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13.
Regulations on seafarers' welfare gazetted
The Government continues an exercise to localise certain United Kingdom legislation relating to the health, safety and welfare of seafarers, a spokesman for the Marine Department said today (Friday).
For administrative convenience, a total of 28 sets of regulations or rules have been divided into three batches for tabling at the Legislative Council. The first and second batches of a total of 19 sets of regulations were gazetted on December 22, 1995 and December 29, 1995 respectively. The remaining nine sets of regulations or rules made under the Merchant Shipping (Seafarers) Ordinance and the Fee (Amendment) Regulation made under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance are published in the Government Gazette today.
The Merchant Shipping (Seafarers) (Certification and Watchkeeping) Regulation requires the master and the chief engineer of all seagoing Hong Kong ships and other seagoing ships when in the waters of Hong Kong to ensure that the watchkeeping arrangements for navigational and engine room watches are adequate.
The standards to be observed are set out in the two schedules to the regulation and may be amended by the Director of Marine from time to time.
The regulation stipulates that the master shall ensure that an effective watch is kept while the ship is in port, especially when the ship carries a hazardous cargo, and the employer to ensure that the ship carries sufficient qualified officers to
maintain a safe watch.
It provides that an authorised person may inspect any ship for the purpose of verifying that officers on board are properly certificated and are able to maintain a safe watch.
There is no significant change from the existing regulations except that the exemption of application for pleasure craft has been removed.
The Merchant Shipping (Seafarers) (Employment Registration Books) Regulation specifies the particulars which are to appear in the employment registration books, and requires holders of employment registration books to produce the registration books to authorised persons to enable entries or alterations to be made.
The regulation requires the master of a ship or other person in possession of an employment registration book of a seafarer who is not present when he is discharged or who has died or is left behind in any country to deliver it to the Superintendent of the Mercantile Marine Office.