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Marine Machinery Regulations (SOR/90-264)

Regulations are current to 2024-11-11 and last amended on 2023-12-20. Previous Versions

SCHEDULE XVBilge and Ballast Pumping Systems, Heeling, Trimming and Passive Roll Stabilizing Tank Filling and Emptying Systems

PART I(Section 4)Design Specifications

DIVISION IApplication

ItemDescription of Ships
1

In this Schedule,

Group 1 ship

Group 1 ship means a ship certificated to carry more than 12 passengers that is on a voyage as follows:

  • (a) Foreign voyage, or

  • (b) Home Trade Class I or II;

Group 2 ship

Group 2 ship means a ship certificated to carry more than 12 passengers that is on a voyage as follows:

  • (a) Home Trade Class III to ports outside Canada,

  • (b) where the ship is over 150 tons gross tonnage, Inland Water Class I or II to ports outside Canada, and

  • (c) where the ship is over 61 m length,

    • (i) Home Trade Class III to Canadian ports only,

    • (ii) Inland Water Class I or II to Canadian ports only, or

    • (iii) Minor Waters Class I;

Group 3 ship

Group 3 ship means any passenger and non-passenger ship over 18 m in length that is not a Group 1 or a Group 2 ship;

Group 4 ship

Group 4 ship means a ship that is over 5 tons gross tonnage, does not exceed 18 m in length and is not a launch;

Group 5 ship

Group 5 ship means a ship that is

  • (a) not over five tons gross tonnage and certificated to carry passengers; or

  • (b) is a launch.

DIVISION iiGroups 1, 2 and 3 Ships

ItemRequirements
Pumping Systems
1Water shall be prevented from inadvertently passing from
  • (a) water-containing spaces or the sea into cargo or machinery spaces; or

  • (b) from one compartment to another.

2Piping systems shall be arranged as follows:
  • (a) the bilge pipe connection to a pump that has suction from the sea shall include either a screw-down non-return valve or a cock that cannot be open to the bilges and to the water-containing spaces or the sea at the same time; and

  • (b) an arrangement of lock-up valves or blank flanges shall be provided to prevent any deep tank from being inadvertently filled from the sea when containing cargo or pumped out through a bilge pipe when containing ballast water and explanatory notices shall be conspicuously displayed near the components involved.

3Screw-down non-return valves shall be fitted in the following components:
  • (a) bilge valve distribution manifolds;

  • (b) bilge suction hose connections, where fitted directly to the pump or to the main bilge suction pipe; and

  • (c) direct bilge suction pipes and bilge pump connections to the main bilge suction pipe.

4All cocks and valves that are connected to bilge and ballast pipes shall be fitted with legible name-plates and shall be in readily accessible positions.
5For ships, other than tankers and similar ships, branch bilge suction pipes shall be connected to the main bilge suction pipes and shall be arranged to draw water from any cargo hold, tunnel, machinery space or similar compartment, except that in chain lockers and other small spaces independent pumps that are power or manually driven may be used.
6Subject to items 7 and 118 to 121, bilge suction pipes that are required for drawing water from cargo or machinery spaces shall be entirely separate from sea inlet pipes or from pipes that may be used for filling or emptying spaces where water or oil is carried.
7The following connections may be used in bilge suction systems:
  • (a) a connecting pipe to a bilge water ejector, where the bilge water ejector provides a service equivalent to a pump;

  • (b) a connecting pipe from a pump to its suction valve manifold; or

  • (c) a deep tank suction pipe suitably connected through a change-over device to the bilge, ballast or oil-pumping system.

