Bulkwarks, guard rails, and handrails

(1) Bulwarks, guard rails, wires or chains shall be fitted around weather decks at a height of at least 1m. These arrangements shall be permanent and where rails, wires or chains are fitted they shall be in three courses. (2) Stanchions shall be spaced not more than 1.5m apart and the clearance below the lowest course shall not exceed 280 mm with the courses above being approximately evenly spaced. Where children are carried the fitting of suitable mesh in way of the open courses is recommended. (3) The height of these protection arrangements may be reduced and portable sections may be accepted by the recognized organization where it is shown that the ship’s operating functions require this. (4) Bulwarks shall be provided with efficient freeing ports located as close to the deck as possible with their own total area being about 4% of the bulwark area. Where there are only small volumes of space enclosed by the bulwark the freeing port area may be reduced based on the volume of water that could become trapped. Merchant Ships (Registration) 143 (5) Deckhouses and other structures, stairways, ladders and corridor bulkheads shall be fitted with adequate storm rails and hand rails. E. Machinery Installations