The duty of seeing that the boats, life rafts and buoyant apparatus and other lifesaving apparatus are at all times ready for use shall be asigned to one or more officers. REGULATION XLIII.-Fire Detection and Extinction. (1) An efficient patrol system shall be maintained, so that any outbreak of fire may be promptly detected. In addition, a firm alarm or fire-detecting system shall be provided, which will automatically indicate or register at one or more points or stations, where it can be most quickly observed by officers and crew, the presence or indication of fire in any part of the ship not accessible to the patrol system. (2) Every ship shall be provided with powerful pumps, operated by steam or other means. On ships of less than 4,000 tons gross there shall be two, and on larger ships three of these pumps. Each of the pumps shall be capable of delivering a sufficient quantity of water in two powerful jets simultaneously in any given part of the ship, and shall be available for immediate use before the ship leaves port. (3) The service pipes shall permit of two powerful jets of water being simultaneously directed on any given part of a deck occupied by passengers and crew when the watertight and fire-resisting doors are closed. The service pipes and hoses shall be of ample size and made of suitable material. The branches of the pipes shall be so placed on each deck that the fire hose can be easily coupled to them. (4) Provision shall be made whereby at least two powerful jets of water can be rapidly and simultaneously directed into any space containing cargo. In addition, arrangements shall be made whereby smothering gas sufficient to give a minimum volume of free gas equal to 30 percent of the gross volume of the largest hold in the ship can be promptly conveyed by a permanent piping system into each compartment in which cargo is carried. Steam in adequately equivalent proportion may be accepted in place of smothering gas on steamdriven ships. Provision for the supply of smothering gas or steam need not be required in ships of less than 1,000 tons gross. (5) A sufficient number of portable fluid fire extinguishers shall be provided, at least two being carried in each machinery space. (6) Two equipments, consisting of a smoke helmet or breathing apparatus and a safety lamp, shall be carried on board, and kept in two widely separated places. (7) In steamships in which the main boilers are oil fired, there shall be provided in addition to means whereby two powerful jets of water may be rapidly and simultaneously directed into any part of the machinery spaces (a) Suitable conductors for spraying water on oil without undue disturbance of the surface. (b) In each firing space, a receptacle containing 283 cubic decimeters (10 cubic feet) of sand, sawdust impregnated with soda, or other approved dry materials, and scoops for distributing the same. (c) In each boiler room, and in each of the machinery spaces in which a part of the oil fuel installation is situated, two approved portable extinguishers of a type discharging froth or other approved medium suitable for quenching oil fires. (d) Means whereby froth may be rapidly discharged and distributed over the whole of the lower part of the boiler room or of any one boiler room, if there are more than one, or of any machinery space in which oil fuel units or settling tanks are situated. The quantity of froth which can be discharged shall be ample to cover to a depth of 15.24 centimeters (6 inches) the whole area of the plating formed in any one compartment by the inner bottom plating, or by the shell plating of the vessel, if there is no double-bottom tank. İf the engine and boiler rooms are not entirely separate, and fuel can drain from the boiler room bilges into the engine room, the combined engine and boiler rooms shall be considered as one compartment. The apparatus shall be operated and controlled from outside the compartment in which the fire may occur. (e) In addition to the foregoing, one extinguisher of the froth type of at least 136-liter (30 gallons) capacity in steamships having one boiler room and two such extinguishers in steamships with more than one boiler room. These extinguishers shall be provided with hoses on reels suitable for reaching any part of the boiler rooms and spaces containing oil-fuel pumping units. Equally efficient apparatus may be accepted in place of the 136-liter (30-gallon) extinguishers. (f) All containers and valves by which they are operated shall be easily accessible and so placed that they will not readily be cut off from use by an outbreak of fire. (8) In vessels propelled by internal combustion engines there shall be provided in each of the machinery space, in addition to means whereby two powerful jets of water may be rapidly and simultaneously directed into any part of the machinery spaces, together with suitable spraying conductors, froth extinguishers as follows: (a) At least one approved 45-liter (10-gallon) extinguishers with an addition of one approved 9-liter (2-gallon) extinguisher for each 1,000 b. h. p. of the engines, but the total number of 9-liter (2-gallon) extinguishers so supplied shall be not less than two and need not exceed six. (b) When a donkey boiler is situated in the machinery space there shall be provided, in place of the 45-liter (10-gallon) extinguisher mentioned above, one of 136-liter (30-gallon) capacity, fitted with suitable hose attachments or other approved methods for distributing the froth. (9) In steamships using oil fuel, if the engine and boiler rooms are not entirely separated by a steel bulkhead, and if fuel oil can drain from the boiler-room bilges into the engine room, one of the fire pumps shall be situated in the tunnel or other space outside the machinery compartment. When more than two pumps are required, they shall not all be fitted in the same space. (10) Where any special type of appliance, extinguishing medium or arrangement is specified, any other type of appliance, etc., may be allowed, provided that it is not less effective than the specified one. For example: A carbon dioxide system may be accepted in place of a froth installation (paragraph (7), subparagraphs (d) and (e)), provided that the quantity of carbon dioxide carried is sufficient to give a gas saturation of about 25 percent for the gross volume of the stokehold to about the top of the boilers. (11) All the fire-extinguishing appliances shall be thoroughly examined at least once each year by a surveyor appointed by the Administration. REGULATION XLIV.