Hong Kong Regulations

MERCHANT SHIPPING (SEAFARERS) (CREW ACCOMMODATION) REGULATION - SECT 16

Ventilation

(Past version on 30/06/1997).

Amendments retroactively made - see 23 of 1998 s. 2

(1) Every enclosed space in the crew accommodation, except a cold store room,
shall be provided with a ventilation system capable of maintaining the air in
that space in a sufficiently pure condition for the health and comfort of the
crew in all conditions of weather and climate which the ship is likely to
encounter during the voyages on which it is intended to be engaged, and
capable of being controlled as necessary for that purpose. The ventilation
system shall be additional to any sidescuttles, skylights, companionways,
doors or other openings not intended solely for ventilation, and shall be so
arranged as to keep noise levels to a minimum and not to cause undue
vibration.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1)-

   (a)  in all sea-going ships of 1000 tons or over except those regularly
        employed in latitudes north of latitude 50o North or south of latitude
        45o South; and (23 of 1998 s. 2)

   (b)  in all ships of under 1000 tons regularly engaged on voyages solely
        within the area of the Tropics or the Persian Gulf, the ventilation
        system provided for every enclosed space in the crew accommodation
        except a cold store room or a galley shall be an air
conditioning system (in this Part called "an air conditioning system")
complying with the following requirements-

        (i)    it shall be of sufficient capacity to maintain a temperature of
               29℃ (dry bulb) with 50% relative humidity when the ambient
               conditions are 32℃ (dry bulb) with 78% relative humidity;

        (ii)   the minimum number of conditioned air changes shall be 8 per
               hour in any mess room or recreation room and 6 per hour in any
               other space;

        (iii)  when recirculation is employed, the minimum amount of fresh air
               supplied shall be 25 cubic metres per hour for each seafarer
               for whom accommodation is provided, or the total capacity of
               the sanitary and any other accommodation exhaust fans excluding
               the galley, whichever is the greater; and

        (iv)   the system shall have its own cooling machinery and shall not
               be connected to any refrigerating machinery provided in the
               ship for other purposes.

(3) In ships provided with an air conditioning system, sanitary accommodation,
laundries, drying rooms, changing rooms and pantries shall be provided with
mechanical exhaust ventilation complying with the requirements specified in
Schedule 4.

(4) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), in all ships except
those of under 500 tons which are regularly employed on the coasts of New
Zealand or in latitudes north of latitude 50o North or south of latitude 45o
South, every enclosed space in the crew accommodation

(except a cold store room) shall, if it is not ventilated by an air 
conditioning system, be provided with a trunked mechanical ventilation
system (in this section called "a trunked mechanical ventilation system")
complying with the requirements of Schedule 4, provided that ships regularly
employed on the coasts of New Zealand or in latitudes north of latitude 50o
North or south of latitude 45o South, the number of fresh air changes per hour
specified in that Schedule may be reduced by one third.

(5) A supply of power adequate to operate any air conditioning system or
trunked mechanical ventilation system shall be provided. Any such system
fitted shall be in operation at all times when any members of the crew are on
board and the circumstances are such that ventilation by means of such system
is required.

(6) The spare gear specified in Schedule 4 shall be properly packed for
storage and be carried for any air conditioning system or trunked mechanical
ventilation system fitted in compliance with this section.

(7) In every ship, every enclosed space in the crew accommodation which is not
ventilated either by an air conditioning system or by a 
trunked mechanical ventilation system shall be provided with a natural system
or inlet and exhaust ventilation complying with the following requirements-

   (a)  every inlet ventilator which is situated in the open air shall be of a
        cowl or other equally efficient type of ventilator and shall be so
        placed that, so far as is practicable, it is not screened from the
        wind in any direction;

   (b)  no inlet ventilator shall be situated over a doorway, stairway or
        exhaust opening; and

   (c)  the sectional area of all parts of the inlet and exhaust system
        serving each space, except parts serving a drying room or locker only,
        shall be at least 0.012 square metres in all or at least 0.004 square
        metres per seafarer for as many seafarers as are likely to use the
        space at any one time, whichever shall be the greater. The effective
        area of the inlet and exhaust system shall be adjustable from fully
        open down to a minimum area of 0.002 square metres per seafarer for as
        many seafarers as are likely to use the space at any one time.
        (Enacted 1995)