Personnel Protection

14.1.1 For the protection of crew members who are engaged in loading and discharging operations, the ship shall have on board suitable protective equipment consisting of large aprons, special gloves with long sleeves, suitable footwear, coveralls of chemical-resistant material, and tight-fitting goggles or face shields or both. The protective clothing and equipment shall cover all skin so that no part of the body is unprotected.

14.1.2 Work clothes and protective equipment shall be kept in easily accessible places and in special lockers. Such equipment shall not be kept within accommodation spaces, with the exception of new, unused equipment and equipment which has not been used since undergoing a thorough cleaning process. The Administration may, however, approve storage rooms for such equipment within accommodation spaces if adequately segregated from living spaces such as cabins, passageways, dining rooms, bathrooms, etc.

14.1.3 Protective equipment shall be used in any operation, which may entail danger to personnel.

14.2.1 Ships carrying cargoes for which Ch 1, 15.12 Toxic products Ch 1, 15.12 Toxic products 15.12.1 or Ch 1, 15.12 Toxic products 15.12.3 is listed in column o in the table of chapter 17 shall have on board sufficient but not less than three complete sets of safety equipment, each permitting personnel to enter a gas-filled compartment and perform work there for at least 20 min. Such equipment shall be in addition to that required by SOLAS Regulation 10 - Fire fighting.

14.2.2 One complete set of safety equipment shall consist of:

1. one self-contained air-breathing apparatus (not using stored oxygen);

2. protective clothing, boots, gloves and tight-fitting goggles;

3. fireproof lifeline with belt resistant to the cargoes carried; and

4. explosion-proof lamp.

14.2.3 For the safety equipment required in Ch 1, 14.2 Safety equipment 14.2.1, all ships shall carry either:

1. one set of fully charged spare air bottles for each breathing apparatus;

2. a special air compressor suitable for the supply of high-pressure air of the required purity;

3. a charging manifold capable of dealing with sufficient spare air bottles for the breathing apparatus; or

4. fully charged spare air bottles with a total free air capacity of at least 6,000 l for each breathing apparatus on board in excess of the requirements of SOLAS Regulation 10 - Fire fighting.

14.2.4 A cargo pump-room on ships carrying cargoes which are subject to the requirements of Ch 1, 15.18 Special cargo pump-room requirements or cargoes for which in column k in the table of chapter 17 toxic-vapour-detection equipment is required but is not available shall have either:

1. a low-pressure line system with hose connections suitable for use with the breathing apparatus required by Ch 1, 14.2 Safety equipment 14.2.1. This system shall provide sufficient high-pressure air capacity to supply, through pressure-reduction devices, enough low-pressure air to enable two men to work in a gas-dangerous space for at least 1 h without using the air bottles of the breathing apparatus. Means shall be provided for recharging the fixed air bottles and the breathing apparatus air bottles from a special air compressor suitable for the supply of high-pressure air of the required purity; or

2. an equivalent quantity of spare bottled air in lieu of the low-pressure air line.

14.2.5 At least one set of safety equipment as required by Ch 1, 14.2 Safety equipment 14.2.2 shall be kept in a suitable clearly marked locker in a readily accessible place near the cargo pump-room. The other sets of safety equipment shall also be kept in suitable, clearly marked, easily accessible places.

14.2.6 The breathing apparatus shall be inspected at least once a month by a responsible officer, and the inspection recorded in the ship's log-book. The equipment shall be inspected and tested by an expert at least once a year.

14.3.1 Ships carrying cargoes, for which "Yes" is indicated in column n of chapter 17, shall be provided with suitable respiratory and eye protection sufficient for every person on board for emergency escape purposes, subject to the following:

1. filter-type respiratory protection is unacceptable;

2. self-contained breathing apparatus shall have at least a duration of service of 15 min;

3. emergency escape respiratory protection shall not be used for fire-fighting or cargo-handling purposes and shall be marked to that effect.

14.3.2 The ship shall have on board medical first-aid equipment, including oxygen resuscitation equipment and antidotes for cargoes to be carried, based on the guidelines developed by the Organization^footnote.

14.3.3 A stretcher which is suitable for hoisting an injured person up from spaces such as the cargo pump-room shall be placed in a readily accessible location.

14.3.4 Suitably marked decontamination showers and an eyewash shall be available on deck in convenient locations. The showers and eyewash shall be operable in all ambient conditions.