(a) Repairs or alterations to the hull, machinery, or equipment that affect the safety of the vessel must not be made without the approval of the cognizant OCMI, except during an emergency. When repairs are made during an emergency, the owner, managing operator, or master shall notify the OCMI as soon as practicable after such repairs or alterations are made. Repairs or alterations that affect the safety of the vessel include, but are not limited to, the: replacement, repair, or refastening of deck or hull planking, plating, and structural members; repair of plate or frame cracks; damage repair or replacement, other than replacement in kind, of electrical wiring, fuel lines, tanks, boilers and other pressure vessels, and steering, propulsion and power supply systems; alterations affecting stability; and repair or alteration of livesaving, fire detecting, or fire extinguishing equipment.

(b) The owner or managing operator shall submit drawings, sketches, or written specifications describing the details of any proposed alterations to the cognizant OCMI. Proposed alterations must be approved by the OCMI before work is started.

(c) Drawings are not required to be submitted for repairs or replacements in kind.

(d) The OCMI may require an inspection and testing whenever a repair or alteration is undertaken.

Whenever a launching appliance, survival craft, rescue boat, fixed gas fire extinguishing system, machinery, fuel tank, or pressure vessel is installed aboard a vessel after completion of the initial inspection for certification of the vessel, as replacement equipment or as a new installation, the owner or managing operator shall conduct the tests and make the vessel ready for the inspections required by § 115.402(d) of this part to the satisfaction of the cognizant OCMI.

The owner, managing operator, or master shall notify the cognizant OCMI as soon as practicable after the seal on a boiler safety valve on a vessel is broken.

(a) An inspection for flammable or combustible gases must be conducted by a certified marine chemist or other person authorized by the cognizant OCMI in accordance with the provisions of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 306, “Control of Gas Hazards on Vessels,” before alterations, repairs, or other operations involving riveting, welding, burning, or other fire producing actions may be made aboard a vessel:

(1) Within or on the boundaries of fuel tanks; or

(2) To pipelines, heating coils, pumps, fittings, or other appurtenances connected to fuel tanks.

(b) An inspection required by paragraph (a) of this section must be conducted as required by this paragraph.

(1) In ports or places in the United States or its territories and possessions, the inspection must be conducted by a marine chemist certificated by the NFPA. However, if the services of a certified marine chemist are not reasonably available, the cognizant OCMI, upon the recommendation of the vessel owner or managing operator, may authorize another person to inspect the vessel. If the inspection indicates that the operations can be undertaken safely, a certificate setting forth this fact in writing must be issued by the certified marine chemist or the authorized person before the work is started. The certificate must include any requirements necessary to reasonably maintain safe conditions in the spaces certified throughout the operation, including any precautions necessary to eliminate or minimize hazards that may be present from protective coatings or residues from cargoes.

(2) When not in a port or place in the United States or its territories and possessions, and when a marine chemist or person authorized by the cognizant OCMI is not reasonably available, the master shall conduct the inspection and enter the results of the inspection in the vessel's logbook.

(c) The owner, managing operator, or master shall obtain a copy of certificates issued by the certified marine chemist or the other person authorized by the cognizant OCMI, and shall ensure that all conditions on the certificates are observed and that the vessel is maintained in a safe condition. The owner, managing operator, or master shall maintain a safe condition on the vessel by requiring full observance, by persons under his or her control, of all requirements listed in the certificate.