33 CFR 155.780: Emergency shutdown means on tank vessels

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section requires certain tank vessels to carry an emergency means of stopping the flow of oil or hazardous material during a transfer. It lets the means be a pump control, a quick-acting valve, or an operating procedure. The means must be operable from specified locations.

Applies toA tank vessel with a capacity of 250 or more barrels that is carrying oil or hazardous material as cargo.

What it says

  1. A tank vessel with a capacity of 250 or more barrels that is carrying oil or hazardous material as cargo must have an emergency means on board to stop the flow during a transfer.

    33 CFR 155.780(a)“must have on board an emergency means to enable the person in charge of a transfer operation to a facility, to another vessel, or within the vessel to stop the flow of oil or hazardous material”

  2. The means to stop the flow may be a pump control, a quick-acting, power actuated valve, or an operating procedure.

    33 CFR 155.780(b)“The means to stop the flow may be a pump control, a quick-acting, power actuated valve, or an operating procedure.”

  3. If an emergency pump control is used, it must stop the flow if the oil or hazardous material could siphon through the stopped pump.

    33 CFR 155.780(b)“If an emergency pump control is used, it must stop the flow of oil or hazardous material if the oil or hazardous material could siphon through the stopped pump.”

  4. The means to stop the flow must be operable from the cargo deck, cargo control room, or the usual operating station of the person in charge of the transfer operation.

    33 CFR 155.780(c)“The means to stop the flow must be operable from the cargo deck, cargo control room, or the usual operating station of the person in charge of the transfer operation.”

Common questions

Does an operating procedure count as an emergency shutdown means?

Yes. The means to stop the flow may be a pump control, a quick-acting, power actuated valve, or an operating procedure.

“The means to stop the flow may be a pump control, a quick-acting, power actuated valve, or an operating procedure.”

Where must the emergency shutdown means be operable from?

It must be operable from the cargo deck, cargo control room, or the usual operating station of the person in charge of the transfer operation.

“The means to stop the flow must be operable from the cargo deck, cargo control room, or the usual operating station of the person in charge of the transfer operation.”

What must an emergency pump control do if siphoning is possible?

If the oil or hazardous material could siphon through the stopped pump, the emergency pump control must stop the flow.

“it must stop the flow of oil or hazardous material if the oil or hazardous material could siphon through the stopped pump”

The text of 33 CFR 155.780

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), current as of April 16, 2026 · Read it on eCFR

Emergency shutdown

(a) A tank vessel with a capacity of 250 or more barrels that is carrying oil or hazardous material as cargo must have on board an emergency means to enable the person in charge of a transfer operation to a facility, to another vessel, or within the vessel to stop the flow of oil or hazardous material.

(b) The means to stop the flow may be a pump control, a quick-acting, power actuated valve, or an operating procedure. If an emergency pump control is used, it must stop the flow of oil or hazardous material if the oil or hazardous material could siphon through the stopped pump.

(c) The means to stop the flow must be operable from the cargo deck, cargo control room, or the usual operating station of the person in charge of the transfer operation.

The plain-English explanation on this page was written with AI from the regulation text above and checked automatically before publishing: every quote appears in the text, every number comes from it, and a second model confirmed each statement adds nothing the text doesn't say. Regulation text current as of April 16, 2026. The regulation text governs. RegKnot is not affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard.