Transport Malta’s Merchant Shipping Directorate issued a notice reminding that, in addition to the reporting obligations in terms of Section 307 of the Merchant Shipping Act, any occurrence happening on board a Maltese ship anywhere in the world and any ship within Maltese waters shall be reported to the Marine Safety Investigation Unit in terms of the Merchant Shipping (Accident and Incident Safety Investigation).
The requirement to report occurrences applies to merchant and passenger ships, fishing vessels over 15 metres in length and pleasure vessels engaged in trade.
As explained, the investigative procedures are prescribed in the said Regulations and the only purpose of such safety investigations is to identify causes and safety issues, and where possible or necessary, make recommendations with the only scope of improving safety and avoid marine pollution.
Further, it is noted that as the Marine Safety Investigation Unit is legally and structurally separate from the Merchant Shipping Directorate, and is neither an enforcement nor a prosecuting body, it does not have the legal mandate to investigate for the purpose of taking administrative, regulatory or criminal actions.
It is the responsibility of Masters and ISM Managers of ships operating under the Malta flag to ensure timely reporting of any occurrence.
“The cooperation and assistance of all concerned is crucial in safety investigations with a view to ensure that the scope of the safety investigation is achieved and safety lessons are promulgated to the maritime industry,” the announcement reads.
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