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Merchant Shipping Act, 1951 (Act No. 57 of 1951)

Schedules

Second Schedule

Protocol of 1978 Relating to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974

Annex

Chapter II–1 : Construction — Subdivision and Stability, Machinery and Electrical Installations

Part C — Machinery and Electrical Installations

Regulation 25 : Emergency source of electrical power in passenger ships

 

(a) There shall be above the bulkhead deck and outside the machinery casings a selfcontained emergency source of electrical power. Its location in relation to the main source or sources of electrical power shall be such as to ensure to the satisfaction of the Administration that a fire or other casualty to the machinery space as defined in paragraph (h) of Regulation 2 of this Chapter will not interfere with the supply or distribution of emergency power. It shall not be forward of the collision bulkhead.

 

(b) The power available shall be sufficient to supply all those services that are, in the opinion of the Administration, necessary for the safety of the passengers and the crew in an emergency, due regard being paid to such services as may have to be operated simultaneously. Special consideration shall be given to emergency lighting at every boat station on deck and oversides, in all alleyways stairways and exits, in the machinery spaces and in the control stations as defined in paragraph (r) of Regulation 3 of Chapter II2, to the sprinkler pump to navigation lights, and to the daylight signalling lamp if operated from the main source of power. The power shall be adequate for a period of 36 hours, except that, in the case of ships engaged regularly on voyages of short duration, the Administration may accept a lesser supply if satisfied that the same standard of safety would be attained.

 

(c) The emergency source of power may be either—
(i) a generator driven by a suitable prime-mover with an independent fuel supply and with approved starting arrangements; the fuel used shall have a flashpoint of not less than 43°C (110°F); or
(ii) an accumulator (storage) battery capable of carrying the emergency load without recharging or excessive voltage drop.

 

(d)        

(i) Where the emergency source of power is a generator there shall be provided a temporary source of emergency power consisting of an accumulator battery of sufficient capacity—
(1) to supply emergency lighting continuously for half an hour;
(2) to close the watertight doors (if electrically operated) but not necessarily to close them all simultaneously;
(3) to operate the indicators (if electrically operated) which show whether power-operated watertight

doors are open or closed; and

(4) to operate the sound signals (if electrically operated) which give warning that power-operated watertight doors are about to close.

The arrangements shall be such that the temporary source of emergency power will come into operation automatically in the event of failure of the main electrical supply.

(ii) Where the emergency source of power is an accumulator battery, arrangements shall be made to ensure that emergency lighting will automatically come into operation in the event of failure of the main lighting supply.

 

(e) An indicator shall be mounted in the machinery space, preferably on the main switchboard, to indicate when any accumulator battery fitted in accordance with this Regulation is being discharged.

 

(f)        

(i) The emergency switchboard shall be installed as near as is practicable to the emergency source of power.
(ii) Where the emergency source of power is a generator, the emergency switchboard shall be located in the same space as the emergency source of power, unless the operation of the emergency switchboard would thereby be impaired.
(iii) No accumulator battery fitted in accordance with this Regulation shall be installed in the same space as the emergency switchboard.
(iv) The Administration may permit the emergency switchboard to be supplied from the main switchboard in normal operation.

 

(g) Arrangements shall be such that the complete emergency installation will function when the ship is inclined 22½ degrees and/or when the trim of the ship is 10 degrees.

 

(h) Provision shall be made for the periodic testing of the emergency source of power and the temporary source of power, if provided, which shall include the testing of automatic arrangements.