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Chapter 4 Passenger Cabins
Article 50
Any passenger ship shall establish passenger cabins in accordance with the provisions prescribed in this chapter, except:
1. A passenger ship which navigates an inland water route which does not exceed three hours; or
2. A passenger ship which is approved by the shipping administration authority or ship register institute to carry passengers on weather decks.
Article 51
Safety shall be ensured adequately for the locations, passages and construction of passenger cabins, and the spaces between them and other compartments; such passenger cabins shall be isolated from cold, heat, noise and odor. The following places shall in no case be used for passenger cabins:
1. The lowest point of the cabin's top deck is below the max load line;
2. The places before collision bulkheads;
3. The places less than 60 cm in width or length;
4. The places wherein the net height is less than 182 cm; however, for passenger ships navigating coastal, inland waters or shorter inland water routes, the height may be reduced to 140 cm if the shipping administration authority or ship register institute deems that there will be no obstruction to escape in an emergency;
5. The places within 60 cm of the outer circumference of boiler spaces where heat insulation is not provided; and
6. Other places where the shipping administration authority or ship register institute deems unsuitable for passenger dwelling and activities.
Article 52
Passenger cabins shall be isolated from the crew accommodations. When it is impossible on account of the tonnage, type, construction or intended use of the ship, both cabins shall be clearly divided or restricted as much as possible.
Article 53
Each space of the passenger cabin shall be marked with the use, class and number on the front of the door. Markings shall be made in characters or signs when cabins are separated for men’s and women’s use.
Article 54
The floor decks of passenger cabins shall not be placed onto movable beams; they must have proper strength. If they are wood decks, they shall be firmly secured and the seams thereof shall be caulked; while, if steel decks, they shall be covered with wood boards or other materials that are approved by the shipping administration authority or ship register institute.
The steel weather open decks above passenger cabins and such steel weather decks carrying passengers shall be covered in accordance with the requirement set forth in the previous paragraph; however, the shipping administration authority or ship register institute may give an allowance for a ship that carries deck passengers.
Article 55
All passenger cabins of any passenger ship shall be installed with stairways and vertical stairways for passengers to promptly escape to the lifeboat deck in accordance with the following provisions:
1. Each watertight compartment or similarly restricted space or group of spaces located below the bulkhead deck shall be equipped with two escape routes of which at least one shall not go through the watertight door. However, one of the escape routes may be exempted if the shipping administration authority or ship register institute approves according to the characteristics and locations of compartments, and the number of passengers.
2. Each main vertical zone or similarly restricted space or group of spaces located above the bulkhead deck shall have at least two practicable escape routes, of which at least one shall allow access to a stairway forming a vertical escape.
3. The escape routes prescribed in the two preceding paragraphs shall have at least one enclosed stairway readily accessible, which shall have as much as possible continuous fire shelter from the level of its origin to the lifeboat embarkation deck. The width, number, and continuity of each stairways shall be approved by the shipping administration authority or ship register institute.
Article 56
There shall be entrances provided for passenger cabins in compliance with the requirements shown below. More than two entrances shall be established if the certified number of passengers exceeds 50. Except as otherwise approved by the shipping administration authority or ship register institute, there shall keep as much as possible a suitable space between the entrances.
1. Total width of each entrance shall be computed based on the certified number of passengers, 1cm for one person.
However, every entrance shall be at least 80cm wide; and
2. Every entrance shall not be directly intruded on by rain or waves.
Article 57
If there are emergency exits in passenger cabins that are in compliance with the following requirements, they may be deemed and counted as specified in the preceding article:
1. The net width is at least 60cm;
2. It is easily opened or closed from both sides by one person; and
3. Signs indicating the location are easily identifiable by cabin passengers.
If the passenger cabins mentioned in Item 1 of the preceding paragraph are designed for passengers with disabilities, the net width of the emergency exit shall be at least 80cm.
Article 58
If the entrances prescribed in the two preceding articles are far above passenger cabin floors, stairways accessing such entrances shall be provided in compliance with the following requirements:
1. The width of the stairways shall be greater than that of the entrances. However, in case of winding stairs or other difficult stairs or the upper or lower stairs near which there are obstructions, the shipping administration authority or ship register institute may grant a width slightly narrower than that of the entrances;
2. The entrance shall as much as possible be established in the fore and aft directions of the ship;
3. The angle between the entrance and the floor deck shall be within 45 degrees; and
4. There shall be handrails on stairs, with fender boards at the back.
The shipping administration authority or ship register institute may slightly loosen the requirements of Item 3 and 4 in the previous paragraph for stairs in emergency exits.
