BALLAST AND BILGE PUMPING AND DRAINAGE ARRANGEMENTS
Requirements for all Ships
1.1 Every ship shall be provided with efficient bilge pumping plant and means for drainage so arranged that water entering any part of the hull, up to the bulkhead deck, other than a space permanently appropriated for the carriage of fresh water, water ballast, oil fuel or liquid cargo and for which other efficient means of pumping or drainage are provided, can be pumped out through at least one suction pipe when the ship is on an even keel or is listed not more than 5 degrees either way.
1.2 Wing suctions shall be provided where necessary for this purpose.
1.3 Efficient means shall be provided whereby water may easily flow to the suction pipes; the Administration may allow the means of pumping or drainage to be dispensed with in particular compartments of any ship, if it is satisfied that the safety of the ship is not thereby impaired.
Additional requirements for ships constructed on or after 25 May 1980
2.1 Provision shall be made for the drainage of enclosed cargo spaces situated on the freeboard deck of any ship; the Administration may permit the means of drainage to be dispensed with in any particular compartments of any ship if by reasons of the size or internal subdivision of those spaces, the safety of the ship is not thereby impaired.
2.2 Where the freeboard is such that the deck edge is not immersed when the ship heels 5 degrees either way, the required drainage shall be by means of a suitable number and size of deck scuppers discharging directly overboard fitted in accordance with paragraph 12 of Schedule 3 of the Merchant Shipping (Load Line) Rules 2001. In all other cases, internal drainage shall be led to a suitable space or spaces of adequate capacity, having a high water-level alarm and provided with suitable arrangements for discharge overboard.
Additional requirements for ships constructed on or after 1September 1984
3. At least two power pumps connected to the main bilge system shall be provided, one of which may be driven by the propulsion machinery. Sanitary, ballast and general service pumps may be accepted as power bilge pumps if provided with the necessary connections to the bilge pumping system.
4. All bilge pipes used in or under coal bunkers or fuel storage tanks or in machinery spaces shall be of steel or other suitable material.
5. The bilge and ballast pumping systems shall be so arranged as to prevent water passing from the sea or from water ballast spaces into the cargo spaces or into the machinery spaces or from one watertight compartment to another. Provision shall be made to prevent any deep tank having bilge and ballast connections being inadvertently flooded from the sea when it contains cargo or being discharged through a bilge pipe when it contains water ballast.
6. The distribution boxes and manually operated valves provided in connection with the bilge pumping arrangements shall be in positions which are accessible under ordinary circumstances. The valves shall be clearly marked for identification.
7. The scuppers of cargo spaces intended for the carriage of motor vehicles with fuel in their tanks for their own propulsion shall not be led to machinery or other spaces where sources of ignition may be present.
8. The bilge pumping arrangements for cargo spaces intended to contain flammable or toxic liquids shall be designed so that inadvertent pumping of such liquids through the main bilge system or any other system connected to a pump located in a machinery space can be prevented. Additional means of draining such spaces shall be provided if the Administration considers their provision necessary taking into consideration the quantity and characteristics of the liquids and their location.
Additional requirements for ships constructed on or after 1 February 1992
9. Where the freeboard is such that the edge of the freeboard deck is immersed when the ship heels 5 degrees or less, the drainage of the enclosed cargo spaces on the freeboard deck required by paragraph 2 shall be led to a suitable space, or spaces, of adequate capacity, having a high water level alarm and provided with suitable arrangements for discharge overboard. In addition it shall be ensured that -
(a) the number, size and disposition of the scuppers are such as to prevent unreasonable accumulation of free water;
(b) the pumping arrangements take account of the requirements for any fixed pressure water-spraying fire-extinguishing system;
(c) water contaminated with petrol or other dangerous substances is not drained to machinery spaces or other spaces where sources of ignition may be present or where it could pose a health and safety hazard to persons; and
(d) where the enclosed cargo space is protected by a carbon dioxide fire-extinguishing system the deck scuppers are fitted with means to prevent the escape of the smothering gas.
Additional requirements for ships constructed on or after 1 July 2002
10. In addition to complying with the requirements of paragraph 8 of this schedule, ships carrying dangerous goods must meet the following requirements-
10.1 Where large quantities of flammable or toxic liquids are carried, consideration must be given to the provision of additional means of draining those cargo spaces.
10.2 Where the bilge drainage system is additional to the system served by pumps in the machinery space, the capacity of the system shall be not less than 10 metres³/hour per cargo space served. Where the additional system is common, the capacity need not exceed 25 metres³/hour. The additional bilge system need not be arranged with redundancy.
10.3 Whenever flammable or toxic liquids are carried, the bilge line into the machinery space shall be isolated either by fitting a blank flange or by a closed lockable valve.
10.4 Enclosed spaces outside machinery spaces containing bilge pumps serving cargo spaces intended for carriage of flammable or toxic liquids shall be fitted with separate mechanical ventilation giving at least six air changes per hour. Where the space has access from another enclosed space, the door shall be self-closing.
10.5 Where bilge drainage of cargo spaces is arranged by gravity drainage, the drainage shall be either led directly overboard or to a closed drain tank located outside the machinery spaces. The tank shall be provided with a vent pipe to a safe location on the open deck. Drainage from a cargo space into bilge wells in a lower space is only permitted where that space satisfies the same requirements as the cargo space above.