8Ballast water shall not be carried in tanks intended for fuel oil unless required for the stability of the ship or other safety reasons.
9Where tanks, including passive roll-stabilizing tanks, are arranged for alternative carriage of oil, water or dry cargo, there shall be blank flanging or other suitable arrangements to prevent interconnection of pumping, overflow or liquid heating systems.
10Bilge suction pipes shall not be carried through double bottom tanks unless alternative routing is impracticable.
11Bilge suction pipes that pass through double bottom tanks shall be of extra-heavy thickness.
12Bilge suction pipes that pass through deep tanks shall be led through pipe tunnels, but where such leading is not practicable, the pipes shall be of extra-heavy thickness and fitted in one length if practicable, with welded or heavily flanged joints.
13Provision for expansion of pipes shall be made and within tanks expansion bends only shall be fitted.
14The open ends of the bilge suction pipes in the holds shall be fitted with non-return valves suitable for use in cargo holds.
15The distance between the lower end of all bilge suction tailpipes and the bottom of the bilge or well shall be adequate to allow a full flow of water and to facilitate cleaning.
16Bilge and ballast suction and discharge pipes shall be made in readily removable lengths with flanged joints, except as prescribed in item 12, and shall be efficiently secured in position to prevent chafing or movement.
17Long or heavy lengths of pipes shall be supported by bearers so that no undue load will be carried by the flanged connections of the pumps or fittings to which the flanged connections are attached.
18Subject to subitem 9(c) of Division II of Part I of Schedule IX, pipes for bilge, ballast and similar systems shall be made of steel or other metallic material.
19Piping, valves, mud boxes, strainers and extended spindles, where fitted, shall be protected against damage, particularly in cargo holds where spindles shall be encased.
20Shipside connections shall be designed, constructed and installed in accordance with rules or codes and Schedule VII.
Machinery Space Normal Bilge Pumping
21The machinery space bilge-water means of drainage for normal bilge pumping shall be such that any water that enters the space can be pumped out through at least two bilge suction pipes when the ship is on an even keel and is either upright or is listing by not more than 5°.
22One of the suction pipes shall be a branch bilge suction pipe leading from the main bilge suction pipe and the other shall be a direct bilge suction pipe leading directly from an independent power pump that may be used independently of the main bilge suction piping system.
23Where the double bottom extends the full length of the machinery space and forms bilges at the sides of the machinery space, one branch bilge suction pipe and one direct bilge suction pipe shall lead to each side bilge.
24Where the double bottom extends the full length and breadth of the machinery space and is fitted with bilge wells, one branch bilge suction pipe and one direct bilge suction pipe shall lead to each of the two bilge wells having a capacity of not less than 150 L and situated one at each side of the machinery space.
25Where there is no double bottom, one branch bilge suction pipe and one direct bilge suction pipe shall lead to accessible locations as near to the centre line of the ship as practicable and, if the rise of the floor is less than 5°, a branch bilge suction pipe shall lead to each side of the machinery space.
26In ships certificated to carry more than 12 passengers, the machinery spaces bilge water drainage shall be such that the spaces, where practicable, can be pumped out after a casualty, whether the ship is upright or listed.
27For ships referred to in item 26 there shall be a direct bilge suction pipe from each independent bilge pump situated in the machinery spaces except that not more than two direct suction pipes, one on the port side and one on the starboard side, are required to be fitted in each machinery space.
28Bilge suction pipes shall lead to the forward sides of the machinery spaces where the bilge-water normally drains forward.
29Where a considerable quantity of cooling water is discharged to the machinery space bilges, means shall be provided to deal with that water in addition to the normal bilge-pumping arrangements where the normal bilge-pumping capacity is inadequate to deal with the additional water.
30Where there are depressions in the tank tops due to inverse camber, double bottom discontinuity or accommodation for machinery, means shall be provided to remove bilge-water accumulation in the depressions.
31Where the main propulsion system is electrical, means shall be provided to prevent accumulation of bilge-water under the main propulsion generators and motors.
32Where a machinery space is divided by watertight bulkheads so as to separate the boiler rooms or auxiliary engine rooms from the main engine room, the number and position of the branch bilge suction pipes in the boiler rooms or auxiliary engine rooms shall be the same as for cargo holds referred to in item 49 except that an additional independent power pump direct bilge suction pipe shall be fitted in each watertight compartment and shall, if practicable, lead to the end of the compartment opposite the branch suction pipe location.
33Provisions similar to those set out in item 32 shall be made in each separate motor room of electrically propelled ships.
34The shaft tunnel aft well suction pipe shall be directly connected to the main bilge suction pipe.
35Where the tank top in the shaft tunnel slopes down from aft to forward, a bilge well shall be provided at the forward end of the tunnel in addition to the aft well referred to in item 34 and one suction pipe may serve both wells if the wells are fitted with separate valves.
36Suction pipes for normal bilge pumping in machinery spaces and shaft tunnels shall lead from easily accessible mud boxes fitted with
  • (a) straight tailpipes to bilges; and

  • (b) covers that are secured in such a manner that they can be expeditiously opened and closed.

37Subject to item 38, strainers shall not be fitted to the lower ends of tailpipes.
38In the case of ships with open floors, strainers with an open area at least three times the area of the suction pipe may be fitted at the lower ends of tail pipes in lieu of mud boxes if the strainers can be fitted in readily accessible locations.
39Bilge cocks, valves and mud boxes shall be fitted at or above the machinery space and shaft tunnel platforms.
40Where it is not practicable to avoid locating bilge cocks, valves and mud boxes at the engine control platform or in passageways, the bilge cocks, valves and mud boxes may be situated just below the platform if readily removable traps or covers are fitted with name-plates indicating the presence of components.
Emergency Bilge Pumping of Machinery Spaces
41In addition to the bilge suction pipes required for normal bilge pumping referred to in items 21 to 40, every machinery space shall be fitted with an emergency bilge suction pipe which pipe shall be
  • (a) led to the main cooling-water pump from a suitable drainage level in the machinery space; and

  • (b) fitted with a screw-down non-return valve that has a spindle extended so that the hand wheel is not less than 460 mm above the bottom platform.

42Where two or more cooling-water pumps are provided, each capable of supplying cooling water for normal propulsion power, only one pump is required to be fitted with an emergency bilge suction pipe.
43In ships with steam-propelled machinery, the emergency bilge suction pipe shall have a diameter of at least two-thirds that of the cooling-water suction pipe connection to the pump, and in other ships, the emergency bilge suction pipe shall have the same diameter as the cooling-water suction pipe connection to the pump.
44Where the main cooling-water pump referred to in subitem 41(a) is less suitable than other available pumps for bilge pumping duties, an emergency bilge suction pipe separate from, and additional to, any other required bilge suction pipe shall be fitted to draw water from the drainage level of a machinery space, and shall
  • (a) lead to the largest available independent power pump; and

  • (b) have the same diameter as the largest suction pipe connection to the pump referred to in subitem (a).

