1. Sufficient mess room accommodation shall be
provided in all ships.
2. In ships of less than 1,000 tons separate mess
room accommodation shall be provided for—
3. In ships of 1,000 tons and over, separate mess
room accommodation shall be provided for—
Provided that—
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(i) one of the two mess rooms for the petty officers
and other ratings may be allotted to the petty officers and the other
to the other ratings;
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(ii) a single mess room may be provided for deck
and engine department petty officers and other ratings in cases in
which the organisations of shipowners and/or shipowners and the recognised bona fide trade unions of seafarers concerned have expressed
a preference for such an arrangement.
4. Adequate mess room accommodation shall be provided
for the catering department, either by the provision of a separate
mess room or by giving them the right to the use of the mess rooms
assigned to other groups; in the case of ships of 5,000 tons or over
with more than five persons in the catering department consideration
shall be given to the provision of a separate mess room.
5. The dimensions and equipment of each mess room
shall be sufficient for the number of persons likely to use it at
any one time.
6. Mess rooms shall be equipped with tables and
approved seats sufficient for the number of persons likely to use
them at any one time.
7. The competent authority may permit such exceptions
to the foregoing rules concerning mess room accommodation as may be
necessary to meet the special conditions in passenger ships.
8. Mess rooms shall be located apart from the
sleeping rooms and as close as practicable to the galley.
9. Where available pantries are not accessible
to mess rooms, adequate lockers for mess utensils and proper facilities
for washing utensils shall be provided.
10. The tops of tables and seats shall be of
damp-resisting material, without cracks and capable of being easily
cleaned.