8.—(1) The owner shall ensure that a hoist, if provided, and its ancillary equipment, is of a type approved by the Secretary of State. It shall be of such design and construction as to ensure that any person can be embarked and disembarked in a safe manner, including a safe access from the hoist to the deck and from the deck to the hoist. The hoist shall be used solely for the embarkation and disembarkation of pilots, and of officials and other persons while a ship is arriving at or leaving a port.
(2) The hoist shall be so located that it is within the parallel body length of the ship and, as far as is practicable, within the mid-ship half section of the ship taking into consideration Merchant Shipping Notice No. M898.
(3) From a standing position at the control point it shall be possible for the operator to have the hoist under observation continuously between its highest and lowest working positions.
(4) The owner and master shall ensure that in respect of the hoist there is on board a copy of the manufacturer’s maintenance manual, approved by the Secretary of State, which contains a maintenance log book. The hoist shall be maintained in accordance with the maintenance manual.
(5) A record of maintenance and repairs of the hoist shall be entered in the maintenance log book by the officer responsible for its maintenance.
(6) Notwithstanding the previous provisions of this regulation, in the case of existing ships, any hoists which are fitted and were manufactured before 20th November 1973, may be carried, if they have been modified in accordance with Merchant Shipping Notice No. M898.
(7) Any approval given pursuant to this regulation shall be given in writing and shall specify the date when it is to come into force and the conditions (if any) on which it is given.