Small Vessel Regulations (SOR/2010-91)

Standards for Safety Equipment

• 6 (1) A personal flotation device, lifejacket, lifebuoy, self-igniting light, pyrotechnic distress signal or life raft required by these Regulations shall meet the applicable standards and tests set out in the schedule.

• (2) A mark or label on the safety equipment required by these Regulations, and any manufacturer’s instructions or recommendations, shall be in English and French.

Approval of Life-Saving Appliances

• 7 (1) A personal flotation device, lifejacket, lifebuoy, self-igniting light, pyrotechnic distress signal or life raft required by these Regulations shall be of a type that is approved by the Minister and shall bear a mark or label indicating the approval.

• (2) The Minister shall approve a type of personal flotation device, lifejacket, lifebuoy, self-igniting light, pyrotechnic distress signal or life raft if it is shown to meet the applicable standards and tests referred to in subsection 6(1).

• (3) Subsection (1) does not apply to a personal flotation device required by these Regulations if it was approved by the Director of Ship Safety of the Department of Transport or by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and bears a mark or label indicating that it was approved by one of those departments or by the Canadian Coast Guard.

First Aid Kit

• 8 (1) A first aid kit required by these Regulations shall be packed in a waterproof case capable of being tightly closed after use and shall be

  • (a) a marine emergency first aid kit that contains the following:

    • (i) an up-to-date first aid manual or up-to-date first aid instructions, in English and French,

    • (ii) 48 doses of analgesic medication of a non-narcotic type,

    • (iii) six safety pins or one roll of adhesive first aid tape,

    • (iv) one pair of bandage scissors or safety scissors,

    • (v) one resuscitation face shield,

    • (vi) two pairs of examination gloves,

    • (vii) 10 applications of antiseptic preparations,

    • (viii) 12 applications of burn preparations,

    • (ix) 20 adhesive plasters in assorted sizes,

    • (x) 10 sterile compression bandages in assorted sizes,

    • (xi) 4 m of elastic bandage,

    • (xii) two sterile gauze compresses,

    • (xiii) two triangular bandages, and

    • (xiv) a waterproof list of the contents, in English and French; or

  • (b) a first aid kit that meets the requirements of the Maritime Occupational Health and Safety Regulations or of provincial regulations governing workers’ compensation, with the addition of a resuscitation face shield and two pairs of examination gloves if the kit is not required to contain them.

• (2) Instead of a first aid kit referred to in subsection (1), a first aid kit that meets the requirements of the Small Vessel Regulations as they read immediately before the day on which these Regulations came into force may be carried on board a vessel for a period of three years after that day unless the kit is replaced before the end of that period.

Personal Life-Saving Appliances

9 A personal flotation device or lifejacket required by these Regulations shall not be altered in a way that compromises its original structural integrity or diminishes the integrity or readability of a marking set out in a standard related to it.

• 10 (1) A personal flotation device or lifejacket that is required by these Regulations, if it is of an inflatable type, shall be worn by a person in an open vessel or, if the vessel is not open, shall be worn when the person is on deck or in the cockpit.

• (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a sealed-hull rowing shell engaged in training that is governed by safety guidelines and procedures established by the governing body.

• (3) A personal flotation device or lifejacket that is required by these Regulations to be carried on board a personal watercraft shall be inherently buoyant.

11 A personal flotation device or lifejacket required by these Regulations does not have to be an appropriate size for an infant who weighs less than 9 kg or a person whose chest size is more than 140 cm.

Portable Fire Extinguishers

• 12 (1) Every portable fire extinguisher that is required by these Regulations to be carried on board a pleasure craft shall

  • (a) bear a mark indicating that it is certified by a product certification body; or

  • (b) be of a type that is approved by the United States Coast Guard.

• (2) Every portable fire extinguisher that is required by these Regulations to be carried on board a vessel other than a pleasure craft shall

  • (a) bear a mark indicating that it is certified for marine use by a product certification body; or

  • (b) be of a type that is approved by the United States Coast Guard.

• (3) A portable fire extinguisher that is carried on board a vessel imported into Canada and that does not meet the requirements of subsection (1) or (2) shall be certified for marine use by a product certification body or a classification society.

13 In any reference in these Regulations to the classification of a portable fire extinguisher, the letters in the classification refer to the following classes of fires:

• (a) Class A fires, namely, fires in combustible materials such as wood, cloth, paper, rubber and plastic;

• (b) Class B fires, namely, fires in inflammable liquids, gases and greases;

• (c) Class C fires, namely, fires that involve energized electrical equipment where the electrical non-conductivity of the extinguishing media is of importance; and

• (d) Class K fires, namely, fires in cooking appliances that involve combustible cooking media such as vegetable or animal oils or fats.

14 A vessel to which Part 2, 4 or 5 applies may carry on board a portable fire extinguisher that is not marked with a classification set out in column 1 of the table to this section if the fire extinguisher contains an extinguishing agent set out in column 2, 3 or 4 of a net weight that corresponds to the classification set out in column 1, and if the fire extinguisher meets the requirements of these Regulations in all other respects.

