Merchant Shipping Act 1970

19 Safety Regulations

(1) The Board of Trade may make regulations for securing, as far as practicable, safe working conditions and safe means of access for masters and seamen employed in ships registered in the United Kingdom and for requiring the reporting of injuries sustained by them.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the preceding subsection, regulations under this section may—

(a) require the maintenance, inspection and testing of any equipment and impose conditions on its use;

(b) require, prohibit, or regulate the use of any material or process;

(c) require the provision and use of any protective clothing or equipment;

(d) limit the hours of employment of seamen in any specified operation or in any specified circumstances ;

(e) make provision for the discharge, by persons appointed from among the persons employed in a ship, of functions in connection with the arrangements to be made under the regulations.

(3) Regulations under this section may make different provisions for different descriptions of ship and for ships of the same description in different circumstances.

(4) The Board of Trade may grant exemptions from any requirement of regulations under this section in respect of any ship or description of ship.

(5) Regulations under this section may make a contravention of any provision thereof an offence punishable on summary conviction with a fine not exceeding, if the offence is committed by the master or owner, £200, and, if it is committed by any other person, £20.