As COVID19 wreaks havoc in seafarers life making ship embarkation and disembarkation a risky procedure, here’s a complete guideline by ABS which will help you do maintain safety and security in the ships
Personnel Coming Onboard
Let’s first check out the protocol for coming onboard.
1.For Crew
All crew and passengers boarding marine and offshore assets should be provided with general information on COVID-19 and its preventive measures. The WHO also advises asset owners to implement pre-boarding screening. Pre-boarding screening is to identify contact with any probable/confirmed COVID-19 case or any person displaying the common symptoms of COVID-19. These persons should not be allowed to board the asset.
According to the WHO, a ‘contact’ is defined as a person who experienced any one of the following exposures during the 2 days before and the 14 days after the onset of symptoms of a probable or confirmed COVID-19 case :
- Face-to-face contact with a probable or confirmed case within one meter and for more than 15 minutes;
- Direct physical contact with a probable or confirmed case;
- Direct care for a patient with probable or confirmed COVID-19 disease without using proper personal protective equipment; or
- Other situations as indicated by local risk assessments.
Note: For confirmed asymptomatic cases, the period of contact is measured as the 2 days before through the 14 days after the date on which the sample was taken which led to confirmation.
Access points to the assets (gangways, heliports, shorebases) should be limited and controlled. Pre-boarding screening should be performed at all access points. No crew member should come into direct contact with shore gangways and ladders. Gangway watch should wear appropriate. Level 1 PPE in accordance with Section 3, Table 2.
It is recommended that personnel should be quarantined for 14 days before boarding
2. For Temporary Personel
Temporary visitors can be divided into two categories:
- Shore personnel (port and shipyard/drydock workers, repair crew, surveyors)
- Pilots
They board the asset while it is in port, shipyard, drydock, or while passing through canals and gates. All shore personnel coming on board the vessel should wear appropriate Level 1 PPE in accordance with Section 3, Table 2.
Shore Personnel
All shore personnel boarding the asset should be pre-screened for common symptoms of
COVID-19. The shore personnel, as well as the crew and passengers of the asset, always should be reminded and encouraged to practice social distancing. The mixing of crew and shore personnel should be minimized by restricting shore personnel access.
Special attention should be paid to restricting the access of shore personnel to vital areas of the asset, such as the bridge or the engine control room. Whenever possible, it is recommended to use email for exchanging documents between the crew and the shore personnel.
Remote communication techniques (phone, VHF, e-mail) between the crew and shore personnel while performing cargo operations should be promoted.
Shore personnel should not bring food on board, nor use the common dining mess. The asset manager should designate separate restrooms for shore personnel. These restrooms should be cleaned and disinfected before the shore personnel embark the asset and after they disembark,
All crew members interacting with shore personnel should wear Level 1 PPE in accordance with Section 3, Table 2.
Pilots
Pilots coming on board the asset should be pre-screened for common COVID-19 symptoms. All frequently touched surfaces on the bridge and on the way to the bridge, pilot designated restroom, as well as any equipment used by the pilots, should be cleaned and disinfected before embarkation and after the pilots disembarks the asset in accordance with 4/6. While the pilot is on board the asset, periodic disinfection of these surfaces and equipment is also recommended.
Only essential personnel should be allowed on the navigational bridge while the pilot is on board. Social distancing between the crew and the pilot should be practiced at all times. All crew members and the pilot should wash their hands with hand sanitizer before entering the bridge. The pilot should not bring any food on board the vessel.
Multiple pilot ladders should be available on board to avoid using the same ladder by pilots and the existing crew.
All crew members interacting with the pilot should wear Level 1 PPE in accordance with Section 3, Table 2.
3. Infected Individuals
In case a vessel is tasked to transport an infected individual from offshore location, the exposure-response measures in Section 5 should be followed.
Disembarkation Measures and Crew Rotations
Until the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO advises that all crew and passengers on board marine and offshore assets should complete a Passenger/Crew Locator Form (PLF). This form should be kept on board the asset for at least one month after the passenger or crew member disembarks.
- The PLF can help local health authorities with contact tracing if a confirmed COVID-19 case is detected after disembarkation.
- Any crew member should report to the asset management office, if he or she has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or exhibits symptoms within 14 days of disembarkation.
- Also, the management of the asset should inform all potentially exposed crew members if there has been a confirmed or suspected case onboard the asset within 14 days of disembarkation.
- During crew rotations, special attention should be placed on social distancing between the on-signing and off-signing crew members.
Crew Baggage and Supply Provisions
Crew Baggage
Crew and passenger baggage should be cleaned thoroughly and handled wearing appropriate Level 1 PPE in accordance with Section 3, Table 2.
The luggage should be disinfected before it is brought inside the accommodation area.
Supply Provisions
Careful consideration should be given to adjusting the standard inventory and purchasing procedures to secure sufficient supplies of food, freshwater, cleaning and disinfection agents, PPE and response-critical medical supplies related to COVID-19.
- The possibility of an extended stay of an asset at the port or a shipyard / drydock should be considered when ordering the supplies.
- All provisions and supplies should be ordered from licensed suppliers. It is recommended to avoid ordering the supplies from high-risk ports.
- Appropriate Level 1 PPE should be worn when bringing supplies on board in accordance with recommendation in Section 3, Table 2.
- The supplies may be cleaned and wiped with disinfectant when received on board.
- Any direct contact of food with cleaning agents and disinfectants should be avoided.
- Packing material and dunnage should be returned to the supplier or put in closed garbage bags and disposed of onshore, if permitted by the port authority.
- It is recommended that incoming supplies should be over wrapped in plastic where possible and stowed onboard for 3 days where possible.
Crew Training
All crew on marine and offshore assets should be trained to recognize the common symptoms of COVID-19 and follow the basic procedures for handling any suspected COVID-19 cases. This includes proper isolation measures, contact tracing and quarantine procedures. The crew should be trained to keep social distance and use PPE as appropriate for each activity on board the vessel.
Managers of marine and offshore assets should emphasize the importance of cleaning and disinfecting their assets and provide special training to their cleaning crews. In particular, the cleaning crews should be familiar with:
- Common cleaning and disinfection techniques
- Cleaning and disinfectant chemicals
- Handling, preparation, storing and disposal of cleaning and disinfectant solutions
- Handling laundry, garbage and contaminated waste
- Proper usage and disposal of PPE
Health care staff on board assets should be continuously informed and updated on any new information and guidance regarding viral transmission, diagnosing and treating of COVID-19 patients, and any new disinfectants being brought on board in case there are additional medical considerations.
All staff on board should have knowledge of the Prevention Management Plan, understand their responsibilities under the plan, and implement it as required.
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Source: ABS
