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National Standard
for
Commercial Vessels
PART A
SAFETY OBLIGATIONS
Part A National Standard for Commercial Vessels
Edition 1
First Published — August 2002
Second Publication – April 2005
© Commonwealth of Australia
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the
Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without
written permission of the CEO, NMSC.
Published by The National Marine Safety Committee, Level 11, 207 Kent
Street Sydney. All inquiries to be addressed to the CEO, NMSC
Secretariat.
ISBN 0 642 73608 1
FOREWORD
This Part of the National Standard for Commercial Vessels was developed
to address a number of significant strategic actions in the National Marine
Safety Strategy (1998), namely to:
a) Encourage the development of professional competence in vessel
design, construction and survey.
b) Incorporate occupational health and safety (OH&S) principles into
design and construction standards.
c) Encourage the incorporation of OH&S concepts and practices in
marine training programs and in determining crew levels of fishing
vessels.
d) Encourage vessel operators to recognise their duty of care to
employees and passengers.
This Part was developed by the NMSC Secretariat in consultation with the
National Occupational Health and Safety Commission. It was
workshopped with industry in December 1999 and released for public
comment in December 2000.
The final document was approved by the NMSC in February 2002, with
the Australian Transport council endorsing Part A in July 2002.
This standard was first published in August 2002 on CD, and again in
April 2005 on CD. There were no amendments between the first and
second publication.
CONTENTS OF PART A
CHAPTER 1 PRELIMINARY ................................................................................. 5
1.1 Scope ............................................................................................... 5
1.2 Application ........................................................................................ 5
1.3 Objective........................................................................................... 5
1.4 Definitions......................................................................................... 5
CHAPTER 2 DUTIES ............................................................................................ 6
2.1 Scope ............................................................................................... 6
2.2 Application ........................................................................................ 6
2.3 General principles............................................................................. 6
2.4 General duties .................................................................................. 6
2.5 Specific duties—application.............................................................. 7
2.6 Specific duties of designers.............................................................. 8
2.7 Specific duties of builders................................................................. 8
2.8 Specific duties of suppliers ............................................................... 9
2.9 Specific duties of owners and employers ......................................... 9
2.10 Specific duties of masters and other supervising persons on the
vessel ............................................................................................. 11
2.11 Specific duties of employees .......................................................... 12
CHAPTER 1 PRELIMINARY
1.1 SCOPE
This Part provides guidance on the safety obligations and responsibilities
of persons who design, build, own, operate and otherwise exercise some
control over the safety of commercial vessels.
1.2 APPLICATION
Part A applies to designers, builders, suppliers, owners, operators and
others that exercise some control over the safety of a commercial vessel,
be it new or existing. The provisions of this Part are informative for the
purposes of compliance with this standard.
1.3 OBJECTIVE
The objective of this Part is to protect the health and safety of persons by—
a) ensuring that hazards associated with the operation of commercial
vessels in the marine environment are identified and risks to health
and safety within the work environment are assessed and controlled;
b) controlling to acceptable levels, and eliminating where practicable,
risk to health and safety arising from the operation of commercial
vessels; and
c) requiring the provision of relevant information.
1.4 DEFINITIONS
For the purposes of this Part of the NSCV—
a) the definitions provided in Part B of the NSCV, in addition to the
definition in this Clause, shall apply; and
b) where there is any duplication in the terms defined between this
Clause and Part B, the definition in this Clause shall apply.
supplier—
a person who supplies a vessel or components of a vessel, by way of
sale, lease, exchange or hire, whether as a principal or agent to another.
It includes a person who imports a vessel into a jurisdiction.
CHAPTER 2 DUTIES
2.1 SCOPE
Chapter 2 provides guidance on general and specific duties applicable to
persons that exercise some control over the safety of a vessel.
2.2 APPLICATION
The general and specific duties listed in this Chapter are illustrative and
should not be considered exhaustive.
vessel should control the risk to acceptable levels, or eliminate the risk
where practicable.
Risk may be controlled to acceptable levels or eliminated by reducing or
eliminating the exposure to hazards or by reducing or eliminating the
consequences that result from a hazard or a combination of both of these.
Depending upon the nature and extent of control available to the
particular person, the person should ensure that—
a) persons that design, build, operate, maintain and otherwise exercise
control over the safety of a vessel have the appropriate levels of
competence needed to undertake these duties;
b) measures are incorporated in the design and construction of the
vessel to minimise the risks assessed under Clause 2.4.2;
c) appropriate equipment is provided and maintained to minimise the
risks assessed under Clause 2.4.2;
d) measures are adopted when operating and maintaining the vessel to
minimise the risks assessed under Clause 2.4.2; and
e) relevant safety information is supplied and the vessel is designed,
constructed, operated and maintained in accordance with applicable
safety information (see Clause 2.4.4).
2.9.1 Consultation
Owners and/or employers should consult with employees regarding—
a) hazard identification, risk assessment and control of risk;
b) training needs;
c) use of information regarding the safe operation of the vessel; and
d) changes of systems of work which may affect health and safety.
2.9.5 Design
Where an owner engages a contractor to design a vessel or part of a
vessel, the owner should ensure that the contractor is provided with all
necessary information about the proposed operation of the vessel and
systems of work on the vessel so that the risks to health and safety
associated with the proposed operation may be taken into account during
the design process.
2.9.6 Commissioning
An owner and/or employer should ensure that—
a) the person responsible for commissioning a vessel is provided with
such information as necessary to minimise risks to health and safety;
b) the vessel is commissioned in a suitable location;
c) safe access and egress are provided;
d) appropriate safeguards are used during testing; and
e) a contingency plan exists for emergency situations.
2.11.1 Duty to provide for one’s own safety and the safety of others
Employees should comply with the risk management initiatives of the
workplace. Where a situation arises that is not covered by these risk
management initiatives, employees should comply, to the extent that they
are capable, with the general duties listed in Clause 2.4.