Article 59
The locations of the passages in steerage cabins accessible to entrances shall be subject to approval of the shipping administration authority or classification societies, and the net width thereof shall comply with the following requirements:
1. For a passenger ship with the gross tonnage above 100 tons or carrying more than 100 passengers:
(1) The net width of an accessible passage shall be at least 80cm.
(2) A passage 4.5 m and over in length shall have a net width of at least 80 cm; and
(3) A passage less than 4.5 m in length shall have a net width of at least 75 cm.
2. For a passenger ship with the gross tonnage less than 100 tons or carrying less than 100 passengers:
(1) The net width of an accessible passage shall be at least 80cm.
(2) A passage 4.5 m and over in length shall have a net width of at least 70 cm; and
(3) A passage less than 4.5 m in length shall have a net width of at least 60 cm.
Steerage cabins less than 15 ㎡, subject to approval of shipping administration authority or classification societies, may be exempted from establishing the passages in accordance with the requirements set out in the previous paragraph.
Article 60
The entrances of the places such as the paint rooms and combustible oil storerooms shall not connect with the passenger cabin doors, or be established at the places where they may endanger the safety of passengers.
Article 61
When passenger cabins are adjacent to cargo holds, coal holds, storerooms, paint rooms and combustible oil storerooms, they shall be isolated with steel airtight bulkheads and steel decks.
Article 62
Passenger cabins shall not adjoin oil tanks, except those in compliance with the following requirements:
1. The passenger cabins, which are additionally installed with a steel airtight bulkhead; and, besides the wall ventilation, the space between the two bulkheads is accessible; and
2. There shall no manholes or other openings on the top plate of oil tanks, and the plate shall be laid with non-combustible materials at least 38 mm in thickness, and there shall be sufficient ventilation for the passenger cabins.
Article 63
Passenger cabins shall have sufficient windows for catching light and ventilation. However the number of windows may be reduced if the shipping administration authority or ship register institute deems that the lighting and ventilation facilities are adequate.
Article 64
Passenger cabins of a passenger ship navigating through frigid zones shall be equipped with efficient heating equipment; however, such equipment may be exempted if the shipping administration authority or ship register institute deems unnecessary, or they cannot practicably be equipped in the ship.
Article 65
The steerage cabins on the upper and lower decks of a passenger ship navigating international or outer sea routes shall be installed with ventilation windows in each tier of passenger deck individually. The cross-section of the ventilation window, and the inlet and outlet thereof shall be computed based on the certified number of passengers, 16 c㎡ allotted for every passenger; the cross-section of the ventilator of the steerage cabins located at both sides of the engine room shall be computed on the basis of 21 c㎡ for every passenger.
If the ventilator mentioned above is bent, the cross-section thereof shall be increased by an additional quantum of 5% to 10% for every bend according to the bending curvature. If it is a deflected ventilator, the cross-section shall be added with a 6% to 36% additional quantum to each deflection according to the deflecting curvature.
Notwithstanding the requirements set forth in the two previous paragraphs, the cross-section of the ventilator may be properly reduced by the shipping administration authority or ship register institute, provided that:
(1) The steerage cabin can be ventilated through the deck head openings of the superstructure; or
(2) The deck house, or there is a mechanical ventilation device; or
(3) There is redundant space in it; or
(4) The air can flow between it and other cabins.
Article 66
A passenger ship navigating in the tropical zone shall have her shell plates around the passenger cabins or the uncovered weather decks laid with proper heat-resistant materials as a protection.
Article 67
Cabins and steerage cabins shall be classified according to the following requirements:
1. Cabins:
(1) Class A cabins shall have no more than two fixed berths in one cabin;
(2) Class B cabins shall have no more than four fixed berths in one cabin; and
(3) Class C cabins shall have no more than twelve fixed berths in one cabin.
2. Steerage cabins:
(1) Class A steerage cabins shall have fixed or movable berths, or reclining facilities;
(2) Class B steerage cabins shall have board or matting berths;
(3) Class C steerage cabins shall have seats or benches; and
(4) Class D steerage cabins do not have the seats and sleeping facilities mentioned above.
If various class facilities mentioned in the second subparagraph of the previous paragraph are mixed in a steerage cabin without fixed partitions, the lowest class facility shall designate the class of the cabin.
