# The Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation) Regulations 2026, Regulation 4: Application


(1) These Regulations apply, except where specified otherwise, to all accidents involving or occurring on board—
(a) any United Kingdom ship,
(b) any other ship within the United Kingdom or United Kingdom waters, or
(c) any other ship, where the Chief Inspector considers the United Kingdom to be a Substantially Interested State.
(2) A safety investigation may also be carried out under regulation 8 into an accident involving or occurring on board a ship which is not a United Kingdom ship and which at the time of the accident was not within the United Kingdom or United Kingdom waters, if the Secretary of State so determines.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/430/regulation/4 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/merchant-shipping-accident-reporting-and-investigation-regulations-2026/regulation-4
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.