment and crewing requirements.

You do not need to apply to AMSA to operate under this exemption.

What this exemption will allow you to do

An unpowered barge is a vessel that is pushed or towed by another powered vessel. It does not have its own mechanical propulsion, except that which keeps it in a relatively fixed position at a work location, or assists it to be towed to and from a work location.

Exemption 41 exempts owners of certain unpowered barges from the requirement to comply with certain aspects of the accommodation, safety equipment, communications equipment, and navigation equipment sections of NSCV Part C – Design and construction. It also provides an exemption from the ‘minimum crewing’ requirements in Marine Order 504.

This exemption does not exempt an unpowered barge from the requirement to have a certificate of survey or to be operated under a certificate of operation.

An unpowered barge operating under Exemption 41 does not need to comply with the following requirements of the NSCV Part C

Barge with no machinery and no persons on board

NSCV subsection (part), chapter or clause:

C1 – Arrangement, accommodation and personal safety
Clause 5.9 and Chapter 6 of C4 – Fire safety
Clauses 7.3 and 9.7 of C6B – Buoyancy and stability after flooding
C7A – Safety equipment, C7B – Communications equipment and C7C – Navigation equipment
If permanently moored—C7D – Anchoring systems

Barge with no machinery and one or more persons on board (crew and special personnel only – no passengers)

NSCV subsection (part), chapter or clause:

Clause 6.12.4 of C1 – Construction —to the extent that it requires a person overboard alert system mentioned in Table 30, measure 8
Clauses 6.12.4 and 6.12.7.4 of C1 – Construction —to the extent that they require handholds mentioned in Table 30, measure 3
Clause 5.9 and Chapter 6 of C4 – Fire safety
C5A – Machinery
Clauses 7.3 and 9.7 of C6B – Buoyancy and stability after flooding
C7A – Safety equipment, C7B – Communications equipment and C7C – Navigation equipment
If permanently moored—C7D – Anchoring systems

Barge with machinery and one or more persons on board (crew and special personnel only—no passengers)

NSCV subsection (part), chapter or clause:

Clause 6.12.4 of C1 – Arrangement, accommodation and personal safety—to the extent that it requires a person overboard alert system mentioned in Table 30, measure 8
Clauses 6.12.4 and 6.12.7.4 of C1 – Arrangement, accommodation and personal safety—to the extent that they require handholds mentioned in Table 30, measure 3
Clause 5.9 and Chapter 6 of C4 – Fire safety
Chapters 3, 5 and 6 of C5A - Machinery
Clauses 7.3 and 9.7 of C6B – Buoyancy and stability after flooding
C7A – Safety equipment, C7B – Communications equipment and C7C – Navigation equipment
If permanently moored—C7D – Anchoring systems

Barge with or without machinery with passengers on board

Clause 5.9 of C4 – Fire safety
Chapters 3, 5 and 6 of C5A - Machinery
Clauses 7.3 and 9.7 of C6B – Buoyancy and stability after flooding
C7A – Safety equipment
C7B – Communications equipment, other than clause 2.13
C7C – Navigation equipment
If permanently moored - C7D – Anchoring systems

Eligibility

The unpowered barge must comply with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS).

If there are berths on the barge, they must not be in use.

If there are persons on board the unpowered barge, it must:

carry communications equipment to allow communication with other nearby vessels
have a documented, up-to-date risk assessment that identifies the marine safety equipment required while operating
carry any identified marine safety equipment so that is readily accessible to those on board
be at least one of the following:
- connected to the shore or a structure
- carrying a lifeboat, liferaft or rescue boat for all persons on board the barge
- accompanied by a vessel that remains close to the barge at all times and is equipped to rescue all persons on board the barge.