45Except in ships certificated to carry more than 12 passengers, a direct bilge suction pipe on the same side of the ship as the emergency suction pipe may be omitted where the emergency bilge suction pipe is connected to a self-priming type of pump.
46Emergency bilge suction valve name-plates shall be permanently marked “For emergency use only”.
47A flexible suction hose that has a strainer attached to its lower end and that is of sufficient length and diameter that it is capable of being connected to the suction side of an independent power pump shall be located in the boiler room of every coal-burning ship.
Bilge Pumping of Cargo Holds, Tanks and Other Non-machinery Spaces
48An efficient pumping system shall be fitted with bilge suction pipes at suitable drainage levels and located so that all water within any compartment, other than spaces permanently appropriated for the carriage of oil, fresh water or other liquids, can be pumped out through at least one suction pipe when the ship is on an even keel and is either upright or is listing by not more than 5°.
49For the purposes of item 48, suction pipes on each side of the ship are necessary, except in short narrow compartments where one suction pipe can provide effective drainage under the conditions set out in that item.
50In ships certificated to carry more than 12 passengers, the drainage flow arrangements to bilge suction pipes shall be such that all watertight compartments, where practicable, can be pumped out after a casualty, whether the ship is upright or listing.
51The open ends of bilge suction pipes in holds and other compartments outside machinery spaces and shaft tunnels shall be enclosed in strainers that
  • (a) have perforations not more than 10 mm in diameter;

  • (b) have a total perforated area of not less than twice that of the suction pipe; and

  • (c) can be cleared without breaking any joint of the suction pipe.

52Where, due to size or location of a particular compartment, the installation of a bilge suction pipe would be impracticable, and where flooding calculations indicate that the safety of the ship will not be impaired, the installation of a bilge suction pipe is not required to be installed in that compartment.
53Subject to item 118, in ships that have only one cargo hold, where the cargo hold is over 30 m in length bilge suction pipes shall lead to suitable positions in the aft half length and in the forward half length of the cargo hold.
54Where close-fitting ceilings or continuous plates are fitted over side bilges, arrangements shall be made so that water in a hold compartment can find its way to the bilge suction pipes.
55Where the inner bottom plating extends to the side of the ship, the bilge suction pipes shall lead to wells placed at the side, and if the tank top plating has inverse camber, a suction pipe shall also lead to a well fitted at the centre line of the ship.
56Bilge wells shall have a capacity of not less than 150 L, except that in small compartments bilge wells are not required to be fitted if the bilge suction pipes have steel strainers fitted at their lower end.
57Where access openings to bilge wells are necessary, they shall be fitted as near to the suction strainers as practicable.
58Access to the bilge suction strainer of a bilge well shall not be by means of an opening in machinery space or shaft tunnel watertight divisions, except that where such an arrangement is necessary due to the design features and location of the bilge well, the watertight access opening cover shall be of the hinged type, and a permanent metal plate that bears a notice that the cover must be kept closed, except when access is necessary, shall be affixed in a well-lighted position.
59In ships certificated to carry more than 12 passengers, an access opening shall not pass through the machinery space or shaft tunnel watertight divisions.
60Subject to item 61, the integrity of machinery space or shaft tunnel watertight divisions shall not be impaired by fitting scupper pipe discharges into machinery spaces or shaft tunnels from adjacent compartments situated below the bulkhead deck.
61Scupper pipes with valves and that lead from adjacent compartments may be fitted and lead into a strongly constructed scupper drain tank situated in a machinery space or tunnel.
62The scupper drain tank shall be entirely closed and shall be
  • (a) drained by means of a suction pipe leading from the main bilge pipe through a screw-down non-return valve; and

  • (b) vented from a position above the bulkhead deck.

63Means shall be provided for determining the level of water in the scupper drain tank.
64Where one drain tank is used for the drainage of several watertight compartments, the scupper pipes shall be fitted with screw-down non-return valves.
65Means shall be provided for the efficient drainage of the inside of all refrigerated spaces in accordance with rules or codes.
66Means shall be provided for the drainage of the chain locker and watertight compartments above the forepeak tank by manual or power pumps.
67Steering gear compartments or other small enclosed spaces situated above the afterpeak tank shall be provided with suitable means of drainage by manual or power pumps.
68Where the compartments referred to in item 67 are adequately isolated from the adjacent ‘tween-decks, they may be drained by scupper pipes of not less than 35 mm internal diameter discharging to the shaft tunnel, or to machinery spaces in the case of ships with machinery aft, if the pipes are fitted with self-closing cocks situated in well-lighted and visible locations.
69In ships certificated to carry more than 12 passengers, the scupper pipe arrangement referred to in item 68 shall not be fitted unless flooding calculations indicate that the safety of the ship will not be impaired.
Forepeak and Afterpeak Pumping
70Where the forepeak and afterpeak are used as tanks, a separate power pump suction pipe shall lead to each tank, except that in the case of small tanks used for the carriage of domestic fresh water, manual pumps may be used.
71Where the forepeak and afterpeak are not used as tanks and power bilge pumping system suction pipes are not fitted, pumping of both peaks may be effected by manual pumps if the suction lift is within the capacity of the pumps and does not exceed 7.5 m in height.
72The collision bulkhead may be pierced by pipes for tank filling and emptying purposes but no open-ended drain valve or cock shall be fitted.
73The pipes referred to in item 72 shall be provided with screw-down valves that are secured to the bulkhead inside the forepeak and that are
  • (a) capable of being operated from an accessible location above the bulkhead deck; and

  • (b) clearly identified with an indication of their operational status.

