Navigation (Life-saving Appliances) Regulations (Amendment)

Legislation au C1978L00055 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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Statutory Rules

1978 No. 55

REGULATIONS UNDER THE NAVIGATION ACT 1912*

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

Dated this eleventh day of April 1978.

ZELMAN COWEN

Governor-General

By His Excellency’s Command,

PETER NIXON

Minister of State for Transport

—————

AMENDMENTS OF THE NAVIGATION (LIFE-SAVING APPLIANCES) REGULATIONS†

Commencement

1. These Regulations shall come into operation on 1 September 1978.

Interpretation

2. Regulation 5 of the Navigation (Life-saving Appliances) Regulations is amended—

(a) by inserting after the definition of “ Class IV ship ” in sub-regulation (1) the following definition:

“ ‘ fresh stocks ’, in relation to the articles from which a first-aid outfit for a lifeboat or liferaft is to be assembled, means articles of such condition that they may reasonably be expected to be serviceable after having been in the lifeboat or liferaft for a period of 2 years;”; and

(b) by omitting from sub-regulation (1) the definitions of “ the British Pharmaceutical Codex ” and “ the British Pharmacopoeia ”.

 

* Notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 17 April 1978.

† Statutory Rules 1968, No. 34 as amended by Statutory Rules 1974, No. 238; and 1975, No. 78.


Third Schedule

3. The Third Schedule to the Navigation (Life-saving Appliances) Regulations is amended—

(a) by omitting paragraph (p) of item 1 of Part I and substituting the following paragraphs:

“ (p) a first-aid outfit consisting of the articles specified in item 1 of Part VIII of this Schedule and enclosed in a container that complies with the requirements specified in item 2 of that Part (being a first-aid outfit that has been assembled from fresh stocks of those articles and has not been in a lifeboat or liferaft for a period exceeding 2 years);

(pa) a copy of a manual prepared under the authority of the Minister describing the various life-saving appliances and the recommended procedures to be followed for survival when abandoning a ship at sea;”;

(b) by omitting from paragraph (c) of sub-item (1) of item 1 of Part II “ and ”;

(c) by adding at the end of sub-item (1) of item 1 of Part II the following word and paragraph:

“ ; and (e) 6 Hyoscine tablets, 300 micrograms (seasickness tablets).”;

(d) by omitting item 1 of Part VIII and substituting the following item:

“ 1. The following articles, being articles each of which complies with the standard (if any) applicable to that article under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1966, are the articles that a lifeboat first-aid outfit is to contain:

(a) 1 pack containing—

(i) 5 doses of Morphine Sulphate Injection 15 mg in 1 ml disposable syringe pack;

(ii) 5 doses of Morphine Sulphate Injection 15 mg in 1 ml ampoule with 1 suitable sterile disposable syringe complete with needle per ampoule; or

(iii) 6 doses of Omnopon Tubunic 30 mg (equivalent to Anhydrous Morphine 15 mg);

(b) 4 standard dressings No. 14, medium, measuring 15 cm by 10 cm;

(c) 4 standard dressings No. 15, large, measuring 15 cm by 20 cm;


(d) 6 triangular bandages with not less than 1 m sides (approximately);

(e) 10 open wove bandages, measuring 75 mm by 5 m;

(f) 1 packet containing not less than 20 self-adhesive waterproof wound dressings in assorted sizes;

(g) 1 packet containing not less than 10 paraffin gauze dressings for burns, individually wrapped, measuring 10cm by 10cm (approximately);

(h) 2 tubes of Cetrimide Cream 0.5% 50 g (antiseptic cream);

(i) 50 Paracetamol tablets 500 mg (analgesic tablets);

(j) 1 pair of rustless, stainless metal scissors measuring 10 cm with 1 sharp and 1 blunt point;

(k) 12 rustless, stainless metal safety pins of assorted sizes;

(l) 1 small packet of silica gel (drying agent);

(m) approved instructions for use of the first-aid outfit printed on linen or waterproof paper in the English language.”;

(e) by omitting from paragraph (a) of item 2 of Part VIII “ metal ” and substituting “ material ”;

(f) by omitting from paragraph (b) of item 2 of Part VIII “ with a piece of wire soldered to the lid and the body of the container ”;

(g) by omitting from paragraph (d) of item 2 of Part VIIl “ well tinned and lacquered ” and substituting “ rustproof ”; and

(h) by omitting from paragraph (e) of item 2 of Part VIII “ shall be given ” and substituting “ and the date on which the first-aid outfit was assembled shall be indelibly marked ”.

