# The Public Health (Ships) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008, Regulation 16: Production of a ship sanitation certificate

Extent: N.I.

(1) If the master of a ship which during its voyage has been in a foreign port cannot produce to an authorised officer for the Board area in which the ship arrives or for any Board area at which the ship calls a valid ship sanitation certificate in respect of the ship—
(a) if the ship is within the area of an authorised port, an authorised officer may inspect the ship for evidence of danger to public health or infection with a view to issuing a ship sanitation certificate;
(b) if the ship is not within such an area, an authorised officer must—
(i) consult with a customs officer; and
(ii) direct the ship to proceed at the risk of the master of the ship to an area of an authorised port convenient to the customs officer.
(2) An authorised officer must issue or cause to be issued a Ship Sanitation Control Exemption Certificate if, after he has inspected a ship under paragraph (1)(a), the authorised officer is satisfied that the ship is exempt from control measures (provided he has complied with regulation 15 (3)).
(3) If, after a ship has been inspected by an authorised officer, the authorised officer is not satisfied that the ship is exempt from control measures he must—
(a) if the ship is within the area of an authorised port—
(i) carry out or require to be carried out under the supervision of an authorised officer control measures necessary for the control of danger to public health or the spread of infection; or
(ii) otherwise take or cause to be taken any steps which he considers necessary to satisfy himself that the ship does not present a danger to public health and is free of infection;
(b) if the ship is not within the area of an authorised port—
(i) consult with a customs officer; and
(ii) direct the ship to proceed at the risk of the master of the ship to an area of an authorised port convenient to the customs officer;
(iii) at the time of the ship’s departure for the authorised port referred to in head (ii), inform an authorised officer of the authorised port of—
(aa) the evidence found; and
(bb) the control measures required; and
(iv) note or cause to be noted in any ship sanitation certificate the matters described at head (iii).
(4) If the master produces a ship sanitation certificate but the authorised officer has evidence of danger to public health or infection, notwithstanding such certificate the authorised officer must—
(a) if the ship is within the area of an authorised port, either
(i) carry out or require to be carried out under the supervision of an authorised officer control measures necessary for the control of danger to public health or the spread of infection; or
(ii) otherwise take or cause to be taken any steps which he considers necessary to satisfy himself that the ship does not present a danger to public health and is free of infection;
(b) if the ship is not within the area of an authorised port—
(i) consult with a customs officer;
(ii) direct the ship to proceed at the risk of the master of the ship to an area of an authorised port convenient to the ship and the customs officer;
(iii) at the time of the ship’s departure for the authorised port referred to in head (ii), inform an authorised officer of the authorised port of—
(aa) the evidence found; and
(bb) the control measures required; and
(iv) note or cause to be noted in the ship sanitation certificate the matters described at head (iii).
(5) An authorised officer may extend the period of validity of a ship sanitation certificate by one month if—
(a) any inspection or control measures required cannot be carried out at the port;
(b) there is no evidence of danger to public health or infection, and
(c) the port is authorised to extend the validity of a ship sanitation certificate.
(6) The master of a ship must immediately make arrangements to carry out any control measures required by an authorised officer under paragraph (3) or (4).
(7) When control measures referred to in paragraph (3) or (4) have been completed to the satisfaction of an authorised officer the authorised officer must—
(a) issue or cause to be issued a Ship Sanitation Control Certificate; and
(b) note or cause to be noted on the certificate the evidence found and the control measures taken.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2008/333/regulation/16 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/public-health-ships-regulations-northern-ireland-2008/regulation-16
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.