Employment at sea

(1) Subject to sub-sections (2) and (3), no master of a vessel which is registered in Belize as a British ship or which is owned by any person or body of persons resident or carrying on business in Belize shall employ on such vessel, and no master of any other vessel shall engage for employment on that vessel, eithersea. (a) a person under the age of fifteen years; or (b) any other young person unless the master has in his possession and available for inspection by a labour officer, a valid certificate of a registered medical practitioner issued not more than one year previously and certifying that he has examined the young person and found him fit for the employment proposed, Provided that any certificate which expires in the course of a voyage shall remain valid until the end of the said voyage. (2) Sub-section (1) shall not apply105 (a) to a vessel on which only members of the same family are employed; and (b) to work done by persons under the age of fifteen years on school ships or training ships if such work is approved and supervised by a public authority. (3) The Minister may make regulations to provide that that authority designated in that behalf by the regulations may issue a certificate permitting a person who has attained the age of fourteen years and is under the age of fifteen years to be employed on a vessel, if such authority is satisfied, after having due regard to the health and physical condition of such person and to the prospective as well as to the immediate benefit to him in the employment pro-posed, that such employment will be beneficial to him. age.