This subpart provides general requirements for equipment and design on deepwater ports.

The District Commander must be notified of the following:

(a) To show compliance with the Act and this subchapter, the licensee must submit to the Commandant (CG-5P) or accepted Certifying Entity (CE) at least three copies of:

(1) Each construction drawing and specification; and

(2) Each revision to a drawing and specification.

(b) Each drawing, specification, and revision under paragraph (a) of this section must bear the seal, or a facsimile imprint of the seal, of the registered professional engineer responsible for the accuracy and adequacy of the material.

(c) Each drawing must identify the baseline design standard used as the basis for design.

(a) The Commandant (CG-5P) may concurrently review and evaluate construction drawings and specifications with the Marine Safety Center and other Federal agencies having technical expertise, such as the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, in order to ensure compliance with the Act and this subchapter.

(b) Construction may not begin until the drawings and specifications are approved by the Commandant (CG-5P).

(c) Once construction begins, the Coast Guard periodically inspects the construction site to ensure that the construction complies with the drawings and specifications approved under paragraph (b) of this section.

(d) When construction is complete, the licensee must submit two complete sets of as-built drawings and specifications to the Commandant (CG-5P).

(a) Each component, except for those specifically addressed elsewhere in this subpart, must be designed to withstand at least the combined wind, wave, and current forces of the most severe storm that can be expected to occur at the deepwater port in any 100-year period. Component design must meet a recognized industry standard and be appropriate for the protection of human life from death or serious injury, both on the deepwater port and on vessels calling on or servicing the deepwater port, and for the protection of the environment.

(b) The applicant or licensee will be required to submit to the Commandant (CG-5P) a design basis for approval containing all proposed standards to be used in the fabrication and construction of deepwater port components.

(c) Heliports on floating deepwater ports must be designed in compliance with the regulations at 46 CFR part 108.

Manned deepwater ports built after January 1, 2004, and manned deepwater ports that undergo major conversions, must comply with the requirements for structural fire protection outlined in this part.

(a) Accommodation spaces and modules must be designed, located, and constructed so as to minimize the effects of flame, excess heat, or blast effects caused by fires and explosions; and to provide safe refuge from fires and explosions for personnel for the minimum time needed to evacuate the space.

(b) The requirement in paragraph (a) of this section may be met by complying with 46 CFR 108.131 through 108.147, provided that:

(1) The exterior boundaries of superstructures and deckhouses enclosing these spaces and modules, including any overhanging deck that supports these spaces and modules, are constructed to the A-60 standard defined in 46 CFR 108.131(b)(2) for any portion that faces and is within 100 feet of the hydrocarbon source; and

(2) The ventilation system has both a means of shutting down the system and an alarm at a manned location that sounds when any hazardous or toxic substance enters the system.

(c) As an alternative to paragraph (b) of this section, the requirement in paragraph (a) of this section may be met by complying with a national consensus standard, as that term is defined in 29 CFR 1910.2, for the structural fire protection of accommodation spaces and modules, and that complies with the standards set by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, as that term is defined by 29 CFR 1910.7, for such protection, provided that:

(1) All such spaces and modules on deepwater manned ports are provided with automatic fire detection and alarm systems. The alarm system must signal a normally manned area both visually and audibly, and be divided into zones to limit the area covered by a particular alarm signal;

(2) Sleeping quarters are fitted with smoke detectors that have local alarms that may or may not be connected with the central alarm panel; and

(3) Independent fire walls are constructed and installed so as to be of size and orientation sufficient to protect the exterior surfaces of the spaces or modules from extreme radiant heat flux levels, and provide the A-60 standard defined in 46 CFR 108.131(b)(2).

Each single point mooring and its attached hose must be designed for the protection of the environment and for durability under combined wind, wave, and current forces of the most severe storm that can be expected to occur at the port in any 100-year period. The appropriateness of a design may be shown by its compliance with standards generally used within the offshore industry that are at least equivalent, in protecting the environment, to the standards in use on January 1, 2003, by any recognized classification society as defined in 46 CFR 8.100.

Helicopter fueling facilities must comply with 46 CFR 108.489 or an equivalent standard.

(a) Each pumping platform complex must have emergency power equipment including a power source, associated transforming equipment, and a switchboard to provide power to simultaneously operate all of the following for a continuous period of 18 hours:

(1) Emergency lighting circuits;

(2) Aids to navigation equipment;

(3) Communications equipment;

(4) Radar equipment;

(5) Alarm systems;

(6) Electrically operated fire pumps; and

(7) Other electrical equipment identified as emergency equipment in the operations manual for the deepwater port.

(b) The equipment required by paragraph (a) of this section must:

(1) All be located in the same space; and

(2) Contain only machinery and equipment for the supply of emergency power (i.e., no oil or natural gas transfer pumping equipment) in accordance with 46 CFR 112.05.

Each pumping platform complex must have a general alarm system that:

(a) Is capable of being manually activated by using alarm boxes;

(b) Is audible in all parts of the pumping platform complex, except in areas of high ambient noise levels where hearing protection is required under § 150.613 of this chapter; and

(c) Has a high intensity flashing light in areas where hearing protection is used.

