The Singapore Maritime Port Authority recently announced that full personal protective equipment will be required within region’s crew changes operations.
According to information provided by BIMCO, the “Required personal protective equipment for personnel facilitating crew change” measure came in an effort to further safeguard the Singapore local community against the spread of COVID-19, while is effective immediately and goes as follows:
- Meet-and-greet staff shall don surgical mask and gloves when escorting crew at the airport.
- Land transport drivers shall don full PPE (surgical mask, gloves, gown) when transporting crew between the airport and vessel.
- Launch boat operators shall down full PPE (surgical mask, gloves, gown) when transporting crew between the pier and vessel.
In light of the COVID-19 situation, MPA Singapore reminds that is of vital importance to maintain proper hand hygiene (i.e. washing with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand rub before and after removing PPE.
For the records, the above measure comes following the recent implementation of sea launch transfer for enhanced crew change procedures.
