Small Vessel Regulations (SOR/2010-91)

• 513 (1) A workboat that is not more than 6 m in length and that has an enclosed engine space shall have provision for discharging a portable fire extinguisher directly into the engine space without the need to open the primary access to that space.

• (2) The provision for direct discharge shall be marked in accordance with the construction standards to clearly indicate its firefighting purpose.

• (3) The provision for direct discharge shall be capable of accommodating the discharge nozzle of the fire extinguisher and shall be arranged so that the fire extinguisher may be discharged in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

• (4) If the workboat is fitted with a fixed fire extinguishing system in accordance with section 741, a provision for direct discharge is not required.

514 A portable fire extinguisher that is intended to be discharged directly into an enclosed engine space shall

• (a) contain 1.2 kg of carbon dioxide per cubic metre of gross enclosed engine space volume or, if it does not contain carbon dioxide, contain a sufficient quantity of a clean agent to provide the same protection as carbon dioxide;

• (b) if it contains carbon dioxide, be able to be completely discharged in not more than 60 seconds, and if it contains a clean agent, in not more than 10 seconds; and

• (c) be in addition to the portable fire extinguishers required by section 512.

515 A workboat that is more than 6 m in length and that has provision for discharging a portable fire extinguisher directly into the engine space in accordance with paragraph 741(1)(b), instead of being fitted with a fixed fire extinguishing system in accordance with paragraph 741(1)(a), shall carry on board the portable fire extinguisher referred to in section 514.

• 516 (1) A workboat that is not more than 6 m in length shall be fitted with

  • (a) in each engine space, a heat detector that

    • (i) is hard-wired to a red visual alarm and to an audible alarm of at least 84 dB, both of which are to be located at the operating position,

    • (ii) has a green light indicating power at the detector, and

    • (iii) is powered by the vessel’s electrical system; and

  • (b) in each accommodation and service space, other than in low-risk spaces such as washrooms and void spaces, a fire detector that

    • (i) is certified by a product certification body,

    • (ii) has a built-in audible alarm of at least 84 dB, and

    • (iii) may be powered with an internal battery.

• (2) Paragraph (1)(a) does not apply in respect of a vessel in which the engine is enclosed in such a manner that a fire would be immediately apparent to a person at the operating position.

Exception for Personal Watercraft

517 If every person on board a personal watercraft is wearing a personal flotation device or a lifejacket of an appropriate size, the personal watercraft is required to carry on board only the following safety equipment:

• (a) a sound-signalling device;

• (b) a watertight flashlight or three pyrotechnic distress signals other than smoke signals;

• (c) a magnetic compass, if the personal watercraft is navigated out of sight of seamarks;

• (d) navigation lights that meet the requirements of the Collision Regulations, if the personal watercraft is operated after sunset or before sunrise or in periods of restricted visibility; and

• (e) a first aid kit.

Alternative Safety Equipment for Racing

518 A racing workboat that is engaged in formal training, in an official competition or in final preparation for an official competition, and that is operated under conditions of clear visibility and is attended by a safety craft, may carry on board the safety equipment that is required by the rules of the governing body instead of the safety equipment required by this Part.

Equipment Stowage

519 The equipment required by this Part shall be protected from damage and securely stowed and, if stowed in a locker or container, the outside of the locker or container shall be clearly marked to indicate its contents.

Emergency Procedures

520 The owner and the operator of a workboat shall ensure that

• (a) procedures are established for the use of the workboat’s life-saving appliances and fire extinguishing equipment in case of an emergency; and

• (b) the crew practises the procedures so as to be at all times proficient in carrying them out.

