The Fishing Vessels (Life-Saving Appliances) (Amendment) Regulations 1998

• Citation: S.I. 1998/927
• Sections: 3

Section 1 Citation and commencement

These Regulations may be cited as the Fishing Vessels (Life-Saving Appliances) (Amendment) Regulations 1998 and shall come into force on 1st May 1998.

Section 2 Purpose

The purpose of these Regulations is to provide for the implementation in part of Council Directive 93/103/ EC of 23rd November 1993 , on the introduction of minimum safety and health requirements for work on board fishing vessels.

Section 3 Amendment of the Fishing Vessels (Life-Saving Appliances) Regulations 1988

The Fishing Vessel (Life-Saving Appliances) Regulations 1988 shall be amended as follows:

(1) In regulation 2(1) there shall be inserted, in the appropriate places, the following definitions:

“existing vessel” means a fishing vessel which is not a new fishing vessel;

“new fishing vessel” means a fishing vessel:

for which the building or major conversion contract was placed before 23rd November 1995 (which is delivered three or more years after that date); or

which is constructed on or after 23rd November 1995;

except that if a building or major conversion contract was placed before that date and the vessel was delivered before 23rd November 1998 the vessel shall be regarded as constructed before 23rd November 1995.

(2) Between regulation 5 and regulation 6 there shall be inserted the following regulations—

Additional requirements for new vessels 15 metres and over and existing vessels of 18 metres and over

(5A) Regulations 5B and 5C apply only to new fishing vessels of 15 metres or more in length and to existing vessels of 18 metres or more in length.

(5B) All items of life-saving and survival equipment required by these Regulations shall—

(a) be kept in their proper locations, maintained in good working order and be available for immediate use;

(b) be checked by the workers before the vessel leaves port and during the voyage;

(c) be inspected at regular intervals.

(5C) All vessels shall be fitted with an adequate means of recovering a person from the water.

(3) In regulation 8(1), for “3 or 5” then shall be substituted “3, 5, 5B or 5C”.