The Coast Guard published the updated Marine Safety Manual, Volume III – Marine Industry Personnel.

This update provides information and interpretations on international conventions and U.S. statutory and regulatory issues relating to marine industry personnel. The primary reasons for the revision were to incorporate the following:

• 2010 amendments to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978
• Update the provisions for vessel manning
• Revise the discussion on the impact of multiple international standards
• Clarify the applicability of tonnage measurement systems to U.S. flag vessels
• Include changes resulting from the consolidation of merchant mariner qualification credentials

“Thank you to everyone who took the time to review the Manual and provide input. We received excellent feedback from the field and general public. We intend to continue to incorporate future changes to Reference A following the same process,” said Rear Adm. Paul Thomas, assistant commandant for prevention policy.

The manual represents the Coast Guard’s current thinking on the topic of marine industry personnel and may assist industry, mariners, the general public and the Coast Guard, as well as other Federal and State regulators, in applying statutory and regulatory requirements.

This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official source documents, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These documents remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.