Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1221030
Consistent with the advice the ILA~USMX Joint Safety Committee has been providing its labor and management stakeholders, the United States has some very strict laws and regulations which mandate that the Master of any ship bound for a U.S. port must provide notice to the relevant USCG Captain of the Port and to the relevant Centers for Disease Control & Prevention quarantine station, in the event of any death or illness aboard their vessel. On Friday (13 March) the U.S. Coast Guard reminded all affected persons of that fact in the form of Bulletin broadcast widely. You may access the Bulletin below. For longshore workers the mandatory notice requirement is their first line of defense against crew member-acquired Novel Coronavirus, in that it provides a mechanism wherein a vessel's mandatory self- reporting effectively takes an infected crew member out of the transmission equation. Everything else we do to supplement our well-being is additive; just in case. We hope this information is helpful, and provides a level of comparative comfort that we all deserve. ******** U.S. COAST GUARD MARINE SAFETY INFORMATION BULLETIN (March 13, 2020) Marine Safety Information Bulletin MSIB Number: 06-20 Date: March 13, 2020 Commandant U.S. Coast Guard Inspections and Compliance Directorate 2703 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE, STOP 7501 Washington, DC 20593-7501 E-Mail: OutbreakQuestions@uscg.mil Vessel Reporting Requirements for Illness or Death An outbreak of respiratory illness caused by novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is affecting mariners and maritime commerce. This MSIB serves as a reminder that the illness of persons on board a vessel must be reported to both the Coast Guard and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Reporting delays create significant challenges to protect persons on board vessels and, more broadly, maintain an effective Marine Transportation System. Vessels or masters that do not immediately report illness or death among passengers or crew may face delays and disruption to passenger and cargo operations including a requirement to return to the previous port after sailing. Additionally, vessels and masters are subject to Coast Guard enforcement action, which include civil penalties, vessel detentions, and criminal liability. Illness of a person onboard a vessel that may adversely affect the safety of a vessel or port is a hazardous condition per 33 CFR 160.216 and the owner, agent, master, operator, or person in charge must immediately notify the nearest Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP). It is critical to report persons who exhibit symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or other illness to the COTP. 42 CFR 71.1 defines an ill person onboard a vessels as one that has: