Amendment status not verified — confirm the current text below against the official source.
Bilge before being cleaned out shall be freely flushed and they, as well as tanks, shall be left open for at least one; hour before any person shall be allowed to enter for cleaning or for any purpose. During this time and while the cleaners or others are at work either in the bilges, tanks, or other confined spaces on board a vessel, a constant supply of fresh air shall be pumped into such bilge, tank or other confined space by means of ventilating fans filled with stout permanently distended hose pipes' sufficiently long to reach that most distant compartment Masters and owners of vessels shall be held responsible for any accidents that shall in any way arise from neglect to take these precautions.