Towing Operations — Additional Requirements

521 A workboat that engages in towing operations shall

• (a) keep two lifejackets in the wheelhouse and two others in the engine space if that space is normally occupied;

• (b) have means readily available for immediately releasing or cutting the tow line in case of an emergency;

• (c) have two means of escape from the wheelhouse directly to the outside, located so that one means of escape is available in the event of a heel;

• (d) be clear of obstructions aft of the towing point to allow the tow line to swing freely;

• (e) if it is a decked vessel,

  • (i) be watertight aft of the towing point or the engine space, whichever is further forward, and

  • (ii) be capable of draining any accumulated water rapidly overboard; and

• (f) if it is not a decked vessel, have positive buoyancy when swamped, or a gunwale of adequate height to resist swamping as a result of an emergency with the tow.

PART 6Critical Safety Requirements

Application

• 600 (1) This Part applies in respect of a vessel that is operated, repaired or maintained in Canada and that is not a vessel to which Part 7 applies.

• (2) This Part does not apply in respect of an antique wooden pleasure craft that is repaired and maintained to conserve its original state.

General Requirements

• 601 (1) A person who operates or permits another person to operate a vessel, or who repairs or maintains a vessel, shall ensure that the vessel meets the requirements of this Part.

• (2) The owner and the operator of a vessel other than a pleasure craft shall ensure that the vessel has adequate stability and structural strength to safely carry out its intended operations.

Watertight Closures

• 602 (1) Every vessel shall have the means for positively shutting off underwater penetrations, with the exception of wet exhaust systems, and, if the means of shut-off are located in an area where there is a risk of fire, the means shall be made of material that is not susceptible to fire damage.

• (2) Subsection (1) does not apply in respect of a vessel that meets the requirements for level flotation set out in the construction standards and that is provided with other means for stopping the admission of water in the event of failure of pipes, tubing or hose lines penetrating the hull below the waterline.

Ventilation

603 In order to remove any combustible vapours from an enclosed gasoline engine space on a vessel other than a personal watercraft, the ventilation system for the space shall be supplemented by powered ventilation.

Fuel Systems

• 604 (1) No person shall install a fuel-burning appliance or system on a vessel unless the appliance or system and its installation conform to the recommended practices and standards.

• (2) No person shall install on a passenger-carrying vessel a fuel-burning appliance or system that uses gaseous fuel, liquefied petroleum gas, compressed natural gas or naphtha.

• (3) No person shall install a fuel-burning appliance or system that uses gaseous fuel, liquefied petroleum gas, compressed natural gas or naphtha on a vessel in a manner that permits or is likely to permit ingress or trapping of the fuel or vapours below deck.

605 No person shall install or maintain a fuel tank or a fuel system on a vessel in a manner that permits or is likely to permit leakage of fuel or spillage of fuel.

606 A fixed fuel tank on a vessel shall have a means for the overboard ventilation of combustible vapours.

607 No person shall install below deck or enclose by boxing, on a vessel, an inboard engine that uses gasoline as a fuel unless the carburetor or throttle body fuel injector, if any, is fitted with a flame arrestor.

Electrical Systems

• 608 (1) An electrical component shall be certified by a product certification body or a testing laboratory as being ignition-protected in accordance with

  • (a) Society of Automotive Engineers Recommended Practice SAE J1171, External Ignition Protection of Marine Electrical Devices; or

  • (b) Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. Standard UL 1500, Ignition-Protection Test for Marine Products.

• (2) Subsection (1) does not apply if

  • (a) the vessel uses diesel as its only fuel source;

  • (b) the electrical component is isolated, in accordance with the specifications set out in the construction standards, from fuel sources such as

    • (i) engines and cooking appliances,

    • (ii) valves, connections or other fittings on vent lines, fill lines or distribution lines, and

    • (iii) fuel tanks; or

  • (c) the electrical component is located in a compartment where the only source of flammable vapour is from liquified-petroleum-gas or compressed-natural-gas appliances, cylinders, fittings, valves or regulators, and the compartment

    • (i) has, for every cubic metre of net internal volume, at least 0.34 m² of open area exposed to the atmosphere outside the vessel, or

    • (ii) is an accommodation space.