# The Merchant Shipping (Crew Accommodation) Regulations 1997, Regulation 5: Divisions between the crew accommodation and other parts of the ship


(1) Bulkheads which enclose any part of the crew accommodation and are exposed to the weather shall be properly constructed of steel or other suitable material and shall be of watertight construction; any openings in them shall be provided with means of weathertight closure. The means of weathertight closure provided for any entrance shall be a hinged door.
(2) Bulkheads which enclose any part of the crew accommodation and are exposed to the weather, and any part of the side of the ship which forms a wall or part of a wall of the crew accommodation; shall be so insulated as to prevent overheating or condensation unless the crew accommodation is so protected by its situation and ventilation that overheating and condensation are unlikely to occur.
(3) Every bulkhead, casing or deck separating any part of the crew accommodation from any space (including a cold store room) which is subject to abnormal heat or cold shall be so insulated as to prevent condensation or discomfort to the crew.
(4) Every bulkhead which separates any part of the crew accommodation (other than recreation deck space) from a space used as—
(a) a machinery space;
(b) a bunker;
(c) a room for storing fire-extinguishing gases;
(d) a chain locker;
(e) a cofferdam;
(f) a cargo space;
(g) a store room;
(h) a lamp room or paint room;
(i) a battery locker;
shall be of gastight construction, and shall be of watertight construction where necessary to protect the crew accommodation.
(5) There shall be no opening in any of the bulkheads referred to in paragraph (4) except that—
(a) where sanitary accommodation or changing rooms provided for the exclusive use of engine room officers and ratings are sited adjacent to the propelling machinery space there may be an opening in the propelling machinery space bulkhead to the sanitary accommodation or changing rooms and an opening from the sanitary accommodation or changing rooms to a passageway forming part of the crew accommodation provided that a hinged, steel, self-closing gastight door is fitted to one of such openings;
(b) where no other arrangement is practicable, there may be an opening in a bulkhead separating a passageway in the crew accommodation from a machinery space if that opening is provided with a hinged, steel, self closing gastight door;
(c) in ships of under 500 tons there may, where no other arrangement is practicable, be an opening in a bulkhead separating a passageway in the crew accommodation from an engine or deck store room if that opening is provided with a hinged, steel, self-closing gastight door; and
(d) where no other arrangement is practicable, there may be an opening in a bulkhead separating a passageway in the crew accommodation from any of the spaces specified in paragraph (4)(d) and (e) or from a store room other than an engine or deck store room if that opening is sealed in a way which is effective having regard to the use of the space.
(6) No batteries of a type which emit gases shall be stored in the crew accommodation and there shall be no opening from the crew accommodation into a space where such batteries are stored. Precautions shall be taken to ensure that fumes from batteries cannot be discharged into the crew accommodation.
(7) Any part of the crew accommodation which adjoins a tank in which oil may be carried shall be separated from that tank either—
(a) by a gastight steel division additional to the division which retains the oil; or
(b) by a division of all-welded steel construction capable of withstanding a head of water at least 1.5 metres greater than the maximum service head.
(8) No manhole or other opening to a fuel tank shall be situated in the crew accommodation.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1997/1508/regulation/5 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/merchant-shipping-crew-accommodation-regulations-1997/regulation-5
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.