Introduction
Policy and Procedures, Application Form and Standards
How the appraisal system works
Approval for Listing
Audit
Confidentiality
Schedule of Fees
Withdrawal of approval
Need help with appraisal?
Where to lodge the Application
Introduction
The National Marine Safety Committee (NMSC) has established the National Register of Compliant Equipment (NRCE) to inform architects, builders, operators and local authorities that a marine product or system will fulfil the requirements of the relevant sections of the Uniform Shipping Laws (USL) Code/National Standard for Commercial Vessels (NSCV) or the National Standard for Recreational Boat Safety Equipment (NSRB — SE). The NRCE is a source for identifying marine products and systems that have been approved for listing on the Register in accordance with requirements set out in the NRCE Policy and Procedures. Products or systems approved for listing on the NRCE have been independently appraised and demonstrated to comply with the requirements of those standards. The types of safety products accepted as compliant with the NSRB — SE are confined to personal floatation devices (PFDs), flares and navigation lights.
Details of the application process are contained in the NRCE Policy and Procedures and are explained more fully on this web page. The information on this web page should be read in conjunction with the NRCE Policy and Procedures.
Policy and Procedures, Application Form and Standards
The latest versions of the NRCE Policy and Procedures and the Application Form are available for viewing and download below. Downloading the Policy and Procedures is in .pdf format. Before you can view the contents of a .pdf file, you must download and install a copy of Adobe's Acrobat® Reader™ software. This is provided free of charge by Adobe.
Policy and Procedures
Application Form
Standards
The relevant Sections of the National Standard for Commercial Vessels, the Uniform Shipping Laws Code and the National Standard for Recreational Boat Safety Equipment are available from the Documents page of this website.
How the appraisal system works
Listing on the NRCE is based on the appraisal of the product or system in terms of its fitness for the intended purpose by an independent product certification body or testing and listing authority. In general the role of the Appraiser is to:
- Verify that product testing is conducted in accordance with predetermined standards.
- Review design and installation manual, if applicable.
- Identify product limitations, if any.
- Verify integrity and reliability of product system, if applicable.
- Have a follow-up audit program available.
- Publish a list of equipment, if applicable.
- Provide product certification.
Therefore, the first thing that the proprietor of a product or system must do is to take it to a recognized appraisal organisation.
The following are recognized for this purpose:
- A certifying body accredited by the Joint Accreditation Scheme of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ)
- One of the following recognised, Australian-based testing and listing authorities as applicable:
- A laboratory with applicable NATA accreditation
- Factory Mutual (FM)
- CSIRO
- Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
- A ship classification society recognised by Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA)
- A Notified Body in accordance with the EU Marine Equipment Directive, Module B (MED-B) or, in the case of personal floatation devices (PFDs) for use on recreational craft, the Personal Protective Equipment Directive, [in accordance with Article 10 of that Directive]
The criteria used for appraisal are the specifications contained in the Uniform Shipping Laws (USL) Code Sections 5F, 10, 11 or 13, the National Standard for Commercial Vessels (NSCV) Part C4 or Part C7A or the National Standard for recreational Boat Safety Equipment, as applicable. The relevant Standards can be downloaded from the Documents page of this website
An appraisal must include the following:
- A full description of the product or system.
- The appraised use of the product or system, along with any limitations or restrictions on its use.
- An opinion that the appraised product or system is suitable for its appraised purpose and that it meets the requirements of the relevant Standard.
- The opinion shall include a summary of any tests, calculations, inspections or other evidence that forms the basis of the opinion.
- The details of how any licence or approval are obtained, if it is required that the product or system be installed by a specialist installer/applicator.
- The details for design, storage, installation and maintenance of the product or system, where appropriate.
- The date of the appraisal.
The results of the appraisal, which includes all of the above, is considered to be the Appraiser Report.
The Appraiser Report can take the form of the following documentation:
- Declaration of compliance and results of testing for the purpose by a recognised, Australian-based testing and listing authority.
- Certificate of compliance issued by a certifying body accredited by the Joint Accreditation Scheme of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ).
- Current type approval documentation issued by a ship classification society recognised by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
- Approval documentation issued by a Notified Body in accordance with the EU Marine Equipment Directive, Module B (MED-B) or, in the case of personal floatation devices (PFDs) for use on recreational craft, in accordance with the Personal Protective Equipment Directive.
Additionally, specific to navigation lights,
- Current declaration of compliance and results of testing or a certificate of compliance from a recognised, Australian-based testing and listing authority or a certifying body accredited by the Joint Accreditation Scheme of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) as indicated above.
- Current approval documentation from an EU member marine authority accompanied with the associated type test certificate issued by a Notified Body recognised in accordance with the EU Marine Equipment Directive, Module B (MED-B) or other test bodies recognised for the purpose by the EU member marine authority upon which the approval documentation is based.
- Current approval documentation from the U.S.Coast Guard accompanied with the type test certificate issued by a test body approved by the USCG upon which the approval documentation is based.
