USCG has issued revised Navigation and Vessel Inspection NVIC No 04-08 which details the medical and physical evaluation guidelines for merchant mariner credentials
The Coast Guard announced the availability of the Merchant Mariner Medical Advisory Committee’s response to Task Statement 1, ‘‘Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular 04–08 Revision Working Group.’’ This document recommends various changes to NVIC 04–08, ‘‘Medical and Physical Evaluation Guidelines for Merchant Mariner Credentials,’’ which the Coast Guard uses when making decisions on mariner credentialing. The Coast Guard has not adopted this document as policy, but will consider it in future policy development.
This NVIC details the specific medical conditions that may be subject to further review, and the recommended data for evaluation of each condition to determine fitness for service. It also details physical ability guidelines and acceptable vision and hearing standards. The specificity of this NVIC is necessary to reduce the subjectivity of the physical and medical evaluation process and promote more consistent evaluations. This NVIC will also reduce the time required to process credential applications by helping eliminate the uncertainty that mariners may currently encounter as to the specific physical and medical information needed to be submitted to process their applications.
Further details may be found by reading USCG NVIC
Source: USCG