74In ships certificated to carry 12 passengers or less, valves referred to in item 73 may be fitted on the aft side of the collision bulkhead and the valves are not required to be capable of remote control if
  • (a) they are readily accessible at all times; and

  • (b) the space in which they are located is not a cargo space.

Watertight Division Components
75No open-ended drain valve or cock shall be fitted to any watertight division where alternative means of drainage are practicable.
76Where fitted, open-ended drain valves and cocks shall be
  • (a) readily accessible at all times;

  • (b) capable of being shut-off from locations above the bulkhead deck; and

  • (c) clearly identified with an indication of their operational status.

77Valves, cocks, pipes or other components attached directly to the plating of tanks and to watertight divisions shall be secured by
  • (a) screwing studs through the plating;

  • (b) using screwed bolts and not by bolts passing through clearance holes; or

  • (c) welding the studs or the bulkhead piece to the plating.

Tank Venting Pipes
78Vent pipes shall be provided for tanks intended to contain liquid.
79Vent pipes shall be arranged to be self-draining when the ship is on an even keel.
80Vent pipes shall be arranged, and the upper part of tanks designed, so that air or gas can freely evacuate.
81Vent pipes shall be fitted at the highest parts of the tanks and, where possible, opposite the filling pipes, when the ship is to be on an even keel.
82When the tank top is of irregular form, the number and location of vent pipes shall be such as to permit the efficient ventilation of the tank.
83Where only one vent pipe is provided, it shall not be used as a filling pipe.
84Vent pipes from double-bottom tanks, deep tanks and other tanks that can be filled from the sea shall lead to above the freeboard deck.
85Vent pipes from compartments such as cofferdams and from all tanks that can be pumped shall not lead to enclosed areas of the ship.
86Means shall be provided to prevent over-pressure or a vacuum in the tanks when closing appliances are in place, by a hole approximately 10 mm in diameter, or other suitable means, in the closing appliance or vent pipe bend.
87In each tank that is capable of being pumped up and in which no over-flow pipe is fitted, the total cross-section of vent pipes shall not be less than 1.25 times the cross-sectional area of the corresponding filling pipes and the internal diameter shall not be less than 50 mm.
88Vent pipes from heeling or trimming pumping system tanks shall be of sufficient size to prevent the tanks from being subjected to a vacuum or over-pressure beyond the designed structural strength of the tanks when the systems are in operation.
89Permanent name-plates shall be attached to the upper part of vent pipes.
Overflow Pipes
90Where necessary, overflow pipes shall be fitted to prevent tanks from being subjected during filling operations to pressures greater than test pressures.
91Overflow pipes shall be fitted where the cross-section of the vent pipes is less than that set out for vent pipes in item 87.
92Overflow pipes shall have name-plates attached to the upper part and shall be led
  • (a) to areas other than enclosed areas of the ship; or

  • (b) to spaces provided with means for evacuating the liquid likely to escape accidentally from the overflow.

