Navigation (Cinematograph Film) Regulations

Legislation au C1959L00043 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

Legislation content

STATUTORY RULES.

1959. No. 43.

 

REGULATIONS UNDER THE NAVIGATION ACT 1912-1956.*

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Navigation Act 1912-1956.

Dated this twenty-sixth day of June, 1959.

W. J. Slim

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

Minister of State for Shipping and Transport.

————

NAVIGATION (CINEMATOGRAPH FILM) REGULATIONS.

Part I.—Preliminary.

Citation.

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Navigation (Cinematograph Film) Regulations.

Parts.

2. These Regulations are divided into Parts, as follows:—

Part I.—Preliminary (Sections 1-3).

Part II.—Requirements for the Storage and Exhibition of Inflammable Cinematograph Film (Sections 4-20).

Part III.—Miscellaneous (Sections 21-23).

Definitions.

3. In these Regulations, unless the contrary intention appears—

“A class division” has the same meaning as in Part V. of the Navigation (Construction of Passenger Ships) Regulations;

“incombustible material” and “public room” have the same respective meanings as in the Navigation (Construction of Passenger Ships) Regulations;

“ship” means a ship that is a Class I. ship, a Class II. ship or a Class III. ship as defined in sub-regulation (1.) of regulation 3 of the Navigation (Construction of Passenger Ships) Regulations.

Part II.—Requirements for the Storage and Exhibition of Inflammable Cinematograph Film.

Ship to be fitted and equipped in accordance with this Part.

4. The master of a ship that is carrying inflammable cinematograph film for exhibition on board shall not take the ship to sea unless the ship is fitted and equipped for the storage and exhibition of the film in accordance with the succeeding provisions of this Part.

Penalty: One hundred pounds.

 

* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on 26 June, 1959.

3635/58.―Price 5d. 9/27.5.1959.


Metal spool boxes to be provided for film.

5.—(1.) A metal spool box that—

(a) is provided with means of closure capable of preventing the passage of flame into the box; and

(b) is capable of being attached to or removed from a film projector without being opened,

shall be provided for the storage and projection of each spool of film.

(2.) Metal containers with self-closing lids shall be provided for the Storage of the spool boxes.

Storage room or locker to be provided for film.

6.—(1.) A storage room bounded by A class divisions or a storage locker constructed of materials not less resistant to fire than A class divisions, being a room or locker appropriated solely for the storage of the film, shall be provided for the storage of the film.

(2.) A storage room or storage locker shall—

(a) be provided with an outlet to the open air, being an Outlet with an area of not less than one square inch for each five pounds weight of film that the room or locker is capable of holding; and

(b) if practicable, be situated on an upper deck and in a position remote from passenger spaces.

Projector rooms to be provided for projectors.

7. If—

(a) a projector, not being a portable projector, is provided for the purpose of giving cinematograph exhibitions of film in a public room in the ship; or

(b) a projector, not being a portable projector, is provided for the purpose of giving cinematograph exhibitions of film on an open deck of the ship and the illuminant of the projector is not hermetically sealed in a glass bulb,

there shall be provided for the operation of the projector—

(c) a permanent projector room which is bounded by A class divisions and access to which is obtained from spaces that—

(i) are not spaces for the accommodation of an audience; and

(ii) are, if practicable, spaces in the open air; or

(d) a fixed or portable projector cabinet made wholly of, or lined with, incombustible material.

Fittings to be made of incombustible material.

8. The fittings in a projector room or cabinet shall be made wholly of, or lined with, incombustible material.

Size of projector rooms.

9. A projector room or cabinet shall be large enough to enable a projector to be properly operated.

Doors of projector rooms.

10. An entrance to a projector room or cabinet shall be provided with a self-closing door that opens outwards, is well-fitting and is as effective in resisting fire as is the structure in which it is fitted.

Openings in projector rooms.

11.—(1.) There shall not be more than two openings for each projector in the structure of a projector room or cabinet, whether for the projection of light or for the observation of the screen.

(2.) An opening shall be no larger than is required for the purpose for which it is intended and shall be glazed with stout plate glass.

Ventilation openings in projector rooms.

12.—(1.) A projector room or cabinet shall be fitted with sufficient ventilation openings to admit an adequate supply of fresh air and means shall be provided for supplying the air to the room or cabinet.