-Muster List. The muster list shall assign duties to the different members of the crew in connection with- (a) The closing of the watertight doors, valves, etc. (b) The equipment of the boats, life rafts, and buoyant apparatus generally. c) The launching of the boats attached to davits. (d) The general preparation of the other boats, the life rafts, and buoyant apparatus. (e) The muster of the passengers. (f) The extinction of fire. The muster list shall assign to the members of the stewards' department their several duties in relation to the passengers at a time of emergency. These duties shall include (a) Warning the passengers. (b) Seeing that they are dressed and have put on their lifejackets in a proper manner. (c) Assembling the passengers at muster stations. (d) Keeping order in the passages and on the stairways, and, generally, controlling the movements of the passengers. The muster list shall specify definite signals for calling all the crew to their boat and fire stations, and shall give full particulars of these signals. REGULATION XLV.-Musters and Drills. Musters of the crew for boat drill shall take place weekly when practicable, and in vessels in which the voyage exceeds one week, before leaving port. The dates upon which musters are held shall be recorded in the official log book, and, if in any week a muster is not held, an entry shall be made stating why a muster was not practicable. In ships in which the voyage exceeds one week practice musters of passengers should be held at an early period of each voyage. Different groups of boats shall be used in turn at successive boat drills. The drills and inspections shall be so arranged that the crew thoroughly understand and are practiced in the duties they have to perform, and that all lifesaving appliances with the gear appertaining to them are always ready for immediate use. The emergency signal for summoning passengers to muster stations shall be a succession of more than six short blasts followed by one long blast on the whistle or siren. This shall be supplemented on all ships except those engaged in short international voyages by other electrically operated signals throughout the ship controlled from the bridge. The meaning of all signals affecting passengers shall be clearly stated in different languages on cards posted in their cabins and in other passenger quarters. SAFETY OF NAVIGATION: REGULATION XLVI.—Transmission of Information. The transmission of information regarding ice, derelicts, tropical storms or any other direct danger to navigation is obligatory. The form in which the information is sent is not obligatory. It may be transmitted either in plain language (preferably English) or by means of the International Code of Signals (Wireless Telegraphy Section). It should be issued CQ to all ships, and should also be sent to the first point of the coast to which communication can be made with a request that it be transmitted to the appropriate authority. All messages issued under Article 34 of the present Convention will be preceded by the safety signal TTT followed by an indication of the nature of the danger, thus: TTT Ice; TTT Derelict; TTT Storm; TTT Navigation. Information Required. The following information is desired, the time in all cases being Greenwich mean time: (a) Ice, derelicts, and other direct dangers to navigation.— (1) the kind of ice, derelict, or danger observed; (2) the position of the ice, derelict, or danger when last observed; (3) the time and date when the observation was made. (b) Tropical storms.-Hurricanes in the West Indies, typhoons in the China Seas, cyclones in Indian waters, and storms of a similar nature in other regions. (1) A statement that a tropical storm has been encountered.This obligation should be interpretated in a broad spirit, and information transmitted whenever the master has good reason to believe that a tropical storm exists in his neighborhood. (2) Meteorological information.-In view of the great assistance given by accurate meteorological data in fixing the position and movement of storm centers, each shipmaster should add to his warning message as much of the following meteorological information as he finds practicable: (a) barometric pressure (millibars, inches or millimeters); (b) change in barometric pressure (the change during the previous 2 to 4 hours); (c) wind direction (true not magnetic); (d) wind force (Beaufort or decimal scale); (e) state of the sea (smooth, moderate, rough, high); (f) swell (slight, medium, heavy) and the direction from which it comes. When barometric pressure is given the word "millibars," "inches" or "millimeters," as the case may be, should be added to the reading, and it should always be stated whether the reading is corrected or uncorrected. When changes of the barometer are reported the course and speed of the ship should also be given. All directions should be true, not magnetic. (3) Time and date and position of the ship.-These should be for the time and position when the meteorological observations reported were made and not when the message was prepared or despatched. The time used in all cases should be Greenwich mean time. - (4) Subsequent observations. When a master has reported a tropical storm it is desirable, but not obligatory, that other observations be made and transmitted at intervals of 3 hours so long as the ship remains under the influence of the storm. Examples Ice. TTT Ice. Large berg sighted in 46°05′ N., 44°10′ W., at 0800 G. M. T. May 15. Derelict. TTT Derelict. Observed derelict almost submerged in 40°06′ N., 12°43′ W., at 1630 G. M. T. April 21. Danger to navigation. January 3. Tropical storm. Alpha lightship not on station. 1800 G. M. T. TTT Storm. Experiencing tropical storm. Barometer corrected 994 millibars, falling rapidly. Wind NW., force 9, heavy squalls. Swell E. Course ENE, 5 knots. 22°04' N., 113°54′ E. 0030 G. M. T. August 18. TTT Storm. Appearances indicate approach of hurricane. Barometer corrected 29.64 inches falling. Wind NE., force 8. Swell medium from NE. Frequent rain squalls. Course 35°, 9 knots. 22°00′ N., 72°36′ W. 1300 G. M. T. September 14. TTT Storm. Conditions indicate intense cyclone has formed. Wind S. by W. force 5. Barometer uncorrected 753 millimeters, fell 5 millimeters last 3 hours. Course N. 60 W., 8 knots. 16°20′ N., 93°02′ E. 0200 G. M. T. May 4. TTT Storm. Typhoon to southeast. Wind increasing from N. and barometer falling rapidly. Position 18°12′ N., 126°05′ E. 0300 G. M. T. June 12. CERTIFICATES REGULATION XLVII.-Form of Safety Certificate for Passenger Ships. SAFETY CERTIFICATE [OFFICIAL SEAL] for an (a short) international voyage. Issued under the provisions of the (Country) INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR SAFETY OF LIFE AT SEA, 1929 Name of ship Distinctive number Port of registry Gross tonnage 536976°-43-11 |