Search Legislation

The Merchant Shipping (Bridge Visibility) (Small Passenger Ships) Regulations 2005

 Help about what version

What Version

 Help about advanced features

Advanced Features

 Help about opening options

Opening OptionsExpand opening options

Changes over time for: Explanatory Notes

 Help about opening options

Alternative versions:

Changes to legislation:

There are outstanding changes not yet made by the legislation.gov.uk editorial team to The Merchant Shipping (Bridge Visibility) (Small Passenger Ships) Regulations 2005. Any changes that have already been made by the team appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. Help about Changes to Legislation

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations apply to passenger ships under 45 metres in length which are engaged in voyages as described in regulation 3(1). The Regulations implement the recommendations of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch on bridge visibility on passenger ships set out in their Report into the loss of “the Marchioness”. The provision contained in these Regulations was previously contained in the Merchant Shipping (Passenger Ships of Classes IV, V, VI and VI(A) (Bridge Visibility) Regulations 1992 (S.I. 1992/2357), which were repealed by the Merchant Shipping (Safety of Navigation) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/1473) (“the 2002 Regulations”). The 2002 Regulations make provision for bridge visibility for ships of 45 metres in length and above in accordance with the requirements of the SOLAS Convention, but do not make provision for ships below that length.

These Regulations require ships to be so constructed that the helmsman has good visibility over an arc of 360 degrees of the horizontal plane. Where existing ships cannot fully meet the requirements for all round visibility a dedicated lookout must be posted to cover the area which is obscured from the steering position. Provision is made in the Regulations for exemptions, penalties and detention.

A full Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared and copies can be obtained from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Spring Place, 105 Commercial Road, Southampton, SO15 1EG. A copy has been placed in the Library of each House of Parliament..

Merchant Shipping Notices can be read or downloaded from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency website (www.mcga.gov.uk). Printed copies can be obtained from Mail Marketing (Scotland) Ltd, Unit 6 Bloomsgrove Industrial Estate, Norton Street, Nottingham, NG7 3JG.

Copies of the SOLAS Convention, and its Protocols and amendments, and of IMO resolutions, may be obtained from the IMO at 4 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7SR.

Back to top

Options/Help