Machinery and electrical installations

(1) Boilers, main and auxiliary machinery, steering gear, fuel oil systems, air compressors and air bottles, electrical systems, piping and pumping arrangements and refrigeration systems shall be designed, constructed and installed in accordance with good marine practice invoking, where applicable, the requirements of IMMARBE or rules of recognized classification societies, as is appropriate. The above machinery and equipment shall be so installed, protected and maintained so as not to constitute a danger to any person. (2) Indicators shall be fitted in the wheelhouse for propeller speed and direction in the case of fixed propellers and for propellers speed and pitch position in the case of controllable pitch propellers. (3) Two means of communication shall be provided between the ship’s bridge and the engine room, one of which shall be an engine room telegraph giving visual indication of the orders and responses both in the engine room and on the navigating bridge. (4) Every ship shall be provided with an efficient plant capable of pumping from and draining any watertight compartment which is neither a permanent oil tank nor a water tank. Provided that the administration is satisfied that the safety of the ship is not impaired, the bilge pumping arrangements can be dispensed within particular compartments. (5) Every ship shall be provided with two independent power operated bilge pumps capable of giving a speed of not less than 122 meters per minute through the bilge main whose internal diameter should be not less than 5 cm. (6) Where the bilge main is less than 5cm., IMMARBE may accept a declaration from a recognized organisation as indicating satisfactory compliance. (7) A ballast or general service pump may be accepted as the independent power operated bilge pump provided it is fitted the necessary connections to the bilge pumping system. Merchant Ships (Registration) 20 (8) The disposition of suctions, non-return valves and control spindles and distribution boxes shall comply with requirements as to accessibility and passage through bulkheads as IMMARBE may require. A declaration from an organization recognized by IMMARBE may be accepted as indicating compliance with this requirement. Means shall be provided for sounding every compartment which is served by the bilge pumping system and not readily accessible at all times during the voyage. (9) An automatic remote bilge level shall be fitted in any unattended propulsion machinery space. (10) Every ship shall be provided with a source of electrical power, a distribution switchboard and a system of electric wiring suitably protected to provide power to machinery, heating, lighting, ventilation, alarms and other circuits required on board. (11) Every ship shall include an emergency source of electrical power situated above the uppermost continuous deck and outside the machinery casings in addition to the principal source of electrical power. This emergency source of electrical power may be a generator or an accumulator (storage) battery provided with an emergency switchboard installed as near to the emergency generator as possible or in the case of the accumulator battery in a different but nearby space. (12) Emergency power shall be provided by– (a) lighting in alley-ways, stair-ways, main machinery space and main generating space, navigation bridge, chartroom, lifeboats, rescue boat, liferaft stowage positions and oversides; (b) navigation lights; (c) steering-gear space lights; Merchant Ships (Registration) 21 (d) alarm signal circuits, especially the general (e) one fire pump; and (f) one emergency bilge pump. (13) Where hull return is used, special precautions shall be taken to the satisfaction of IMMARBE. Hull return is not acceptable on new vessels or on tankers of any age. (14) Every ship shall take precautions against the following– (a) shock by earthing machines and equipment and metal sheaths of cables; (b) short circuits; (c) temperature rises in light fittings, etc.