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The Coast Guard is evaluating the potential use of Safety Management Systems (SMSs) to improve safety and reduce marine casualties on board U.S.-flagged passenger vessels. The Coast Guard is seeking public input and responses to specific questions on the feasibility, applicability, and nature of SMSs for potential use on U.S.-flagged passenger vessels. The Coast Guard may use this information to develop a proposed rule regarding SMSs; if so, notification of that proposed rule would appear in the Federal Register under docket number USCG-2020-0123.
An SMS is a structured and documented set of procedures enabling company and vessel personnel to effectively implement safety and environmental protection policies that are specific to that company or vessel. An SMS may include, among other things, procedures and policies for vessel operations, maintenance of equipment, responding to specific types of incidents, for reporting accidents or other non-conformities, and for conducting internal audits and reviews.
The Coast Guard views public participation as essential to effective rulemaking and will consider all comments and material received during the comment period. Comments and related material must be received by the Coast Guard on or before April 15, 2021.
You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-2020-0123 using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. See the “Public Participation and Request for Comments” portion of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of the notice for further instructions on submitting comments.
For information about this document, call or email Lieutenant Kimberly Gates, Vessel and Facility Operating Standards Division (CG-OES-2), U.S. Coast Guard, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20593; telephone 202-372-1455, email kimberly.m.gates@uscg.mil.
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.
