Regulation 18 – Approval, surveys and performance standards of navigational systems and equipment and voyage data recorder
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Regulation 18 – Approval, surveys and performance standards of navigational systems and equipment and voyage data recorder

  1 Systems and equipment required to meet the requirements of regulations 19 and 20 shall be of a type approved by the Administration.

  2 Systems and equipment, including associated back-up arrangements, where applicable, installed on or after 1 July 2002 to perform the functional requirements of regulations 19 and 20 shall conform to appropriate performance standards not inferior to those adopted by the Organization. footnote

  3 When systems and equipment are replaced or added to on ships constructed before 1 July 2002, such systems and equipment shall, in so far as is reasonable and practicable, comply with the requirements of paragraph 2.

  4 Systems and equipment installed prior to the adoption of performance standards by the Organization may subsequently be exempted from full compliance with such standards at the discretion of the Administration, having due regard to the recommended criteria adopted by the Organization. However, for an electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS) to be accepted as satisfying the chart carriage requirement of regulation 19.2.1.4, that system shall conform to the relevant performance standards not inferior to those adopted by the Organization in effect on the date of installation, or, for systems installed before 1 January 1999, not inferior to the performance standards adopted by the Organization on 23 November 1995footnote.

  5 The Administration shall require that the manufacturers have a quality control system audited by a competent authority to ensure continuous compliance with the type approval conditions. Alternatively, the Administration may use final product verification procedures where the compliance with the type approval certificate is verified by a competent authority before the product is installed on board ships.

  6 Before giving approval to systems or equipment embodying new features not covered by this chapter, the Administration shall ensure that such features support functions at least as effective as those required by this chapter.

  7 When equipment, for which performance standards have been developed by the Organization, is carried on ships in addition to those items of equipment required by regulations 19 and 20, such equipment shall be subject to approval and shall as far as practicable comply with performance standards not inferior to those adopted by the Organization.

  8 The voyage data recorder system, including all sensors, shall be subjected to an annual performance test. The test shall be conducted by an approved testing or servicing facility to verify the accuracy, duration and recoverability of the recorded data. In addition, tests and inspections shall be conducted to determine the serviceability of all protective enclosures and devices fitted to aid location. A copy of the certificate of compliance issued by the testing facility, stating the date of compliance and the applicable performance standards, shall be retained on board the ship.


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