93Where overflow pipes from tanks containing the same liquid or from tanks each of which contains a different liquid are connected to a common piping system, provision shall be made to prevent any risk of intercommunication between the tanks while the tanks are being emptied or filled.
94Arrangements shall be made so that a tank cannot be flooded from the sea through the overflow pipe where another tank connected to the same overflow pipe system is bilged.
95Overflow piping systems shall be so arranged as to be self-draining when the ship is on an even keel.
96The internal diameter of overflow pipes shall not be less than 50 mm.
Sounding Arrangements
97Means shall be provided for sounding all tanks and the bilges of those compartments which are not readily accessible and the soundings shall be taken as near to the suction pipes as practicable.
98Bilges of compartments that are not readily accessible shall be fitted with sounding pipes.
99Sounding pipes shall have an identifying name-plate attached to the upper end, be as straight as practicable, and if curved to suit the structure of the ship, the curvature shall be sufficiently easy to permit the ready passage of the sounding rod or chain.
100Suitable sounding devices may be used in lieu of sounding pipes for tank liquid level gauging if a supplementary means of manual sounding is provided.
101Subject to items 102 and 104, sounding pipes shall lead to locations above the bulkhead deck that are accessible at all times.
102In machinery spaces and shaft tunnels where it is not practicable to extend the sounding pipes from double-bottom tanks to above the bulkhead deck, short sounding pipes extending to readily accessible locations at the lowest working-level platform may be fitted.
103Short sounding pipes to water tanks shall be fitted with shut-off cocks or with screw caps attached to the pipes by chains.
104In ships certificated to carry more than 12 passengers, short sounding pipes may be fitted to cofferdams and double-bottom water tanks situated in the machinery spaces only and shall in all cases to be fitted with self-closing cocks.
105Sounding pipes with elbows shall not be fitted to deep tanks unless the pipes and elbows are situated within closed cofferdams or within tanks containing liquids similar to the liquids in the pipes and elbows, but sounding pipes with elbows may be fitted to tanks other than deep tanks and may be used for sounding compartment bilges if it is not practicable to lead sounding pipes directly to the tanks or compartments.
106The elbows of sounding pipes shall be of heavy construction and adequately supported.
107In ships certificated to carry more than 12 passengers, sounding pipes with elbows shall not be fitted.
108Striking plates of adequate thickness and size shall be fitted under open-ended sounding pipes.
109Where slotted sounding pipes having closed ends are used, the closing plugs shall be of heavy construction.
110The internal diameter of sounding pipes shall be not less than 30 mm.
111All sounding pipes for compartments or tanks that pass through refrigerated spaces, or the insulation thereof, and in which the temperature is 0°C or below, shall be suitably insulated and the internal diameter of the pipes shall not be less than 65 mm.
Bilge Piping
112Subject to items 113 to 118 and to items 7 and 8 of Division VI, the internal diameter of main and branch bilge suction pipes shall be in accordance with rules or codes.
113For all ships certificated to carry more than 12 passengers that have a subdivision load line, the diameter of the main bilge pipe shall not be less than that derived in accordance with the following formula, taken to the nearest 5 mm:
Lowercase d equals 25 millimeters plus 1.68 times the square root of the product of L times the sum of B and uppercase D

where

d
is the internal diameter of the bilge pipe, in millimetres
L
is the distance measured between perpendiculars of the ship taken at the extremities of the deepest subdivision load line, in metres
B
is the breadth of the ship measured at the extreme width from outside of frame to outside of frame at or below the deepest subdivision load line, in metres
D
is the moulded depth of the ship to the bulkhead deck, in metres
114The internal diameter of the main bilge suction pipe shall not be less than that of any branch bilge suction pipe and for Group 1 and 2 ships the internal diameter of the main bilge suction pipe shall not be less than 60 mm.
115The internal diameter of the branch bilge suction pipe shall not be less than 50 mm and is not required to be more than 100 mm except in the case of pumping from small spaces, where piping with a diameter of 35 mm or more may be used.
116The internal diameter of the bilge suction pipe to the shaft tunnel well shall not be less than 60 mm except in ships not exceeding 61 m in length, where the internal diameter may not be less than 50 mm.
117Notwithstanding item 114, for ships not exceeding 31 m in length certificated to operate on Minor Waters, Inland Waters Class II or Home Trade Class IV voyages, the diameter of the main and branch bilge suction pipes may be reduced by 20 per cent below the diameter determined in accordance with item 112, but the internal diameter shall not be less than 35 mm.
118For a Group 3 ship that has only one cargo hold, where the hold is over 30 m in length one branch suction pipe only may lead to each side of the after end of the cargo hold if the ship
  • (a) is certificated to operate solely on Inland Waters Class voyages;

  • (b) has double-bottom tanks under the full length and breadth of the cargo hold;

  • (c) has watertight longitudinal bulkheads on both sides of the hold that extend the full length of the hold and extend from the bottom of the ship to the freeboard deck; and

  • (d) is designed so that any water in the hold will drain to at least one of the suction pipes.

119The diameter of the branch suction pipe referred to in item 118 shall not be less than that derived in accordance with the following formula, taken to the nearest 5 mm:
Lowercase d equals 25 millimeters plus 2.16 times the square root of the product of C times the sum of B and uppercase D

where:

d
is the internal diameter of the branch suction pipe, in millimetres
C
is the length of the cargo hold, in metres
B
is the greatest moulded breadth of the ship in metres
D
is the moulded depth of the ship to freeboard deck, in metres
120Where the branch suction pipe referred to in item 118 is used only for the purpose of pumping from the cargo hold, it may be connected to the main bilge pipe or the main ballast pipe, but in such a case
  • (a) the internal diameter of the main pipe shall not be less than the diameter of the branch suction pipe;

  • (b) the appropriate power pump shall have the pumping capacity for the diameter of the main pipe as set out in the Table of Capacities to this Part; and

  • (c) the branch suction pipe shall be fitted with a screw-down non-return valve.

121Where the branch suction pipe referred to in item 118 is used for the purpose of pumping from and filling the cargo hold, it shall be connected to the main ballast pipe, and in such case
  • (a) the internal diameter of the main ballast pipe shall not be less than the diameter of the branch suction pipe;

  • (b) the ballast pump shall have the pumping capacity for the diameter of the main ballast pipe as set out in the Table of Capacities to this Part; and

  • (c) the branch suction pipe shall be fitted with a screw lift valve and means to prevent the cargo hold from being inadvertently filled from the sea.

