AMSA proposals to Marine Order 504 change crewing arrangements

AMSA held a public consultation on Phase 1 changes to Marine Order 504 (Certificates of operation and operational requirements) throughout December and January.

The consultation closed on Sunday 22 January 2023, during which time WAFIC provided a submission.

You can read the WAFIC Submission here.

The proposals included:

  • aligning requirements for minimum crew and appropriate crew arrangements with the updated Marine Order 505
  • emphasising the need to consider fatigue when determining crewing levels
  • providing more specific requirements for induction/familiarisation training and ongoing drills for new crew
  • clarifying the existing requirement for lifejacket wear to be addressed in the vessel’s risk assessment and for a written procedure to be included in the vessel’s safety management system. (Note: This change is a direct outcome of the consultation held in 2021 on AMSA’s proposal to mandate lifejacket wear requirements on domestic commercial vessels)
  • Minimum crew – is that determined by Marine Order 504, Schedule 1, Clause 6(4)
  • Appropriate crewing – is that determined by the vessel operator, by assessing the risks to the safety of the vessel, the environment and all persons on/near the vessel for each kind of operation for the vessel (ie potting vs line fishing vs passenger charter vs distance offshore). (Note: The minimum crew can be the appropriate crew if the risk assessment so determines).

 

You can read more about the draft amendment here.

A summary of the changes can be found here.

Next steps – Phase 2

The second phase is progressing this month and will have a focus on the safety management system provisions.

 

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