Wednesday, 04 February 2009 12:24

Issue: The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has opened the STCW Code for review and update. This is a multi-year project.

Status: A subcommittee of the International Maritime Organization began a multi-year process of reviewing the STCW code last year. Of particular importance to OMSA members is a proposal changing requirements for Near Coastal voyages that could make it more difficult for U.S. vessels to work off the coast of foreign countries in a near coastal mode. These are all still discussion topics that will be hashed out at future meetings.

One proposal by India would result in an increase in specialized training requirements for offshore vessels. The subcommittee earlier had killed a proposal by the United States that would allow mariners on OSVs to train under an alternate path, better suited to workboat operations. It is not known whether the group will also kill the Indian proposal.

The proposals currently under consideration include either dropping or reducing the requirements for training in celestial navigation, a proposal to require mariners to record their rest and work hours and to impose either minimum rest or maximum work hour limits on the entire vessel crew, and increase the types of training required under Basic Safety Training for new mariners. The committee will meet two more times over the next year and may not complete its work until 2010.