Article 68
Each cabin passenger shall be provided with a fixed berth. It shall not be substituted with a temporary berth or a sofa, nor an additional temporary berth or a sofa placed beside it for the passenger to sit or sleep on unless approved by the shipping administration authority or ship register institute for special reasons.
Article 69
Berths in cabins shall be secured, and the arrangement and size thereof shall be made in accordance with the following requirements:
1. The number of tiers of the berth shall not be more than two;
2. Two berths shall not lean together closely, and shall have a passage of at least 75cm in-between;
3. The top of the lower berth of a double-tier berth shall be no less than 30cm above the floor; the distance between the tops of the upper and lower berths, and the overhead space above the top of the upper berth shall be no less than 76cm.
4. At least one side of every berth shall face a passage accessing the entrance; and
5. The length and width of the inner edge of a berth in an international passenger ship shall be no less than 182cm and 60cm respectively, or, in a domestic passenger ship, no less than 180cm and 56cm respectively.
Article 70
Fixed or movable berths in steerage cabins shall be arranged and sized in accordance with the following requirements:
1. The number of tiers of berths shall not be more than three;
2. When two berths are placed side by side, a partition board of at least 45cm in height shall be installed. When using either of them, there will be no need to cross over the other;
3. The top of the lower berth of a double-tier one shall be no less than 30cm above the floor; the distance between the tops of the upper and the lower, berth and the overhead space above the top of the upper berth shall be no less than 76cm;
4. The top of the lower tier of a triple-tier berth shall be no less than 30cm above the floor. The distance between the tops of the lower and the middle or the middle and the upper, or the overhead space above the top of the upper shall be no less than 66cm;
5. The length of the inner edge of the berth shall be no less than 180cm, and the width, no less than 53cm; and
6. Movable berths shall be installed with seat braces, which shall be firmly secured with bolts or other methods.
Article 71
When a passenger ship is equipped with fixed berths for the exclusive use of children, which are smaller than the requirements prescribed in the two preceding articles, the following provisions shall be observed:
1. The berths shall be clearly labeled "Exclusively for children"; and
2. The length and width of the inner edge of the berth for children of less than three years of age shall be no less than 100cm and 50cm respectively, or, for children less than twelve years old, no less than 110cm and 50cm respectively.
Article 72
Every berth shall have suitable facilities to maintain the safety of passengers.
Article 73
Every cabin shall be segregated with compact, firm bulkhead, and shall directly access public passages.
Article 74
Every cabin shall be installed with a strong door and lock, which shall be able to be opened from both sides of the door.
Article 75
Reclining chairs in steerage cabins shall be arranged and sized as follows:
1. One chair for one passenger only;
2. The chairs shall have arms, and backrests that shall be easily adjusted backward to recline properly;
3. The width and depth of the inner edges of each chair shall be no less than 50cm and 55cm for international passenger ships, and no less than 45cm, and 48cm for domestic passenger ships;
4. The space in front of the chair shall be no less than 35cm;
5. The distance between the side of the aisle and the center of any chair shall not exceed 2m; and
6. The chairs shall be secured on decks, preventing them from moving due to rolling or pitching of the ship.
Article 76
The board and matting ground berths in steerage cabins shall comply with the following requirements:
1. The ground berths shall be at least 10cm above the top of the deck;
2. The overhead space of the berths shall be kept at least 170cm, but may be properly reduced if approved by the shipping administration authority or ship register institute;
3. The distance between the side of aisle and the center of the farthest berth shall not exceed 370cm; and
4. The berths shall be firmly secured to avoid floating due to flooding.
Article 77
Chairs and benches in steerage cabins shall be arranged and sized as follows:
1. The depth of inner edges shall be no less than 40cm;
2. Except for benches provided for a route of less than three hours, any chair shall have proper arms and a backrest, with one chair for each passenger only;
3. The width of the inner edges of a chair and bench that each passenger occupies shall be no less than the requirements as follows:
(1) For a voyage of less than one and a half hours: 40cm;
(2) For a voyage of one and a half hours up to less than six hours: 45cm;
(3) For a voyage of six hours up to less than twenty four hours: 50cm;
4. The space in front of chairs and benches shall be no less than 15cm, except passenger ships built or imported prior to the promulgation of this amendment on March 2, 2016;
5. The distance between the center of the farthest seat and the aisle shall not exceed 2m; and
6. The chairs and benches shall be firmly secured to prevent movement due to rolling or pitching of the ship.