Each of the following must be marked with the words “General Alarm” in yellow letters at least 1 inch high on a red background:

(a) Each general alarm box; and

(b) Each audio or visual device described under § 149.665 of this part for signaling the general alarm.

(a) For a manned deepwater port, each pumping platform complex must have a public address system operable from two locations on the complex.

(b) For an unmanned deepwater port, the vessel master must provide a working public address system on a vessel while it is moored or otherwise connected to the deepwater port.

Each deepwater port with sleeping spaces for 12 or more persons, including persons in accommodation modules, must have a medical treatment room that has—

(a) A sign at the entrance designating it as a medical treatment room;

(b) An entrance that is wide enough and arranged to readily admit a person on a stretcher;

(c) A single berth or examination table that is accessible from both sides; and

(d) A washbasin located in the room.

A medical treatment room may be used as a sleeping space if the room meets the requirements of this subpart for both medical treatment rooms and sleeping spaces. It may also be used as an office. However, when used for medical purposes, the room may not be used as a sleeping space or office.

Each deepwater port must comply with the requirements for means of escape, personnel landings, guardrails and similar devices, and noise limits as outlined in §§ 149.691 through 149.699 of this part.

(a) Each deepwater port must have both primary and secondary means of escape. Each of these means must either:

(1) Comply with 46 CFR 108.151; or

(2) Be designed and installed in compliance with a national consensus standard, as that term is defined in 29 CFR 1910.2, for use in evacuating the deepwater port.

(b) A primary means of escape consists of a fixed stairway or a fixed ladder, constructed of steel.

(c) A secondary means of escape consists of either:

(1) A fixed stairway or a fixed ladder, constructed of steel; or

(2) A marine evacuation system, a portable flexible ladder, a knotted manrope, or a similar device determined by the Sector Commander, or MSU Commander with COTP and OCMI authority to provide an equivalent or better means of escape.

(a) Each means of escape must be easily accessible to personnel for rapidly evacuating the deepwater port.

(b) When two or more means of escape are installed, at least two must be located as nearly diagonally opposite each other as practicable.

(c) When the floor area of any of the following spaces contains 300 square feet or more, the space must have at least two exits as widely separated from each other as possible:

(1) Each accommodation space; and

(2) Each space that is used on a regular basis, such as a control room, machinery room, storeroom, or other space where personnel could be trapped in an emergency.

(d) On a manned deepwater port, each structural appendage that is not occupied continuously, and that does not contain living quarters, workshops, offices, or other manned spaces must have at least one primary means of escape. The Sector Commander, or MSU Commander with COTP and OCMI authority may also determine that one or more secondary means of escape is required.

(e) When personnel are on an unmanned deepwater port, the deepwater port must have, in addition to the one primary means of escape, either:

(1) Another primary means of escape; or

(2) One or more secondary means of escape in any work space that may be temporarily occupied by 10 persons or more.

(f) Structural appendages to an unmanned deepwater port do not require a primary or a secondary means of escape, unless the Sector Commander, or MSU Commander with COTP and OCMI authority determines that one or more are necessary.

(g) Each means of escape must extend from the deepwater port's uppermost working level to each successively lower working level, and so on to the water surface.

(a) On manned deepwater ports, sufficient personnel landings must be provided to assure safe access and egress.

(b) The personnel landings must be provided with satisfactory illumination. The minimum is 1 foot candle of artificial illumination as measured at the landing floor and guards and rails.

(a) The configuration and installation of catwalks, floors, and openings must comply with § 143.110 of this chapter.

(b) This section does not apply to catwalks, floors, deck areas, or openings in areas not normally occupied by personnel or on helicopter landing decks.

Stairways must have at least two courses of rails. The top course must serve as a handrail and be at least 34 inches above the tread.

A helicopter landing deck safety net must comply with 46 CFR 108.235.

(a) A survey to determine the maximum noise level during normal operations must be conducted in each accommodation space, working space, or other space routinely used by personnel. The recognized methodology used to conduct the survey must be specified in the survey results. Survey results must be kept on the deepwater port or, for an unmanned deepwater port, in the owner's principal office.

(b) The noise level must be measured over 12 hours to derive a time weighted average (TWA) using a sound level meter and an A-weighted filter or equivalent device.

(c) If the noise level throughout a space is determined to exceed 85 db(A), based on the measurement criteria in paragraph (b) of this section, then signs must be posted with the legend: “Noise Hazard—Hearing Protectors Required.” Signs must be posted at eye level at each entrance to the space.

(d) If the noise level exceeds 85 db(A) only in a portion of a space, then the sign described in paragraph (c) of this section must be posted within that portion where visible from each direction of access.

(e) Working spaces and other areas routinely used by personnel, other than accommodation spaces, must be designed to limit the noise level in those areas so that personnel wearing hearing protectors may hear warning and emergency alarms. If this is not practicable and warning and emergency alarms cannot be heard, visual alarms in addition to the audible alarms must be installed.

Each portable light and its supply cord on a deepwater port must be designed for the environment where it is used.