28 NOVEMBER NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE 5943

(b) Equipment is maintained in an efficient working condition.

(2) Basic guidelines including, but not limited to, the following should be taken into account on all ships:

(a) A continuous watch should be maintained on the distress frequency 500 kHz by the radio officer during that officer’s period of watch using headphones or loudspeaker and at other times by the use of the radiotelegraph auto alarm:

(b) Watch should also be maintained on other distress frequencies:

(c) Safety radio services should be provided to own and other ships:

(d) Mandatory radiocommunication equipment should be maintained to ensure that, at all times it is in an efficient operating condition:

(e) When the radio officer is permitted to discontinue the watch in order to perform other duties or to handle traffic on another frequency or perform other essential radio duties, the radiotelegraph auto alarm should be used if aural reception is impracticable; during silence periods, aural watch should be maintained as provided in paragraph (h) of this subclause:

(f) While at sea, when the radio officer is not on duty, the reserve radiotelegraph transmitter and reserve receiver shall be tuned to 500 kHz:

(g) While at sea, the radiotelegraph auto alarm should be tested whenever it is brought into operation; if found to be not operating effectively, the master or officer in charge of the navigational watch should be immediately informed:

(h) During silence periods that occur in watchkeeping hours steps should be taken to watch the frequency 500 kHz to ensure reception of distress and other urgent transmissions which can be done by searching the band 495 to 505 kHz:

(i) The ship’s position, regularly updated, should be available and, at the order of the master, prominently displayed at the operating position; where applicable it should be entered into automatic distress alerting devices:

(j) A list of ships (names, call signs, and positions if known) in the vicinity should be maintained:

(k) Distress, urgency, and safety messages should be passed to the officer in charge of the navigational watch immediately on receipt:

(l) Routine weather and navigational warning messages for the area the ship is traversing and, at the request of the master, for other areas, should be passed to the officer in charge of the navigational watch immediately on receipt:

(m) On ships participating in a ship position-reporting system, relevant position messages, authorised by the master, should be sent as necessary:

(n) Additional watchkeeping hours should be arranged to cover, as far as possible, traffic lists, weather forecasts, navigational warnings, schedules, transmission of weather observations (in the case of voluntary observing ships), and best high frequency propagation condition times:

(o) Radiotelephone watchkeeping should be maintained in accordance with these performance standards:

(p) Unauthorised transmissions, especially those made during silence periods or during distress transmissions, and any harmful interference incidents should, if possible, be identified, logged, and brought to the attention of the Secretary:

(q) The radio watchkeeper’s duties should be so arranged that the efficiency of the watchkeeper is not impaired by fatigue and the watchkeeper is rested and otherwise fit when going on duty:

(r) Precautions should be taken to ensure that the radio watchkeeper’s hearing is not damaged by exposure to excessive extraneous noises on the ship. When unavoidably exposed to excessive noise, hearing protection devices should be worn.

Operational Guidelines Relating to Safety Radio Watchkeeping and Maintenance

2. General—(1) Before the commencement of a voyage, the radio officer in charge should ensure that—

(a) All radio equipment for which the radio officer is responsible is in an efficient working condition and accumulator batteries are sufficiently charged:

(b) All documents and supplements required by international agreements, notices to ship radio stations, and additional documents required under the Act are available and discrepancies are reported to the master:

(c) The radio room clock is accurate:

(d) Antennae are correctly positioned, undamaged, and properly connected.

(2) The radio officer should ensure that all relevant documents are corrected and amended in accordance with the latest supplements.

(3) When the radio officer first joins a ship, the officer should ensure that all technical manuals, spares, test instruments, and tools for the radiocommunication equipment and, at the discretion of the master, for radio navigational equipment, are on board. Discrepancies should be reported to the master.

3. Radiotelegraph watchkeeping duties—(1) Immediately prior to sailing from a port, the radio officer should, where practicable, update routine weather and navigational warning messages for the area the ship will be traversing and, at the request of the master, for other areas, and pass such messages to the master.

(2) On sailing from a port and opening the station, the radio officer should—

(a) Listen on the distress frequency 500 kHz for a possible existing distress situation:

(b) Send a TR (name, position, and destination, etc.) to the local coast station and other appropriate coast stations from which traffic may be expected:

(c) Copy weather forecasts and navigational warnings on the first relevant transmissions.

(3) When the station is open, the radio officer should—

(a) Enable chronometer checks to be made by relaying time signals to the chartroom at least once a day:

(b) Check the radio room clock against standard time signals at least once a day:

(c) On selected ships, endeavour to clear as many of the OBS (weather report) messages as are available, via relevant coast stations, during watchkeeping hours:

(d) Send a TR when entering the area of a medium frequency coast station from which traffic might be expected; the coast station concerned should be informed on leaving its service area:

(e) As far as possible, listen to traffic lists transmitted by coast stations from which traffic might be expected; on hearing ship’s call sign, reply as soon as possible.

(4) When closing the station on arrival at a port, the radio officer should—

(a) Advise the local coast station and other coast stations with which contact has been maintained of the ship’s arrival and closing of the station:

(b) Ensure that antennae are earthed:

(c) Check that accumulator batteries are sufficiently charged.