Manufacturing
- Operate an approved quality system for marine equipment production
UK Statutory Instrument
2025
United Kingdom
The Merchant Shipping (Marine Equipment) Regulations 2025
At a glance
What's here
48 compliance obligations
Who this Act binds
Plus 5 non-business duties on Crown ministers, regulators, local authorities or tribunals — shown collapsed under each section below.
What this Act requires
Sections that create concrete duties on businesses or carry penalties. Procedural and definitional sections are folded into the “Browse other sections” expander at the bottom of each group. Click any section title to read the source text on legislation.gov.uk.
Schedules
Quality system
- Obtain and maintain an approved quality system for marine equipment manufacture
Surveillance under the responsibility of the approved body
- Allow the approved body access to your sites and quality records
United Kingdom conformity marking and declaration of conformity
- Affix UKCA mark and keep conformity documents for 10 years
Conformity of equipment based on product quality assurance (Module E)
- Ensure and declare conformity of marine equipment
Manufacturing
- Operate approved quality system and undergo surveillance
Quality system
- Set up and maintain an approved quality system for marine equipment
Surveillance under the responsibility of the approved body
- Give the approved body access to your sites and quality records for audits
United Kingdom conformity marking and declaration of conformity
- Affix UKCA mark, draw up declaration of conformity, and keep records for 10 years
Conformity of equipment based on product verification (Module F)
- Ensure and declare conformity of marine equipment after verification
Manufacturing
- Manufacture products matching your UK certificate and international standards
Verification of conformity by examination and testing of every product
- Have every marine product individually examined and tested for certification
Statistical verification of conformity
- Ensure production lots are homogenous and pass statistical verification
United Kingdom conformity marking and declaration of conformity
- Affix UKCA mark, ID number, and keep declaration of conformity for 10 years
Authorised representative
- Authorised representative can fulfil some manufacturer duties
Conformity of equipment based on unit verification (Module G)
- Ensure and declare conformity of marine equipment under unit verification
Technical documentation
- Prepare and keep technical documentation for marine equipment
(1) The manufacturer must lodge an application for United Kingdom...
- Apply to a single approved body for UK conformity assessment of marine equipment
Manufacturing
- Take all measures to ensure manufacturing conformity with international standards
Verification
- Keep certificates of conformity for marine equipment for at least 10 years
United Kingdom conformity marking and declaration of conformity
- Affix UK conformity mark and keep declaration for 10 years
(1) The approved body must examine the technical documentation and...
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Approved body must examine technical documentation and test marine equipment specimens Statutory regulator
(1) Where the equipment meets the requirements of the applicable...
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Approved body must issue or refuse a UK conformity assessment certificate for marine equipment Statutory regulator
(1) A manufacturer must inform the approved body that holds...
- Notify your approved body of any changes to approved marine equipment
(1) Each approved body must inform the Secretary of State...
- Approved bodies must report certificate decisions to Secretary of State and other bodies
Conformity of equipment based on quality assurance of the production process (Module D)
- Implement quality assurance system and allow surveillance for marine equipment production
A conformity assessment body must have the means necessary to...
- Ensure your business has the means and equipment for conformity assessment
A conformity assessment body must have, and must satisfy the...
- Have adequate civil liability insurance and prove it to the Secretary of State
A conformity assessment body must ensure that its personnel observe...
- Keep confidential any information obtained during conformity assessment work
A conformity assessment body must participate in, or ensure that...
- Keep informed of standardisation activities and apply group guidance
A conformity assessment body must ensure that testing laboratories used...
- Ensure testing labs meet ISO/IEC 17025:2017
A conformity assessment body must be a third party body...
- Marine equipment conformity assessment bodies must be independent third-party organisations
A conformity assessment body, its top level management and the...
- Stay independent from any commercial involvement in marine equipment
A conformity assessment body must ensure that the activities of...
- Ensure subsidiaries and sub‑contractors do not compromise impartiality
A conformity assessment body must be capable of carrying out...