122The cross-sectional area of each pipe connecting the main bilge pipe to a bilge distribution manifold shall not be less than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the two largest branch bilge suction pipes connected to the manifold, but need not be greater than the cross-sectional area of the main bilge pipe.
123Subject to item 124, the diameter of direct bilge suction pipes in machinery spaces, other than emergency suction pipes, shall have a diameter not less than the diameter of the main bilge pipe.
124For Group 3 ships, where direct bilge suction pipes lead to both sides of the ship for normal bilge pumping, one suction pipe shall be of a size not less than that of the main bilge pipe and the other suction pipe may be of the size of the machinery space branch bilge suction pipe, but the smaller suction pipe shall be fitted on the same side as the emergency bilge suction pipe.
Bilge Pumps and Connections
125All power pumps essential for bilge pumping shall be of the self-priming type unless a central priming system is provided for those pumps.
126Each power bilge pump shall be capable of giving a flow rate of water through the required main bilge pipe of not less than 2 m/s as set out in the Table of Capacities to this Part.
127Bilge pumps may be used as fire pumps if the simultaneous operation of bilge-pumping systems and fire-pumping systems is not compromised.
128Sanitary, ballast and general service pumps may be used as independent power bilge pumps if they are fitted with the necessary connections for bilge pumping.
129No emergency bilge pump shall be installed forward of the collision bulkhead.
130Pumps required for essential services shall not be connected to a common suction manifold, a common suction pipe, a common discharge manifold or a common discharge pipe unless the arrangements are such that the working of any pump so connected will not be affected by any other pumps operating at the same time.
131Bilge pumps shall have isolating valves so that any one pump may continue to operate when another pump is dismantled.
132Where relief valves are fitted to bilge pumps that have sea connections, those valves and their outlets shall be fitted in readily visible locations above the lowest working-level platform.
133In ships certificated to carry more than 12 passengers, power bilge pumps located in spaces other than machinery spaces are required to have separate direct suction pipes unless the size of the other spaces does not warrant such pipes.

DIVISION IIIGroup 1 Ships

ItemRequirements
Bilge Pumps and Connections
1The main bilge pipe shall be connected to
  • (a) at least three power pumps, where the Criterion of Service Numeral for the ship, as determined pursuant to the Hull Construction Regulations, is less than 30; or

  • (b) at least four power pumps, where the Criterion of Service Numeral for the ship, as determined pursuant to the Hull Construction Regulations, is 30 or more.

2One of the power pumps referred to in item 1 may be directly driven by a main propulsion engine.

DIVISION IVGroup 2 Ships

ItemRequirements
Bilge Pumps and Connections
1The main bilge pipe shall be connected to
  • (a) at least three power pumps, where the Criterion of Service Numeral for the ship, as determined pursuant to the Hull Construction Regulations, is less than 30; or

  • (b) at least four power pumps, where the Criterion of Service Numeral for the ship, as determined pursuant to the Hull Construction Regulations, is 30 or more.

2One of the power pumps referred to in item 1 may be directly driven by a main propulsion engine.
3In ships of less than 91.5 m in length certificated to operate on Minor Waters Class I voyages, the number of pumps set out in item 1 may be reduced by one.
4In ships of less than 61 m in length certificated to operate on voyages other than Minor Waters Class I voyages, the number of pumps set out in item 1 may be reduced by one if one manual pump having inlet and outlet sizes equal to or greater than those of the pump it is replacing is provided.

DIVISION VGroups 1 and 2 Ships

ItemRequirements
1In ships of 91.5 m or more in length, or that have a Criterion of Service Numeral for the ship, as determined pursuant to the Hull Construction Regulations, of 30 or more, the bilge pumping system shall have at least one power pump available for use in all flooding conditions the ship is designed to withstand.
2The requirement of item 1 is met where
  • (a) one of the power pumps is an emergency pump of a submersible type having a source of power and controls located above the bulkhead deck; or

  • (b) the pumps and their sources of power are so disposed throughout the length of the ship that under any flooding conditions that the ship is designed to withstand at least one power pump in an undamaged compartment is operable.

3Controls referred to in subitem 2(a) shall be clearly identified and an indication of their operational status at the remote control location given, and where extended spindles are used for valves, the spindles shall lead as directly as possible to the remote control location.
4Where the ship is not a Safety Convention ship, one power pump, other than the emergency pump, with a pumping capacity of not less than 70 per cent of the capacity set out in the Table of Capacities to this Part may be used where the deficiency in pumping capacity is made up by the excess capacity in the other power pumps.
5The required power pump capacity in m3 per hour for a given internal diameter in millimetres of main bilge pipes is set out in the Table of Capacities to this Part.
6Where practicable, the power bilge pumps shall be placed in separate watertight compartments so arranged or situated that those compartments will not readily be flooded by the same casualty.
7Where the engines and boilers are in two or more watertight compartments, the pumps available for bilge service shall be distributed throughout the compartments to the extent possible.
8Manual bilge pumps, where fitted, shall be operable from above the bulkhead deck and shall be so arranged that the components can be withdrawn for examination and overhaul during flooding.
9Where two manual pumps are fitted, a shut-off valve or cock operated from above the bulkhead deck, or non-return valves, shall be fitted to enable one of the pumps to be dismantled without the efficiency of the other being affected.
10In coal-burning ships where there is no watertight bulkhead between the engine room and the boiler room, a direct discharge overboard shall be fitted from at least one condenser circulating water pump, or a condenser by-pass shall be fitted to the circulating water pipeline.
11The main bilge pipe shall be arranged so that no part is situated nearer the side of the ship than the B/5 line where B is the breadth of the ship measured at right angles to the centre line at the level of the deepest subdivision load line or deep load line where a subdivision load line is not assigned.
12Where any bilge pump or its connecting pipe to the main bilge pipe is situated outboard of the B/5 line,
  • (a) a non-return valve shall be fitted in the connecting pipe at the junction with the main bilge pipe; and

