Collapse to view only § 113.50-5 - General requirements.
- § 113.50-1 - Applicability.
- § 113.50-5 - General requirements.
- § 113.50-10 - Additional requirements for passenger vessels.
- § 113.50-15 - Loudspeakers.
- § 113.50-20 - Distribution of cable runs.
§ 113.50-1 - Applicability.
This subpart applies to each vessel required to have a general emergency alarm system in accordance with § 113.25-1.
§ 113.50-5 - General requirements.
(a) Each vessel must have an amplifier-type announcing system that will supplement the general emergency alarm. This system must provide for the transmission of orders and information throughout the vessel by means of microphones and loudspeakers connected through an amplifier. If a decentralized-type system is used, its overall performance must not be affected by the failure of a single call station. This system may be combined with the general emergency alarm and fire detecting and alarm systems. The public address system must be protected against unauthorized use.
(b) The announcing station must be located adjacent to the general emergency alarm contact maker or initiating device on the navigating bridge.
(c) There must be a means to silence all other audio distribution systems at the announcing station.
(d) The system may be arranged to allow broadcasting separately to, or to any combination of, various areas on the vessel. If the amplifier system is used for the general emergency alarm required by subpart 113.25 of this part, the operation of a general emergency alarm contact maker or initiating device must activate all speakers in the system, except that a separate crew alarm may be used as allowed by § 113.25-5(e)(2).
(e) The amplifier, and any device used to produce the general emergency alarm signal, must be provided in duplicate.
(f) The power supply must be in accordance with the requirements of §§ 113.25-6 and 113.25-7.
(g) Each electrical subsystem in a weather location must be watertight or in a watertight enclosure and must meet Type 4 or 4X of NEMA 250 or IP 56 of IEC 60529:2013 (both incorporated by reference; see § 110.10-1 of this subchapter) requirements.
§ 113.50-10 - Additional requirements for passenger vessels.
Each passenger vessel must have a public address system capable of broadcasting separately or collectively to the following stations:
(a) Survival craft stations, port.
(b) Survival craft stations, starboard.
(c) Survival craft embarkation stations, port.
(d) Survival craft embarkation stations, starboard.
(e) Public spaces used for passenger assembly points.
(f) Crew quarters.
(g) Accommodation spaces and service spaces.
§ 113.50-15 - Loudspeakers.
(a) Loudspeakers must be located to eliminate feedback or other interference which would degrade communication.
(b) Loudspeakers must be located to provide intelligible and audible one-way communication throughout the vessel. Weatherdeck loudspeakers must be watertight and suitably protected from the effects of the wind and seas.
(c) There must be a sufficient number of loudspeakers throughout the vessel. The public address system must be installed with regard to acoustically marginal conditions and not require any action from the addressee. With the vessel underway in normal conditions, the minimum sound pressure levels for broadcasting emergency announcements must be—
(1) In interior spaces, 75 dB(A) or, if the background noise level exceeds 75 dB(A), then at least 20 dB(A) above maximum background noise level; and
(2) In exterior spaces, 80 dB(A) or, if the background noise level exceeds 80 dB(A), then at least 15 dB(A) above maximum background noise level.
(d) Loudspeakers must not have external volume controls or local cutout switches.
§ 113.50-20 - Distribution of cable runs.
(a) Each system must have a feeder distribution panel to divide the system into the necessary number of zone feeders. Where, because of the arrangement of the vessel, only one zone feeder is necessary, a branch circuit distribution panel must be used.
(b) The feeder distribution panel must be in an enclosed space next to the public address system power supply.
(c) Each system must have at least one feeder for each vertical fire zone.
(d) Each system must have one or more branch circuit distribution panels for each zone feeder, with at least one branch circuit for each deck level. The distribution panel must be above the uppermost continuous deck, in the zone served, and there must be no disconnect switches for the branch circuits.
(e) A branch circuit must not supply speakers on more than one deck level, except for a single branch circuit supplying all levels of a single space if all other requirements of this section are met.
(f) On a vessel not divided into vertical fire zones by main vertical fire bulkheads, the vessel must be divided into vertical zones not more than 40 meters (131 feet) long. There must be a feeder for each of these zones.
(g) Feeders and branch circuit cables must be in passageways. They must not be in staterooms, lockers, galleys, or machinery spaces, unless it is necessary to supply public address speakers in those spaces.