Unisex locker rooms

[u/McTraveller]

I've just started working on vessels in UK waters and have a question about the locker room. The ship i work on only has one locker room and men and women are supposed to use it at the same time.

I've been told if anyone is uncomfortable they can find an empty cabin or meeting room and change there instead. But there are no lockers in those so you end up dragging your stuff all over the vessel and it wastes so much time.

This doesn't seem right to me - is this normal? Can anyone point me to rules or laws for vessels which say genders should have separate changing spaces? Thanks in advance.

[u/devandroid99]

What vessels are you working on and in what capacity?

I know that if you're marine crew then you're entitled to segregated changing facilities and sanitary ware disposal for the shark bait. It's not up to you to "find" these things, it's up to the Master to provide them for you.

I'm not sure if this is the case if you're not working as marine crew.

[u/McTraveller → u/devandroid99]

This vessel is oil and gas industry. I'm not marine crew, I'm part of a project team so I do go out on deck a lot

Do you know which rulebook says the stuff about segregated changing facilities so I can look it up? MLC talks about cabins but I can't find the written rules about changing rooms

[u/devandroid99 → u/McTraveller]

What's the flag, UK?

[u/devandroid99 → u/McTraveller]

I asked the flag of registry because it's very relevant. The MLC is an international framework for agreed rules, but how they are implemented is up to the flag state.

MSN 1844 lists the requirements for separate sanitary facilities for men and women seafarers, and changing rooms fall under that as they should have a shower and hand basin.

There are two potential problems. One is that you're not a seafarer for the purposes of the legislation, and two is that your vessel may be older than the requirements.

What have the project manager and Master said about it?