MPA Singapore Circular No.14/2012
MPA Singapore issues Circular No.14/2012 to inform on the promulgation of the IMO document MSC.1/Circ.1390, which provides guidance for the CSO in making preparations for crew and company whose vessels are transiting the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. This Circular is applicable to Primarily to Company Security Officers (CSOs) and also to ship owners, operators and managers.
The guidance sets out the issues to consider when preparing both the crew and the company operating the ship that is carrying out a passage through the high risk piracy area in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. Some of the key points are:
1. Preparing the Crew
When preparing crew of a ship traveling through the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, the CSO is recommended to give careful consideration to the training requirements of crew, rights of seafarers and presence of others onboard the vessel, crew records, company commitment, crew awareness of the hijack environment and of the company’s actions.
In particular, the CSO should ensure that the personal details of the crew such as contact details for next-of-kin of crew, medical conditions of crew, etc are up to date. The crew should be made aware of the crisis management procedures of the company with respect to the hijack environment, company’s commitment and actions to secure the crew’s health, and safety and post-release actions in the event of a hijack incident.
b. Preparing the Company
It should be noted that when preparing Crisis Management Procedures (CMP) to respond to a hijack situation, the CMP should address the designation of a head of crisis management and the establishment of a single point of contact with the pirates. In addition, there should be a management team responsible for crew welfare, logistics and operations, medical advice and handling media relations.
A communications policy should be set in place during the crisis for the various parties involved, such as between captive crew members, between the company and the ship, between the company and next-of-kin, and with the pirates.
You may view more information at MPA Singapore Circular No.14/2012
Source: MPA Singapore