- Ensure your assessment body can perform its designated tasks
A United Kingdom declaration of conformity must provide—
- Include all required information in UK declaration of conformity for marine equipment
Browse 47 other Schedules — structural / supplementary
Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Crew Accommodation) Regulations 1997
Amendment to the Radio Equipment Regulations 2017
Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Fees) Regulations 2018
Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Oil Pollution) Regulations 2019
Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances and Arrangements) Regulations 2020
Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships) Regulations 2020
Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Consequential Amendments) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020
Amendment to the Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information (Lighting Products) Regulations 2021
Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Radiocommunications) (Amendment) Regulations 2021
Amendments to the Merchant Shipping (Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments) Regulations 2022
Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Additional Safety Measures for Bulk Carriers) Regulations 2022
Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection: Small Ships) Regulations 1998
Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (High Speed Craft) Regulations 2022
Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Cargo and Passenger Ship Construction and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2023
Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection) Regulations 2023
Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Small Workboats and Pilot Boats) Regulations 2023
Amendment to the Treatment of Conformity Assessment Bodies (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Regulations 2024
Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Harmful Substances) (Amendment) Regulations 2024
Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Carriage of Cargoes) Regulations 2024
Revocation of regulations
Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Radio Installations) Regulations 1998
Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances for Passenger Ships of Classes III to VI(A)) Regulations 1999
Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Radio) (Fishing Vessels) Regulations 1999
Amendment to the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Provision and Use of Work Equipment) Regulations 2006
Amendment to the Legislative and Regulatory Reform (Regulatory Functions) Order 2007
Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) Regulations 2008
Amendment to the Economic Growth (Regulatory Functions) Order 2017
United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Examination (Module B)
Authorised representative
A United Kingdom conformity assessment examination may be carried out...
Authorised representative
Verification
Authorised representative
The technical documentation referred to in paragraph 3(2)(c) must—
Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
The personnel responsible for carrying out conformity assessment must have—...
A conformity assessment body must be able to demonstrate the...
The remuneration of the top level management and the personnel...
Paragraph 15 does not prevent the personnel from providing the...
A conformity assessment body must meet the requirements of standard...
A conformity assessment body must have legal personality and must...
(1) A conformity assessment body, its top level management and...
A conformity assessment body and its personnel must carry out...
A conformity assessment body must have at its disposal—
Application for designation
Designation procedure
Identification numbers and lists of approved bodies
Application for United Kingdom conformity approval
- Apply for UK conformity approval for listed marine equipment
United Kingdom conformity approval: obligations of an approved body
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Approved bodies must assess applications and issue/refuse approvals Statutory regulator
Amendments to United Kingdom conformity approval
- Notify approved body of changes to equipment or quality system
Declarations of United Kingdom conformity
- Provide a UK declaration of conformity with marine equipment
Affixing the United Kingdom conformity mark
- Affix UK conformity mark to marine equipment before placing on market
Authorised Representatives
- Authorised representative must have mandate to perform manufacturer's obligations
Application for type approval
- Apply for type approval of marine equipment from a nominated body
Additional obligations of a manufacturer
- Fulfill all manufacturer obligations for marine equipment
Obligations of an importer and a distributor
- Label marine equipment with your contact details
Obligations of an economic operator
- Identify supply chain and provide compliance information when requested by the Secretary of State
Restricting, suspending or withdrawing United Kingdom conformity approval
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Approved body must enforce compliance and observe due process before restricting approval Statutory regulator
Defective equipment
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Secretary of State may direct recall of defective marine equipment Crown / Minister / Government department
Browse 15 other sections — procedural / definitional / commencement
Citation, commencement and extent
Interpretation
Application
Designation of approved and nominated bodies
Requirements for equipment
Exemptions
Equivalents
Transfer of ship
Type approval: obligations of nominated bodies
Application of Part 5
Sample checks
Offences and penalties
Powers to detain
Market Surveillance
Amendment and Revocation of Regulations
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