  • (b) the emergency bilge pump and its connections to the main bilge pipe shall be arranged so that they are situated inboard of the B/5 line.

13Means shall be provided to prevent the compartment served by any bilge suction pipe from being flooded in the event of the pipe being severed or otherwise damaged in any other compartment by collision or grounding.
14For the purpose of item 13, where any part of a bilge suction pipe is situated outboard of the B/5 line or in a duct keel, a non-return valve shall be fitted to the pipe in the compartment containing an open end.
15All distribution boxes, cocks and valves in bilge pumping systems shall be
  • (a) in locations that are accessible at all times under normal circumstances; and

  • (b) so arranged that one of the bilge pumps is capable of pumping out any compartment during flooding conditions.

16Where there is only one system of pipes common to all the bilge pumps, the necessary cocks or valves for controlling the bilge suction shall be operable from above the bulkhead deck.
17Where, in addition to the main bilge pumping system, an emergency bilge pumping system is fitted,
  • (a) the emergency system shall be

    • (i) independent of the main system, and

    • (ii) so arranged that a pump is capable of pumping out any compartment during flooding; and

  • (b) only the cocks and valves necessary for the operation of the emergency system are required to be capable of being operated from above the bulkhead deck.

18Remote controls for cocks and valves referred to in subitem 17(b) shall lead as directly as possible to the remote control location and shall be clearly identified at the upper end and an indication of their operational status given.
19Where divided deep tanks or side tanks are provided with cross-flooding arrangements to limit the angle of heel after side damage, the arrangements shall be self-acting where practicable.
20In the case where cross-flooding controls are necessary, such controls shall be clearly identified and shall be operable from above the bulkhead deck.
21The size of vent pipes for tanks fitted with cross-flooding connections shall be determined by the size of the cross-flooding connections.
22There shall be no closing appliance on vent pipes of tanks fitted with cross-flooding connections.

DIVISION VIGroup 3 Ships

ItemRequirements
1The main bilge pipe shall be connected to at least two power pumps.
2Two power pumps operating together may be used in lieu of one power pump if the pumps have at least a combined capacity equivalent to the one power pump.
3For ships not exceeding 91.5 m in length, one of the power pumps required by item 1 may be driven directly by the main propulsion engine.
4For ships not exceeding 150 tons gross tonnage certificated to operate on Minor Waters, Inland Waters Class II or Home Trade Class IV voyages, a manual pump may be used in lieu of a power pump if it has inlet and outlet sizes equal to or greater than those of the power pump.
5One power pump with a pumping capacity of not less than 70 per cent of the capacity set out in the Table of Capacities to this Part may be used where the deficiency in pumping capacity is made up by the excess capacity in the other power pumps.
6The power pump capacity in m3 per hour for a given internal diameter in millimeters of main bilge pipes is set out in the Table of Capacities to this Part.
Oil Tankers and Similar Ships
7For oil tankers and similar ships where the main machinery space bilge pumps are not connected to bilge pumping systems outside the machinery space, a main bilge suction pipe that has a cross-sectional area of not less than twice that of the branch bilge suction pipe may be used.
8Design of bilge-water pumping systems outside the main machinery space and of ballast water systems in oil tankers and similar ships referred to in item 7 shall be in accordance with rules or codes.

DIVISION VIIGroup 4 Ships

ItemRequirements
Piping Systems
1An effective pumping system shall be fitted with bilge suction pipes leading to drainage levels that permit all water within any compartment or any watertight section of any compartment to be pumped out through at least one suction pipe when the ship is on an even keel and is either upright or is listing by not more than 5°.
2In ships certificated to carry more than 12 passengers, bilge water drainage in machinery spaces and watertight compartments shall be such that the spaces and compartments, where practicable, can be pumped out after a casualty when the ship is upright or listing.
3The arrangement of the pumping system shall be such as to prevent the possibility of water passing from the sea to any compartment or from one watertight compartment to another and for that purpose bilge suction valves shall be of the screw-down non-return type.
4A machinery space bilge suction pipe shall lead from an easily accessible mud box that is fitted with a straight tailpipe to the bilge, except that a mud box is not required if the tailpipe leads to an easily accessible strainer that has a total open area of at least three times the cross-sectional area of the suction pipe.
5The open ends of bilge suction pipes in compartments outside machinery spaces shall be enclosed in strainers that
  • (a) have perforations of not more than 10 mm in diameter;

  • (b) have a total perforated area of not less than twice that of the suction pipe; and

  • (c) can be cleared without breaking any joint of the suction pipe.

