AMSA informs about the new requirements regarding seafarers’ certificates of competency, under Marine Order (MO) 505, highlighting that from January 1st of 2023, a ‘Certificate of Medical Fitness – Domestic Seafarers’ is now required for all new and equivalent applications.
In particular, AMSA released a revised qualifications framework and guidelines to provide better safety outcomes for Australian seafarers and domestic commercial vessel operators. These revisions mean some changes to certificates of competency, commonly known as ‘tickets’.
The new Marine Order 505:
- Introduces 5 new certificates of competency:
- Coxswain Grade 3 Near Coastal
- Master <45m Near Coastal (replaces Master <35m, which will be phased out)
- Master <100m Near Coastal (replaces Master <80m, which will be phased out)
- Sailing Master Coastal; and
- Sailing Master Offshore.
- Phases out 3 old certificates of competency, which will no longer be issued:
- Master <35m Near Coastal (replaced by the new Master <45m Near Coastal)
- Master <80m Near Coastal (replaced by the new Master <100m Near Coastal)
- Mate <80m Near Coastal (replaced by the existing Master <24m Near Coastal)
- Makes some changes to supervisory definitions in order to clarify when a General Purpose Hand certificate of competency is required.
- Introduces a new standard for the assessment of medical fitness for Masters and crew of domestic commercial vessels.
- Incorporates some existing exemptions.
- Introduces changes to sea service for some certificates of competency.
- Requires first aid and medical fitness certificates for all new certificate of competency applications.
- Requires existing holders of a Coxswain Grade 2 Near Coastal certificate of competency to also hold a first aid certificate —this is because the type of vessels that a Coxswain Grade 2 Near Coastal can operate has expanded and is no longer restricted to non-passenger.
Transitional arrangements apply to some of these changes.