S.I. No. 110/1976:

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (CALIBRATION OF TANKS OF VESSELS) REGULATIONS, 1976.

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (CALIBRATION OF TANKS OF VESSELS) REGULATIONS, 1976.

I, JUSTIN KEATING, Minister for Industry and Commerce, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 3 of the European Communities Act, 1972 (No. 27 of 1972), hereby make the following regulations:

1. These Regulations may be cited as the European Communities (Calibration of Tanks of Vessels) Regulations, 1976.

2. These Regulations shall be construed as one with the European Communities (Measuring Instruments) Regulations, 1973 ( S.I. No. 67 of 1973 ).

3. These Regulations apply to the calibration of the tanks of inland waterway vessels and of coasters.

4. Where the calibration of tanks is carried out by an inspector in accordance with the Schedule hereto, the result of the calibration shall be recorded in an EEC calibration certificate issued by the Minister for Industry and Commerce, who shall be the competent authority in the State, in conformity with the Schedule hereto.

5. (1) There shall be charged in respect of the cost of the service performed by an inspector in carrying out the calibration of a tank under Regulation 4 such fee as the Minister for Industry and Commerce, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, determines.

(2) Fees under these Regulations shall be collected and taken in such manner as the Minister for Finance directs and shall be paid into or disposed of for the benefit of the Exchequer in accordance with the directions of that Minister.

(3) The Public Offices Fees Act, 1879, (c. 58), shall not apply in respect of fees under these Regulations.

SCHEDULE *.

CALIBRATION OF TANKS OF VESSELS.

ANNEX I.

General requirements concerning the calibration of the tanks of vessels.

1. The capacity of the tanks shall be determined:

--either by the transfer of water or another suitable liquid, whose volume is measured by measures or measuring equipment with meters specially calibrated for this purpose,

--or by calculating on the basis of the tank dimensions, as determined; this operation shall be supplemented, where possible, by a partial cross check using measured volumes of liquid.

2. The calibration operations shall be carried out in such a manner and with instruments of such precision that the relative errors in respect of the capacities stated in the documents issued do not exceed:

( a ) as a general rule: 3/1000 of the capacity indicated

( b ) exceptionally, in the case of tanks with a very complicated shape which cannot be calibrated by transfer: 5/1000 of the capacity indicated.

3. The results of the calibration operations shall be recorded in a calibration certificate which is accompanied by diagrams and tables showing, in particular, the volume of liquid, expressed in litres or cubic decimetres or cubic metres, which is in the tank when the level of the free surface of the liquid is at a given height, expressed in centimetres or decimetres, on the vertical face of the measure of length.

The centimetre or decimetre tables may be supplemented by a millimetre interpolation table.

These documents shall conform to Annexes II, III and IV.

4. A calibration plate shall be fixed on each tank, in the vicinity of the measure orifice.

It shall bear the following information:

--the number of the tank,

--the total reference height H,

--the number of the calibration certificate.

It shall be made of a sufficiently durable material and be sealed by affixing the EEC sealing mark of the lead slugs provided for this purpose, in such a way that it cannot be removed without damaging the mark.

The characteristics and the pattern of the EEC sealing mark shall be those laid down for the partial EEC verification mark by Article 10(2) and Annex 11.3 of the Council Directive of 26 July, 1971 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to provisions for both measuring instruments and methods of metrological control.

*Council Directive of 12 October 1971 (71/349/EEC) Annexes.

Article 12 of that Directive is applicable, mutatis mutandis.

5. The calibration certificate shall not be issued unless the construction and arrangement of the tanks and connecting pipes are such that under the normal operating conditions of the vessel, the tanks and connecting pipes can, without difficulty, be totally emptied or totally filled without pockets of air becoming trapped above or in the liquid being measured, below the level at which the tank is considered full.

If exceptions are allowed, or if any precautions have to be taken to ensure correct measurement, they must be mentioned in the calibration certificate.

6. The vertical face of the measure of length at which the heights of the liquid are determined shall pass, as a general rule, approximately through the centre of gravity of the horizontal sections of the tank, in every part where a free surface of the liquid may occur when measurements are made under normal conditions of use.

If this condition is not satisfied because of the construction characteristics of the tank, it shall be specified on the calibration certificate that the level of the liquid in the tank may only be determined when the vessel has a zero trim and heel.

