UK: conformity assessment procedures for marine equipment

UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency has issued a merchant shipping notice about United Kingdom conformity assessment procedures for marine equipment.

This notice was published on March 24th, 2023, and is addressed to all:

Manufacturers and Distributors of Marine Equipment
Masters, Officers and Skippers of: Merchant Ships, Fishing Vessels, Small Commercial Vessels and Pleasures Vessels
Ship: Builders, Designers, Operators, Owners and Managers
Marine Consultants, Recognised Organisations, Certifying Authorities, and Approved and Nominated Bodies

This Notice should be read with the Merchant Shipping (Marine Equipment) Regulations 2016 SI 2016/1025 as amended by the Merchant Shipping (Marine Equipment) (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 SI 2019/470 and the Merchant Shipping (Marine Equipment) (Amendment) (UK and US Mutual Recognition Agreement) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 SI 2019/1304 (“the Regulations”’), MIN 590 Amendment 5 – United Kingdom conformity assessment procedures for marine equipment following the transition period and relevant UK carriage requirement instruments.

This Notice has been given force of law by Statute (SI 2016/1025) as amended.

The objective of the Regulations is to enhance safety at sea and prevention of pollution to the marine environment through the uniform application of the relevant international instruments relating to equipment to be placed on board ships registered with the UK.

This Notice gives technical information and guidance about the procedures for obtaining type approval in conformity with the Regulations.

It also gives information regarding the United Kingdom’s policy for enforcing these requirements, and other standards to be applied to equipment on board United Kingdom ships.

This Notice replaces Merchant Shipping Notice 1874 (M+F) amendment 6 in view of amendments to the Regulations to address failures of the Regulations (as originally enacted) to operate effectively and other deficiencies arising from the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

The Merchant Shipping (Marine Equipment) Regulations 2016 SI 2016/1025 as amended (“the Regulations”) and this Notice sets out performance and testing standards to be met by marine equipment placed or to be placed on board a UK ship in accordance with the UK’s conformity assessment procedures, as detailed in Part I of this Notice.

This Notice also sets out type approval procedures for equipment placed or to be placed on board UK ships which is outside the scope of the UK’s conformity assessment procedures for marine equipment, but which requires conformity approval by various UK instruments.

Such type approvals are carried out by nominated bodies in accordance with the procedures in Part II of this Notice.

Further, this Notice sets out the technical standards for equipment not requiring conformity assessment of type approval, before being placed on board a UK ship and for which the carriage requirement does not provide for a specific standard of equipment.