[FAQ] Preparing the Crew for COVID19 Medical Waste & Health Declaration!

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Mfame Editor
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As COVID19 continues to disrupt the world, it has become of utmost importance to develop a concrete outbreak management plan, specially in ships. A crucial part of this is adequate health declaration and medical waste disposal but very often these are the areas shippers bother the least.

Keeping this in mind, Intertanko has released a detailed medical waste disposal and health declaration guideline in their COVID19 Outbreak Management Guidelines. Let us take a look at it.

Medical Waste Disposal

The medical waste arising from COVID19 treatment and monitoring falls under two categories:

  1. infectious waste: Infectious medical waste is liquid or solid waste that contains pathogens in sufficient numbers and with sufficient virulence to cause infectious disease in susceptible hosts exposed to the waste.
  2. non-infectious waste: Non-infectious medical waste includes disposable medical supplies and materials that do not fall into the category of infectious medical waste.
  • Infectious waste should be safely stored or sterilised, e.g. by steam, and suitably packaged for ultimate disposal ashore.
  • Medical waste should be labelled.
  • Ships properly equipped may incinerate paper- and cloth-based medical waste but not plastic and wet materials.
  • Sharps should be collected in plastic autoclavable sharps containers and retained on board for ultimate disposal ashore.
  • Unused sharps should be disposed of ashore in the same manner as medical waste.
  • Liquid medical wastes may be disposed of by discharging them into the sanitary system.
  • All sewage should be managed with the assumption that it will contain human pathogens such as thermotolerant coliforms and therefore be treated through the ship’s sewage treatment plant (MEPC Resolution 227 (64) IMO Guidelines for Sewage Treatment Plants). This is of paramount importance as COVID19 samples have been detected in sewage within 3 days of infection,that is, even before symptoms appear.
  • Non-infectious medical waste may be disposed of as garbage, not requiring steam sterilising or special handling.
  • Medical waste should be carefully handled and stored with clear labelling. It should be recorded under Domestic Waste – Category C until landed ashore.

Medical repatriation

  • Any seafarer in need of urgent medical attention should be allowed ashore and treated by medical professionals.
  • The company should inform the Port State of the need of urgent medical attention.
  • Local agents and P&I Clubs should be kept informed of all plans.
  • The ship should determine the best evacuation route for the seafarer and a plan should be in place to ensure that minimum amount of contact is made between the suspected case and those assisting in the evacuation.
  • Social distancing should be in place as much as possible.
  • All involved in the transfer of persons should wear appropriate PPE.
  • Agreement between the Port State and the ship should be achieved on this evacuation plan.
  • Once the suspected case has been successfully evacuated ashore, the route and accommodation of the seafarer should be thoroughly cleaned and all PPE and bedding disposed of.
  • Close monitoring of the remaining ship’s crew for any signs of infection should be continued for 14 days after the suspected case has been disembarked.
  • The company should keep the ship informed of any test results on the suspected case.

On-going monitoring

Seafarers, port officials, pilot or anyone who has been on board the ship must inform the company if they fall ill with a fever, flu-like symptoms or test positive for Covid-19 within two weeks of departing the vessel.

Crew Training

Owners should ensure that all crew on board are well familiarised with the content of the plan and this should be practised prior to entering ports.

Health Declaration

In the wake of recent events, where a ship couldn’t visit ports for days and the crew remain stranded due to a legal battle regarding the Health Declaration, it has become of paramount importance.

Read More : http://mfame.guru/health-declaration-battle-jeopardizes-life-of-covid19-infected-cruise-crew/

A properly filled up Health Declaration form giving all the details of the ship crew should be furnished at ports. It is for the safety and sanctity of both the people in the ship and outside of the ship.

Here’s a look at how and what you should state in the Health Declaration form

 

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Source: INTERTANKO