The Merchant Shipping (Radio Installations) Regulations 1992

Radio watch

43.—(1) Each ship which in accordance with this Part is fitted with a radiotelegraph installation shall, while at sea, maintain continuous watch on—

(a) the radiotelephone distress frequency at the place on board from which the ship is normally navigated by use of a radiotelephone distress frequency watch receiver; and

(b) the radiotelegraph distress frequency by means of a radio officer using headphones or a loudspeaker:

Provided that if the ship is provided with a radiotelegraph auto alarm and the means to cause an audible warning to be given in the radiotelegraph operating room, in the radio officer’s sleeping accommodation and on the bridge when the radiotelegraph auto alarm is activated by a radiotelegraph alarm signal, such watch may be kept by the radiotelegraph auto alarm—

(i) at all times except during the working hours specified in the Radio Regulations to be maintained by the appropriate category of ship station; and

(ii) on all occasions during the working hours specified in the Radio Regulations to be maintained by the appropriate category of ship station when the radio officer is performing other duties in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (3) of this regulation and it is impracticable to listen by headphones or loudspeaker; but the listening watch shall always be maintained during working hours by a radio officer using headphones or loudspeaker during the silence periods on the frequency of 500 kHz.

(2) Each radiotelegraph ship shall while at sea maintain the working hours specified in the Radio Regulations for ship stations—

(a) of the first category in respect of ships not provided with a radiotelegraph auto alarm;

(b) of the second category in respect of passenger ships provided with a radiotelegraph auto alarm and carrying or certificated to carry more than 250 passengers and engaged on a voyage exceeding 16 hours' duration between consecutive ports; or

(c) of the third category in respect of all other radiotelegraph ships provided with a radiotelegraph auto alarm.

(3) (a) During the period when a radio officer is required by this regulation to listen on the radiotelegraph distress frequency, the radio officer may discontinue such listening during the time when he is handling traffic on other frequencies or performing other essential radio duties, but only if it is impracticable to listen by split headphones or loudspeaker. The term “essential radio duties” in this paragraph includes urgent repairs of—

(i) equipment for radiocommunication used for safety;

(ii) radio navigational equipment by order of the Master.

(b) In addition to the provisions of sub-paragraph (a) of the paragraph, on ships other than multi-radio officer passenger ships, the radio officer may, in exceptional cases, that is to say, when it is impracticable to listen by split headphones or loudspeaker, discontinue listening by order of the Master in order to carry out maintenance required to prevent imminent malfunction of—

• equipment for radiocommunication used for safety;

• radio navigational equipment;

• other electronic navigational equipment including its repair:

• Provided that—

  (i)

  the radio officer is appropriately qualified to perform these duties; and

  (ii)

  the ship is fitted with a receiving selector which complies with the requirements of the Radio Regulations.

(4) In all ships fitted with a radiotelephone auto alarm, that alarm shall, while the ship is at sea, be in operation whenever there is no listening watch being kept on the radiotelegraph distress frequency by a radio officer using headphones or a loudspeaker.