Consultation—Marine order 21—Safety and emergency arrangements

The consultation closed Tuesday 15 October 2019.  

Marine order 21 provides information about:

• safety of navigation
• emergency procedures and
• atmosphere sampling and measuring.

Key changes

The proposed new Marine order 21 (Safety and emergency arrangements) will amend the existing marine order to introduce a new regulation about damage control drills for passenger ships, and is included within the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.

The key changes for this amendment are:

• The purpose section of Marine Order 21 will be amended to capture the new SOLAS regulation Chapter II-1/19-1.
• Including damage control duties in section 23(2)(a).
• New procedures for the 'Damage control drill for passenger ships' added in Schedule 1.
• A consequential amendment to Marine Order 12.

The damage control drills for passenger vessels include:

• any seafarer with damage control duties must report to the seafarer’s muster station and prepare for duties in the muster list
• any bilge pump must be operated and its alarm and automatic starting system checked
• any communication link to shore based support must be tested
• stability assessments must be conducted for the simulated damage conditions by using:
  • damage control information and
  • an on board damage stability computer if fitted and
  • the activated link at least once a year if the vessel has a communication link to shore-based support.

Commencement

It is proposed that this amended order will come into effect on 1 January 2020.

Consultation papers

• Read the draft Marine order 21 (PDF 210 KB)
• Read the summary of the changes for marine odrder 21 (PDF 265 KB)
• Read the marine order 12 consequential change (PDF 480 KB)
• Read the consultation feedback report (PDF 107 KB)