Sixth Schedule

4. The Sixth Schedule to the Navigation (Life-saving Appliances) Regulations is amended by omitting paragraphs (q), (r) and (s) of item 1 of Part III and substituting the following paragraphs:

“ (q) 6 Hyoscine tablets, 300 micrograms (seasickness tablets) for each person included in the carrying capacity of the liferaft;

(r) a first-aid outfit, enclosed in a watertight case (on the exterior of which the date on which the first-aid outfit was assembled is indelibly marked), containing the following articles each of which complies with the standard (if any) applicable to that article under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1966 (being a first-aid outfit that has been assembled from fresh stocks of those articles and has not been in a lifeboat or liferaft for a period exceeding 2 years):

(i) 1 pack containing—

(a) 5 doses of Morphine Sulphate Injection 15 mg in 1 ml disposable syringe pack;

(b) 5 doses of Morphine Sulphate Injection 15 mg in 1 ml ampoule with 1 suitable sterile disposable syringe complete with needle per ampoule; or

(c) 6 doses of Omnopon Tubunic 30 mg (equivalent to Anhydrous Morphine 15 mg);

(ii) 4 standard dressings No. 14, medium, measuring 15 cm by 10 cm;

(iii) 4 standard dressings No. 15, large, measuring 15 cm by 20 cm;

(iv) 6 triangular bandages with not less than 1 m sides (approximately);

(v) 10 open wove bandages, measuring 75 mm by 5 m;

(vi) 1 packet containing not less than 20 self-adhesive waterproof wound dressings in assorted sizes;

(vii) 1 packet containing not less than 10 paraffin gauze dressings for burns, individually wrapped, measuring 10 cm by 10 cm (approximately);

(viii) 2 tubes of Cetrimide Cream 0.5% 50 g (antiseptic cream);

(ix) 50 Paracetamol tablets 500 mg (analgesic tablets);

(x) 1 pair of rustless, stainless metal scissors measuring 10 cm with 1 sharp and 1 blunt point;

(xi) 12 rustless, stainless metal safety pins of assorted sizes;

(xii) 1 small packet of silica gel (drying agent);

(xiii) approved instructions for use of the first-aid outfit printed on linen or waterproof paper in the English language;

(s) a copy of a manual prepared under the authority of the Minister describing the various life-saving appliances and the recommended procedures to be followed for survival when abandoning a ship at sea;

(sa) brief instructions printed in the English language relating to immediate action to be taken for survival upon entering a liferaft;”.

Overview

The Statutory Rules 1978 No. 55, Regulations under the Navigation Act 1912, were enacted to address the need for updated regulations concerning life-saving appliances on ships. This legislative instrument was made by the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting on the advice of the Federal Executive Council. The primary objective of these regulations is to ensure that life-saving equipment on ships meets current safety standards and is properly maintained. The amendments introduced by these regulations include updates to the definitions of certain terms, the specifications of the contents and conditions of first-aid outfits for lifeboats and liferafts, and the requirements for manuals and instructions related to life-saving appliances and procedures. These changes aim to enhance the effectiveness of life-saving equipment and improve the safety of personnel in maritime emergencies.

Scope and Application

The Regulations under the Navigation Act 1912, specifically the amendments to the Navigation (Life-saving Appliances) Regulations, apply to all vessels registered in Australia, irrespective of the type of vessel, including commercial and recreational maritime operations. These Regulations are made under the authority of the Commonwealth of Australia and apply nationwide, including its territorial waters. The Regulations are designed to enhance maritime safety by ensuring that life-saving appliances on board vessels comply with updated standards and specifications. The Regulations stipulate specific requirements for the composition and packaging of first-aid kits in lifeboats and liferafts, ensuring they are assembled from fresh stocks and have not been in use for more than two years. Additionally, the Regulations mandate that these first-aid kits must include a detailed manual on the use of life-saving appliances and recommended survival procedures. Furthermore, they require the inclusion of seasickness tablets and brief survival instructions in liferafts. The scope of these Regulations extends to amending definitions and specifications within the existing regulatory framework, thereby ensuring that all maritime vessels meet the required safety standards.

Key Provisions

The Statutory Rules 1978 No. 55, made under the Navigation Act 1912, introduce several amendments to the existing Navigation (Life-saving Appliances) Regulations, with a commencement date of 1 September 1978. These amendments primarily focus on the specifications and requirements for life-saving appliances, particularly first-aid outfits in lifeboats and liferafts. The key amendments include the definition of "fresh stocks" (Regulation 2(a)), the inclusion of a survival manual (Regulation 2(b)), and the detailed list of articles to be included in a first-aid outfit (Regulation 3(d)). Moreover, the amendments update the Third and Sixth Schedules (Regulations 3 and 4) to reflect these changes. These Regulations impose specific obligations on the parties or entities they govern, primarily ship owners and operators. They must ensure that lifeboats and liferafts are equipped with first-aid outfits containing the specified articles, assembled from fresh stocks and not older than two years. Additionally, they must include a copy of the survival manual and, in the case of liferafts, brief instructions for immediate survival actions upon entering the raft. The Regulations also mandate that the date of assembly of the first-aid outfit be indelibly marked on the container and that the container itself meets certain specifications to be watertight and rustproof. Failure to comply with these Regulations can result in civil or criminal consequences. Although the specific penalties are not detailed in the legislative instrument, non-compliance with maritime safety regulations can typically lead to fines and, in severe cases, prosecution under the Navigation Act 1912. The penalties for such offences can include substantial fines and, potentially, imprisonment, depending on the severity of the breach and any resulting harm or risk to life at sea.

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Maritime Law
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Regulatory Standards
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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.