The axis of a guiding device determines the vertical position of the measure.

This device must ensure correct positioning of the measure; there must be no systematic errors of measurement resulting from the way in which it is constructed. The horizontal plane through the upper edge of the guiding device is the reference datum. The distance from this plane to the horizontal and irremovable contact plate positioned vertically below the datum, is called the "total reference height H" and shall be quoted at the top of each table.

Every precaution shall be taken to ensure that both the position of the reference datum in relation to the tank and the total reference height H, are virtually invariable.

The EEC sealing mark shall be affixed on the reference datum.

7. Taking into account:

( a ) the precision with which the volumes specified in the tables have been determined,

( b ) the precision with which the level of the free surface of the liquid may be determined in the tanks,

the calibration certificate indicates the relative precision of the use of the tanks for determining the volume of liquid which they contain.

In the case referred to in item 2(a) of this Annex, the relative imprecision may not exceed 5/1000 of the volume specified in the table; in the case referred to in 2(b), it may not exceed 8/1000 of the volume specified in the table.

The minimum measurable height shall be fixed at not less than 500mm.

8. The sealing marks, the calibration certificates and the calibration tables cease to be valid

--after 12 years,

--or as soon as the tank has become deformed, or been repaired or reconstructed, in a way liable to alter its measurement characteristics.

The final month and year of the relevant 12 years validity period, is specified at the top of the certificate and each table.

Certificates and tables shall be renewed only after a recalibration.

ANNEX II.

Calibration records.

The calibration record, issued by a competent metrological authority, shall be composed of the following documents;

1. The calibration certificate proper, giving;

( a ) the name and address of the competent authority which issues the certificates;

( b ) the name and position of the operator;

( c ) the serial number of the certificate (which is reproduced on all the other documents and on the calibration plates);

( d ) the date of issue of the certificate and the address of the place of employment of the calibration official;

( e ) the expiry date of the certificate;

( f ) the identity of the vessel (name, registration number, name and address of owner and year of construction);

( g ) list and nature of the documents attached;

( h ) the groups of tanks for which the same table may be used;

( i ) an indication of the tanks in which there are drainage sumps or heaters;

( j ) the total capacity;

( k ) the precision of the results given in the tables;

( l ) the precision of the use of the calibration record for the determination of the volume of the liquid contained in tanks;

( m ) the minimum measurable height.

2. A Diagram No. 1 showing the position of the tanks in the vessel, and for each tank the total reference height H, the positioning of the measure and the position of the latter in relation to the forward bulkhead of the tank and to the longitudinal median bulkhead or plane.

3. A Diagram No. 2, being a transverse cross section of the tanks showing, in particular, the radius of the bilge, the camber, the height of the trunk and the method of construction of the guiding device.

4. In the case of a vessel having heaters or drainage sumps inside its tanks, a Diagram No. 3 giving the volume taken up by those heaters or sumps and the volume of liquid which can be contained in the latter, from sluice-valve to sluice-valve.

5. For each tank or group of similar tanks, a centimetre or decimetre volume table containing an indication of the total reference height H, and of the expiry date and, where supplied, a millimetre interpolation table.

ANNEX III.

Model Certificate of Calibration.

Diagram No. 1 gives the respective positions of the tanks, their numberings, the positioning of the measures and, for each tank, the total reference height H, of the reference datum formed by the upper edge of the guide (bearing the EEC sealing mark) above the upper surface of the contact plate at the bottom of the tank.

Diagram No. 2 is a diagrammatic cross section of the tanks through the vertical face of the measure of length.

Diagram No. 3 gives the arrangement and the volume of the sumps and heaters in the tanks.

When using the attached centimeter tables, the heights of the liquid must be determined at the vertical surfaces of the measures of length as indicated in Diagram No. 1.

ANNEX IV.

Model Calibration Table.

⁽¹⁾ Type and name of vessel.

(Lay-out of a table with double-entry reading.)

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 18th day of May, 1976.

JUSTIN KEATING,

Minister for Industry and Commerce.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These regulations are made to give effect, so far as necessary, to Council Directive No. 71/349/EEC on the approximation of the laws of Member States relating to the calibration of tanks of inland waterway vessels and coasters.

Under these Regulations the tanks of inland waterway vessels and coasters may be calibrated and have their capacity certified as correct and these calibrations shall be accepted as true by Metrological Authorities of all the Member States.