Wheelhouse visibility, escape, accommodation and personal safety – NSCV Part C1

National Standard for Commercial Vessels

Part C – Design and construction

Section 1 – Wheelhouse visibility, escape, accommodation and personal safety

Edition 2.0 

Commenced 1 September 2025 

What it covers 

NSCV C1 provides the design, construction standards for:    

• wheelhouse visibility
• escape   
• accommodation   
• personal safety.  

This includes:  

• wheelhouse visibility and operating stations
• accommodation spaces for passengers and crew 
• access, escapes and emergency evacuation arrangements, including updated requirements for marking, signage and lighting 
• Personal safety, including new requirements to prevent falls overboard on public transport vessels. Improve strength and testing standards for continuous safety rails on pilot vessels. 

Who it applies to 

NSCV C1 applies to all domestic commercial vessels, except:  

• fast craft 
• leisure craft 
• special purpose vessels.  

NSCV Part C - Design and Construction, Section 1 –Wheelhouse visibility, escape, accommodation, and personal safety (Edition 2.6) 

• Prepared by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, 21 March 2024.
• Adopted by the Infrastructure and Transport Ministers, 21 May 2025
• Commenced 1 September 2025. 

What’s changed

Edition 2.0 has been updated to reflect the following changes: 

Personal safety 

• Improve strength and testing standards for continuous safety rails on pilot vessels. 

Escape and evacuation 

• Clarify the requirements for assembly stations.
• Improve emergency escape signage and escape lighting. 

Accommodation spaces 

• Updates to align with national and international standards for:
• noise levels
• sanitation facilities
• air quality in enclosed areas
• bunk sizes. 

Wheelhouse visibility 

• Improving and clarifying content for wheelhouse visibility. 

Make public transport vessels safer 

• Establishing ‘no climb zones’ around the perimeter of vessels to make it harder for children to fall overboard. 

How new editions apply 

New editions of the NSCV will now become mandatory for new vessels 2 years after their commencement date, unless otherwise stated in the specific standard. 

Reade the full changes in the NSCV Miscellaneous amendments instrument No.1 2024 PDF231.78 KB

Guidance notices and fact sheets for domestic commercial vessel owners and operators

Uniform Shipping Laws code

Policy and Regulation Division

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Please include the NSCV name and clause number in the email. 

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