5 SOLAS regulation and technical standards for watertight doors
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Circulars - Maritime Safety Committee - MSC.1/Circular.1380 – Guidance for Watertight Doors on Passenger Ships Which May be Opened During Navigation – (10 December 2010) - Annex – Guidance for Watertight Doors on Passenger Ships Which may be Opened During Navigation - 5 SOLAS regulation and technical standards for watertight doors

5 SOLAS regulation and technical standards for watertight doors

  5.1 SOLAS regulation II-1/13 (previous SOLAS regulation II-1/15) provides the technical standards for watertight doors in passenger ships constructed on or after 1 February 1992. The basis of this regulation is that all watertight doors shall be kept closed during navigation according to SOLAS regulation II-1/22.1 (previous SOLAS regulation II-1/15.9.1), except as follows:

  • .1 watertight doors may be opened during navigation to permit the passage of passengers or crew, or when work in the immediate vicinity of the door necessitates it being opened. The door must be immediately closed when transit through the door is complete or when the task which necessitated it being open is finished; and

  • .2 certain watertight doors may be permitted to remain open during navigation only if considered absolutely necessary according to SOLAS regulation II-1/22.4 (previous SOLAS regulation II-1/15.9.3); that is, being open is determined essential to the safe and effective operation of the ship's machinery or to permit passengers normally unrestricted access throughout the passenger area. Such determination shall be made by the Administration only after careful consideration of the impact on ship operations and survivability. A watertight door permitted to remain open shall be clearly indicated in the ship's stability information and shall always be ready to be immediately closed.

  5.2 For passenger ships constructed before 1 February 1992, watertight doors that do not comply with SOLAS regulations II-1/13.5.1 to 13.5.3 and 13.6 (previous SOLAS regulations II-1/15.6.1 to 15.6.4) shall be closed before the voyage commences and shall be kept closed during navigation. In other words, such doors shall never be permitted to be opened during a voyage. Administrations may use the watertight door checklist in appendix 2 to assess pre-1992 ships for potential compliance with SOLAS regulations II-1/13.5.1 to 13.5.3 and 13.6 (previous SOLAS regulations 15.6.1 to 15.6.4), which also includes the requirements in paragraph 7 of SOLAS regulation II-1/13 (previous SOLAS regulation II-1/15).

Parent topic: Annex – Guidance for Watertight Doors on Passenger Ships Which may be Opened During Navigation
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