In the case of navigation lights, the approval documentation must clearly indicate it has been issued on the basis of meeting the chromaticity and luminosity criteria for navigation lights specified in the International Regulations for the Prevention of Collision at Sea (COLREGS) Rule 22 and Annex 1 Para 7 & 8 including specification of the visibility of the lights in accordance with Annex 1 (i.e. appraised use and limitations/ restrictions) and also include sufficient detail to satisfy all of the Appraisal Report requirements
Approval for Listing
On receipt of the Appraiser Report, the Applicant should fill in the application form available for down load below and send it to the NRCE Administrator, with one (1) copy of the Appraiser Report and supporting documents. The NRCE Administrator will assess the application for completeness. The Applicant will be notified with either a request for further information if the Appraiser Report is not complete or a confirmation of details to be listed for an approved appraisal, along with an invoice for the applicable fee.
If uncertain about the preparation of the submission, the Applicant should contact the NRCE Administrator who should be able to clarify requirements.
Audit
To ensure that products or systems that are listed continue to be manufactured as compliant product, product certification systems provide for an annual independent audit program. The applicant must ensure that an annual audit is undertaken by a recognised appraiser to determine that the product remains unchanged from the original appraisal. The applicant must also immediately inform the NRCE Administrator of any failure of the product or system to remain compliant, either at the time of audit or at any time between audits.
Confidentiality
The NRCE Administrator shall regard information contained in any application for listing on the NRCE as confidential.
Schedule of Fees
The NMSC National Register of Compliant Equipment scheme is aimed at cost recovery. The costs of administering the applications for listing and maintaining the NRCE are recovered by way of a fee structure comprised of two (2) components:
1. Annual Subscription Fee (includes joining fee),
2. Product Listing Fee.
Applicants will be invoiced once the application has been assessed and the product is listed.
Subscription Fee
(i) Joining Fee: The joining fee is a once only fee payable at the time an applicant lists a product for the first time.
(ii) Annual Subscription Fee: Subscription fees are applicable on an annual basis. They will be invoiced each annual anniversary month relating to the Joining Fee for the duration that the applicant has any product or system listed on the NRCE.
Example: if the joining fee was paid in May 2002, then subsequent subscription fees are due in May, 2003, May, 2004 etc.
Product Listing Fee
The Product Listing Fee is a one-off fee for the full five year listing period. It is applicable each time a product is listed on the NRCE ie it is applied once at the time of the product or system's initial listing and once at each time of re-listing.
The Product Listing Fee is related directly to the Recommended Retail Price of the product being listed and will be levied for each product listed. To encourage efficient listing of products, the product listing fees of all products submitted as a batch at the one time, by a single applicant, will be capped.
Fee Structure
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Joining Fee:
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$500
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Annual Subscription Fee:
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$250
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Product listing Fees:
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Product Value
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Listing Fee
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$0-$500
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$50
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$501-$1,000
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$75
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$1,001-$5,000
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$100
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$5,001-$20,000
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$250
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>$20,000
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$500
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Product Fee Cap:
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$500
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Listing Example
Applicant A applies to list 2 products, one with an RRP of $250 and one with an RRP of $600. The applicant has no product currently listed on the NRCE. The fee levied for the successful application would be:
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Joining Fee
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$500.00
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Product 1 listing fee:
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$50.00
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Product 2 listing fee:
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$75.00
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Sub-total
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$625.00
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GST
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$62.50
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Total
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$687.50
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Payment
Payment should accompany application or be provided on receipt of invoice from National Marine Safety Committee Inc. Cheques should be made payable to National Marine Safety Committee Inc. Credit card payments are acceptable on receipt of authorised faxed instructions.
Compliance Appraisal
The cost of compliance appraisal is a matter between the proprietor and the appraisal organisation.
Withdrawal of approval for listing
Withdrawal
The Registration of Approval incorporates the capacity for withdrawal of approval in the following circumstances:
(i) Changes to the product or system such that it no longer complies with the provisions of the USL Code / NSCV or the NSRB — SE against which it was appraised.
(ii) Changes in the USL Code / NSCV or the NSRB — SE such that the product or system no longer complies.
(iii) Changes to the product or system such that description in the original application no longer applies.
(iv) Unsatisfactory annual audit report by the Appraiser.
(v) Withdrawal by the Applicant.
(vi) Reduction in after sales support, manufacturer product recall or other change in the Applicants business status that negatively impacts on the product or system.
(vii) Misrepresentation or concealment of the facts by the Applicant or Appraiser.
(viii) Failure of the product in service, where it can be shown that the failure resulted from sub-standard design or manufacture.
Notice of Withdrawal
Where an approval to list is withdrawn, the NRCE Administrator shall advise the manufacturer or supplier of the reasons for withdrawal and what action is required for reinstatement.
Details of all approvals that are withdrawn shall be noted on the register for 12 months after the date of withdrawal, unless the approval is reinstated. Where the approval is not reinstated, the product listing shall be removed from the register 12 months after withdrawal.
Need help with appraisal?
For information about appraisal organisations, the Applicant is encouraged to contact the NRCE Administrator (see “How to lodge the Application” below).
Where to lodge the Application
Applications with accompanying Appraiser Report should be lodged with the NRCE Administrator at the following Address:
National Register of Compliant Equipment Administrator
C/o National Marine Safety Committee Inc.
PO Box R1871
Royal Exchange NSW 1225
For further information regarding product compliance or listing on the Register, please contact:
National Register of Compliant Equipment Administrator (Terry Ehret)
Telephone: (02) 9247 2124
Facsimile: (02) 9247 5203
Email: secretariat@nmsc.gov.au and marked to the attention of the NRCE Administrator