🔍 Key Concepts

• 46 CFR cargo gear and piping test intervals for tank vessels • Difference between tests required before initial use and periodic tests afterward • How U.S. regulations treat cargo discharge piping vs. cargo hoses

💭 Think About

• Think about how critical cargo discharge piping is to pollution prevention and whether regulators would choose a shorter or longer inspection interval for such systems. • Compare this interval with other required inspections on tank vessels (like cargo hoses or pressure tests). Is piping treated more like a hose or like a major fixed system? • Ask yourself which of the listed time periods sounds most consistent with a regularly scheduled, logbook-documented inspection cycle.

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify in 46 CFR the specific section on cargo discharge piping tests and note the stated interval in months. • Confirm that the interval applies to all cargo discharge piping in use and not only after major repairs or alterations. • Make sure you are not confusing the test interval for cargo hoses or relief valves with that for cargo discharge piping.