Stay safe at sea with new materials for navigation, planning and appropriate crewing
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has produced new guidance material for domestic commercial vessel owners and operators highlighting the importance of voyage planning and appropriate crewing determinations.
The guidance focuses on watchkeeping arrangements to ensure the safe navigation of a vessel.
During 2022 and 2023, AMSA received 875 incident reports involving contact, collision, grounding, and close quarters. These accounted for 62 per cent of all reported incidents in 2022.
Owners and operators are reminded to ensure they have enough appropriately certificated crew onboard to account for their operational requirements, crew fatigue, and watchkeeping requirements to maintain the safe navigation of a vessel.
The materials answer some of the most frequently asked questions, including:
Have watchkeeping rules changed?
No. The legislative requirement for appropriately certificated individuals to be in-charge of a navigational watch remains unchanged, despite recent changes to Marine Orders 505 (Certificates of competency) and 504 (Certificate of operation).
Can a deckhand be in charge of navigational watch?
No. If working as an uncertificated deckhand, you cannot be in-charge of navigational watch.
If working as a certified general purpose hand (GPH), you cannot be in-charge of navigational watch.
Only an appropriately certified individual can be in-charge of the vessel’s navigational watch.
Refer to Marine Order 505 Schedule 1 to view the duties and functions each certificate of competency permits.
Why can’t deckhands perform the same duties as a general purpose hand?
Unlike an uncertificated deck hand, the holder of a GPH certificate of competency has attained the skills and knowledge required to perform certain tasks on a domestic commercial vessel.
A person holding a GPH certificate of competency has the skills and qualifications to perform tasks, including the following, under general supervision on DCVs:
- operating deck machinery and emergency stops,
- help secure vessel at anchor,
- performing basic lookout tasks and emergency procedures.
A deck hand cannot perform these tasks without direct supervision.
Supervisory definitions can be found here.