(a) Neither quarters for crew members or offshore workers nor the pilothouse may be located forward of the collision bulkhead required by § 174.190 of this chapter.

(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, no part of any deck with accommodations for crew members or offshore workers may be below the deepest load waterline.

(c) Any deck with accommodations for crew members or offshore workers may be below the deepest load waterline if—

(1) The vessel complies with the damage-stability requirements in § 174.205 of this chapter; and

(2) The deck head of the space is not below the deepest load waterline.

(d) No hawse pipe or chain pipe may pass through accommodations for crew members or offshore workers.

(e) There must be no direct access, except through solid, close-fitted doors or hatches, between accommodations and chain lockers, cargo spaces, or machinery spaces.

(f) No sounding tubes, or vents from fuel-oil or cargo-oil tanks may open into accommodations for crew members or offshore workers, except that sounding tubes may open into passageways.

(g) No access openings from fuel-oil or cargo-oil tanks may open into quarters for crew members or offshore workers.

(h) Quarters for crew members must be separate from and independent of those for offshore workers unless the cognizant OCMI approves an alternative arrangement.