15 A vessel to which Part 2, 4 or 5 applies may carry on board a portable fire extinguisher that exceeds the classification set out under those Parts.

• 16 (1) A portable fire extinguisher required by these Regulations shall contain an extinguishing agent capable of extinguishing any potential fire in the vessel compartment for which the fire extinguisher is intended and shall not weigh more than 23 kg.

• (2) A portable fire extinguisher required by these Regulations may be rated for Class K fires instead of Class B fires if it is intended for use in an area with cooking appliances that involve combustible cooking media and if the Class A and Class C ratings are maintained.

• (3) A portable carbon dioxide fire extinguisher shall be fitted with an electrically non-conductive horn.

17 A portable fire extinguisher that is carried on board a vessel other than a pleasure craft, and that meets the requirements of regulations made under the Canada Shipping Act that applied in respect of the vessel before the day on which these Regulations came into force, may be carried on board the vessel for a period of six years after the day on which the fire extinguisher is manufactured.

Fire Buckets and Bailers

18 A fire bucket required by these Regulations shall have a capacity of 10 L or more, be made of metal with a round bottom and a hole in the centre, be painted red and be fitted with a lanyard of sufficient length to reach the water from the location in which it is stored.

19 A bailer required by these Regulations shall be made of plastic or metal, have an opening of at least 65 cm² and have a capacity of at least 750 mL.

Pyrotechnic Distress Signals

• 20 (1) A pyrotechnic distress signal required by these Regulations expires four years after its date of manufacture.

• (2) Type A, B, C or D flares may be carried on board a vessel instead of rocket parachute flares, multi-star flares, hand flares or smoke signals respectively, if they were approved by the Minister before the day on which these Regulations came into force.

Life Rafts

21 The owner and the operator of a vessel to which Part 4 or 5 applies shall ensure that every life raft that is carried on board the vessel is

• (a) marked with the date and place of last service;

• (b) serviced at the intervals set out in section 119 of the Life Saving Equipment Regulations at a service station that is accredited by the manufacturer of the life raft; and

• (c) except for a coastal life raft packed in a valise-type container, stored in a manner that allows it to automatically float free if the vessel sinks.

Bilge Pumps

22 A bilge pump required by these Regulations shall be fitted with or accompanied by sufficient piping or hose to enable water to be pumped from the bilge space of the vessel over the side of the vessel.

PART 1Licensing of Pleasure Craft

Application

• 100 (1) This Part applies in respect of a pleasure craft principally maintained or operated in Canada that is equipped, even temporarily, with one or more primary propulsion engines whose aggregate power is at least 7.5 kW.

• (2) However, only section 110 applies in respect of a pleasure craft that is

  • (a) registered under the Act; or

  • (b) registered in another country as having the right to fly the flag of that country.

Prohibition

101 No person shall operate or permit another person to operate a pleasure craft unless

• (a) it is licensed by the Minister;

• (b) a copy of the licence is carried on board; and

• (c) the owner’s name and address on the licence are accurate.

Exceptions

Licencing

102 A pleasure craft may be operated without a licence until the day on which the owner of the pleasure craft receives the licence, up to a maximum of 90 days from the day of the initial transfer of ownership to an end user, if

• (a) the acknowledgement of receipt of the application for the licence by the Minister is carried on board; and

• (b) the file number of the acknowledgement is marked on the pleasure craft in the form and manner specified by the Minister.

Transfer of Licence

103 A pleasure craft that is the subject of a transfer of ownership may be operated until the day on which the new owner of the pleasure craft receives a transferred licence, up to a maximum of 90 days from the day of the transfer of ownership, if documents are carried on board confirming the name and address of the new owner and the date of the transfer of ownership.

Change of Name or Address

104 A pleasure craft may be operated without an accurate owner name or address on the licence until the day on which the owner of the pleasure craft receives an updated licence, up to a maximum of 90 days from the day of the change of name or address, if, in addition to the licence, documents are carried on board confirming the new name or address and the date of the change.

105 A pleasure craft that was licenced before the day on which these Regulations came into force may be operated without an accurate owner name or address on the licence until the day on which the owner of the pleasure craft receives an updated licence, up to a maximum of one year from the day on which these Regulations come into force.

Period of Validity of Licences

106 A pleasure craft licence is valid for a period of 10 years beginning on the day on which it is issued, transferred or renewed.

Cancellation of Licences

107 The Minister may cancel a pleasure craft licence if

• (a) the owner of the pleasure craft intends to register, obtain a licence for, or principally maintain and operate the pleasure craft in another country;

• (b) the owner of the pleasure craft intends to register or list the pleasure craft under Part 2 of the Act;

• (c) the owner of the pleasure craft has been issued a licence under section 108 and wishes to cancel the licence;

• (d) the licence is a demonstration licence and the holder is no longer a vendor who sells pleasure craft in the course of a commercial enterprise;

• (e) the licence was issued in error; or

• (f) the Minister believes on reasonable and probable grounds that the applicant has provided false or misleading information to obtain the licence.

Voluntary Licensing

108 The owner of a pleasure craft that is not required to be licensed by these Regulations may obtain a licence for the pleasure craft.