(2.) A ventilation opening shall—

(a) be covered with wire netting of mesh not less than sixteen per square inch; and

(b) if practicable, open directly to the open air.

Openings in projector rooms to have shutters, &c.

13.—(1.) An opening in a projector room or cabinet for projection, observation or ventilation purposes shall be fitted with a close-fitting and self-closing shutter.

(2.) Means shall be provided whereby all the shutters so provided may be released simultaneously from the open position.

(3.) The means for releasing the shutters shall be provided both inside and outside the projector room or cabinet.

(4.) An opening through which cables pass into a projector room or cabinet shall be sealed so as to prevent the passage of smoke through it.

Projector rooms, &c., to be smokeproof.

14. A projector room or cabinet and each door and shutter fitted to it shall be so constructed that, when all doors and shutters are closed, the passage of smoke from the room or cabinet is prevented.

Electrical circuits for projectors and projector rooms.

15.—(1.) The electrical circuit provided for the lighting of a projector room or cabinet shall be separate from the electrical circuit provided for the illuminants of the projectors in the room or cabinet.

(2.) The supply of electrical energy for the illuminants of projectors in a projector room or cabinet shall be capable of being controlled by two switches, one situated inside the projector room or cabinet and the other situated outside the room or cabinet at a position sufficiently distant from the room of cabinet to enable the switch to be safely operated despite a fire in the room or cabinet.

Film to be prevented from touching electrical fittings.

16. Devices shall be provided capable of preventing films in a projector room or cabinet from coming into contact with an electric lamp, terminal or other electrical fitting in the room or cabinet.

Switches, fuses and resistances in projector rooms.

17.—(1.) A switch or fuse in a projector room or cabinet shall be completely protected.

(2.) A resistance in a projector room or cabinet shall be of a design that prevents overheating.


Projectors to be firmly fixed in position.

18.—(1.) A projector referred to in regulation 7 of these Regulations—

(a) shall be firmly fixed in position and shall rest upon supports constructed of incombustible material; and

(b) shall be fitted with a metal shutter that can be readily inserted by hand between the projector lamp and the film-gate and with a second shutter so arranged as automatically to cut off the film-gate from the illuminant when the projector stops.

(2.) A film-gate shall be of substantial construction and shall afford sufficient heating surface to dissipate the heat that may be engendered by the illuminant.

(3.) The opening for the film in a film-gate shall be sufficiently narrow to prevent flames from travelling upwards or downwards from a light-opening.

Portable projectors.

19.—(1.) If a portable projector is provided for the purpose of giving cinematograph exhibitions of the film, the projector and the illuminant of the projector shall be enclosed in casing constructed of incombustible material and containing only such openings as are necessary for the proper operation of the projector and for ventilation of the casing.

(2.) A spool box provided for use with a portable projector shall be so designed that it cannot contain a reel more than ten inches in diameter.

(3.) The electric lamp provided as the illuminant for a portable projector shall be hermetically sealed in a glass bulb and shall not exceed one thousand watts in power.

(4.) A portable projector shall be provided with a filter or other device permanently attached and capable of intercepting the heat in the light rays emitted by the illuminant so as to prevent the ignition of a stationary inflammable film if the film is exposed to the rays for a period of three minutes.

Illuminants for projectors.

20. The illuminant provided for a projector shall be an electric lamp.

Part III.—Miscellaneous.

Film to be stored and exhibited in places provided.

21. The master of a ship that is carrying inflammable cinematograph film for exhibition on board—

(a) shall cause the film, when not being exhibited, to be stored in containers and places provided in the ship for that purpose in accordance with the last preceding Part; and

(b) shall not permit a cinematograph exhibition of the film to be given on board unless—

(i) the exhibition is given in a public room or on an open deck by means of a projector provided in the ship for the purpose in accordance with the last preceding Part; and

(ii) where the projector so used is not a portable projector—the projector is operated from a projector room or cabinet provided in the ship for that purpose in accordance with the last preceding Part.

Penalty: One hundred pounds.

Public rooms to have sufficient “exit” doors.

22. The master of a ship shall not permit the holding of a cinematograph exhibition of inflammable film in a public room in the ship unless—

(a) the room has a sufficient number of doors remote from the projector to provide means of escape in the event of fire for the number of people who are likely to be in the audience;

(b) the doors are clearly marked with the word “Exit” and are so constructed as to open outwards easily; and

(c) the seating in the room is so arranged in rows as not to interfere with free access to the doors.