6Bilge suction pipes shall have an internal diameter of not less than 35 mm, except that ships not in excess of 11 m in length may have suction pipes with an internal diameter of not less than 25 mm.
7Subject to item 2, where a ship is not in excess of 11 m in length, one machinery space bilge suction pipe only is required to be fitted.
8Bilge suction pipes for pumping cargo or machinery spaces shall be entirely separate from sea inlet pipes that may be used for filling or emptying spaces where liquid is carried.
9Sea suction, overboard discharge and bilge valves shall be in easily accessible locations and readily visible.
10Pipes shall be made in readily removable lengths with flanged joints, or other connections of a type offering security equivalent to that of flanged joints.
Pumps
11The bilge suction pipe shall be connected to at least two pumps of the self-priming type unless a central priming system is provided for the pumps.
12At least one bilge pump shall be an independent power pump and the other bilge pump may be a main propulsion engine-driven pump or manual pump, if the pumping capacity of each power pump meets the requirements of the Table of Capacities to this Part and the manual pump has inlet and outlet sizes equal to or greater than those of the independent power bilge pump.
13For ships certificated to operate on Minor Waters, Inland Waters Class II and Home Trade Class IV voyages, each power pump capacity may be reduced by 20 per cent of the capacity set out in the Table of Capacities to this Part, but there shall be no reduction in the piping diameter.
14For ships in excess of 11 m in length, the independent power pump shall have, in addition to the main bilge suction pipe connection, a direct machinery space bilge suction pipe of equal diameter.
15Bilge pumps may be used as fire pumps if the simultaneous operation of bilge-pumping systems and fire-pumping systems is not compromised.
16A general service power pump that is not connected to oil systems may be used as an independent bilge pump if it is fitted with the necessary connections for bilge pumping.
17Pumps shall have isolating valves so that any one pump may continue to operate when another pump is dismantled.

DIVISION VIIIGroup 5 Ships

ItemRequirements
Piping Systems
1An effective pumping system shall be fitted with bilge suction pipes leading to drainage levels so that all water within any compartment can be pumped out through at least one suction pipe when the ship is on an even keel and is either upright or is listing by not more than 5°.
2The arrangement of the pumping system shall be such as to prevent the possibility of water passing from the sea to any compartment or from one watertight compartment to another.
3Bilge suction pipes with effective strainers shall have an internal diameter of not less than 25 mm.
Pumps
4The bilge pumping system shall have at least two effective bilge pumps.
5Subject to items 6 to 8, at least one bilge pump shall be a power pump and the other bilge pump may be a manual pump if the pumping capacity of the power pump meets the requirements of the Table of Capacities to this Part and the manual pump has inlet and outlet sizes equal to or greater than those of the power pump.
6For a passenger launch in excess of 18 m in length, both pumps shall be power pumps, one of which may be main propulsion engine-driven.
7For a ship or launch not in excess of 11 m in length certificated to operate on Home Trade Class IV or Minor Waters Class II voyages,
  • (a) the power pump capacity may be reduced by 20 per cent of the capacity set out in the Table of Capacities to this Part but there shall be no reduction in the piping diameter; and

  • (b) an effective bailer may be accepted in lieu of a manual pump.

8The main propulsion engine cooling-water system may be adapted for bilge pumping and used in lieu of the manual pump referred to in item 5 if
  • (a) suction strainers are fitted;

  • (b) the suction valve arrangement is such that seawater cannot pass in the bilges; and

  • (c) there is assurance of continuous water flow by

    • (i) a visible overboard discharge, or

    • (ii) a water-flow indicator.

9Bilge pumps may be used as fire pumps if the simultaneous operation of bilge-pumping systems and fire-pumping systems is not compromised.
10A general service power pump that is not connected to oil systems may be used as an independent bilge pump if it is fitted with the necessary connections for bilge pumping.
11Pumps shall have isolating valves so that any one pump may continue to operate when another pump is dismantled.
12For ships for which plans are not required to be submitted, the arrangement and capacity of the bilge pumping system shall be suitable for the type, service and voyages of the ship.

Table of Capacities

Pumping Capacities for a Flow Rate of 2 M/S

Internal diameter of bilge pipe in mmCapacity of each power pump in m3 per hour
253.5 (58 L/min)
325.8 (96 L/min)
388.2 (136 L/min)
5114.7 (245 L/min)
5718.4
6423.2
7027.7
7632.7
8339.0
9045.8
9551.0
10258.8
10866.0
11473.5
12182.8
12791.2
133100.0
140110.8
146120.5
152130.6
159143.0
165154.0
171165.3
178179.2
184191.4
191206.3
197219.5
203233.0
210249.4

PARTS II to IV[Repealed, SOR/2021-135, s. 83]

  • SOR/2015-161, ss. 34(E), 35 to 38(F), 39(E), 40(E), 41(F), 42(E), 43(E), 44 to 50(F), 51, 52 to 54(F)
  • SOR/2021-135, s. 83
 

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