View report page

72
Head Room.—Under the British Merchant Shipping Act, 5 ft. 6 in. is regarded
as a practical minimum, permitting a man to get about without serious inconvenience.
It probably requires practice to achieve this.
The Swedish Regulations require on vessels of 200 tons and upwards a minimum
of 6 ft. 3 in. and on vessels of 300 tons and upwards 6 ft. 9 in., a very different thing,
and an immense improvement.
Mess Rooms.—Australia requires separate mess rooms where practicable, if not,
then tables must be of a folding or sliding type. Norway requires separate mess rooms
in vessels of 800 tons upwards.
Food Lockers.—The storage of food in lockers in the crew's quarters is not
absolutely prohibited on British ships, but is discouraged, and can generally be dealt
with as a nuisance.
The Norwegian Regulations, however, absolutely prohibit the keeping of food,
damp clothes, and other things likely to become offensive in sleeping compartments.
This is a most excellent provision.
Baths and Lavatories.—These are of course found nowadays provided for
crews on many British vessels of the best class, but the custom is not general. The
Australian Government require such to be provided to the satisfaction of their Medical
Inspector. Norway requires on steam vessels of 1,500 tons and upwards in addition
to lavatories a bath for the crew with warm water supply when required. On smaller
vessels the bath only is dispensed with, separate washing accommodation, one washing
apparatus to every two men in one watch is required.
Water Closets.—The standard of one closet for each ten men of the ship's
company, recognised by the Board of Trade, is also accepted by the Norwegian
Government, while the Australian regulations leave the extent of accommodation to be
decided or approved by the Medical Inspector.
Hospital (Sick Berth) Accommodation.—This on British ships may be provided,
and if so, and there is compliance with the regulation, it "should" be certified as
"Crews' Hospital" and be included with the deductions made on account of Crews'
space from the tonnage of the vessel.
The Commonwealth Regulations require:—
"(271) HOSPITAL ACCOMMODATION.
1. Every
(a) Foreign-going ship trading regularly with the Commonwealth, or
(b) Australian-trade ship on a voyage between consecutive ports which
exceeds a prescribed distance
and having 100 persons or more on board, shall be provided with hospital
accommodation of such a character and so placed and arranged as to afford
proper means of isolation for cases of communicable disease which may arise
during the voyage, and for any persons attending to such cases.