Penalty: One hundred pounds.

“No smoking” notices.

23. The master of a ship shall—

(a) cause notices prohibiting smoking to be displayed in every projector room, projector cabinet, re-winding room or film storage room in the ship in such a manner that such a notice is readily apparent to a person entering such a room or cabinet; and

(b) when a film is being exhibited to an audience on the ship, cause notices prohibiting smoking within three feet of the projector or of the projector room or cabinet, as the case may be, to be displayed in such a manner that the notices are readily apparent to members of the audience in the vicinity of the projector or of the projector room or cabinet, as the case may be.

Penalty: One hundred pounds.

 

By Authority: A. J. Arthur, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.

Overview

The Navigation (Cinematograph Film) Regulations, enacted in 1959, were introduced to address the safety risks associated with the storage and exhibition of inflammable cinematograph film on ships. These regulations were established under the authority of the Navigation Act 1912-1956 by the Federal Executive Council, with the intent of mitigating fire hazards through stringent requirements for the handling and storage of film on ships. The policy objective was to ensure that ships carrying inflammable cinematograph film were equipped with appropriate safety measures to prevent fires, thereby protecting the vessel, its crew, and passengers. The regulations mandate specific provisions for the construction and arrangement of storage and exhibition areas, including the use of fire-resistant materials, adequate ventilation, and the installation of fire-resistant containers and projectors. Additionally, the regulations outline penalties for non-compliance to enforce adherence to these safety standards.

Scope and Application

The Navigation (Cinematograph Film) Regulations, made under the Navigation Act 1912-1956, apply to ships carrying inflammable cinematograph film for exhibition on board, specifically those categorised as Class I, II, or III ships as defined in the Navigation (Construction of Passenger Ships) Regulations. These regulations mandate stringent requirements for the storage and exhibition of such film, ensuring that ships are appropriately fitted and equipped to prevent the risk of fire during film storage and projection. The geographic reach of these regulations is national, applying across all Commonwealth waters. The regulations do not explicitly state exclusions or exemptions, but their application is contingent on the presence of inflammable cinematograph film on board. The application of these regulations may be extended or restricted through subordinate instruments, although this is not specified within the provided text. The regulations stipulate that masters of ships must ensure compliance with all provisions related to the storage and exhibition of inflammable cinematograph film, including the use of specified metal containers, incombustible materials, and specific design features for projector rooms and cabinets.

Key Provisions

The Navigation (Cinematograph Film) Regulations, made under the Navigation Act 1912-1956, outline specific requirements for the storage and exhibition of inflammable cinematograph film on ships. Section 4 mandates that the master of a ship carrying inflammable film for exhibition must not take the ship to sea unless it is equipped according to the regulations outlined in Part II. Section 5 requires metal spool boxes with flame-resistant closures and self-closing lids for storing film. Section 6 stipulates that film must be stored in rooms or lockers constructed of fire-resistant materials with proper ventilation. Section 7 specifies that fixed projector rooms or cabinets made of incombustible materials must be provided for non-portable projectors. These regulations impose several obligations on parties involved. For instance, Section 8 requires that fittings in projector rooms or cabinets be made of incombustible material. Section 9 mandates that projector rooms or cabinets must be of adequate size for proper operation. Section 10 requires projector room entrances to have self-closing doors that open outwards and resist fire. Section 11 limits the number and size of openings in projector rooms, and these must be glazed with stout plate glass. Section 12 requires projector rooms to have sufficient ventilation with wire-netted openings that open to the open air if practicable. Breaching these regulations can lead to penalties. Section 4 imposes a penalty of one hundred pounds for failing to ensure the ship is fitted and equipped correctly. Similarly, Section 21 imposes a one hundred pound penalty for storing or exhibiting film in non-compliant places. Section 22 imposes a one hundred pound penalty for holding exhibitions in public rooms without sufficient "Exit" doors, and Section 23 imposes a one hundred pound penalty for failing to display "No smoking" notices in designated areas.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Maritime Law
Instrument
Legislative Instrument
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Reporting & Disclosure Obligations
Compliance Obligations

Interactions

Authorises

All Versions

Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.