MEMBER ALERT Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc., Manager One Battery Park Plaza 31 st Fl., New York, NY 10004 USA Tel: +1 212 847 4500 Fax: +1 212 847 4599 https://www.american-club.com American Club Member Alert – March 30 , 20 20 1 MARCH 30, 2020 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD MARINE SAFETY INFORMATION BULLETIN REGARDING COVID-19: VESSEL INSPECTIONS, EXAMS AND DOCUMENTATION The US Coast Guard has just issued its latest Marine Safety Bulletin, MSIB Number 0920, Vessel Inspection, Exams and Documentation (attached) how it will make liberal use of remote inspection techniques to verify vessel compliance and, if needed, defer inspections. Your Managers recommend that Members take note of this information and be guided accordingly. This release has been issued for public information and notification purposes only. Marine Safety Information Bulletin Commandant MSIB Number: 09-20 U.S. Coast Guard Date: March 26, 2020 Inspections and Compliance Directorate 2703 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE, STOP 7501 Washington, DC 20593-7501 E-Mail: OutbreakQuestions@uscg.mil Vessel Inspections, Exams, and Documentation The uninterrupted flow of commerce on our Marine Transportation System (MTS) is critical to both National Security and National economic well-being. During this National emergency for COVID-19 it is paramount that the Coast Guard safeguards the continued operation of the MTS to ensure our domestic supply chain continues uninterrupted. Commercial vessel compliance activities should, to the extent possible, continue so as to safeguard the MTS and prevent an undue backlog from causing future delays. To facilitate the safe flow of commerce, the Coast Guard will liberally use remote inspection techniques to verify vessel compliance and, if needed, defer inspections. The following is the Coast Guard’s current position on commercial vessel compliance activities: Prior to boarding a vessel or immediately prior to conducting a pre-exam/inspection meeting, Marine Inspectors, Port State Control Officers (PSCOs), and Commercial Fishing Vessel Examiners will verify with the vessel representative that there are no ill persons onboard. Coast Guard personnel will practice the appropriate protective measures as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). U.S. Flagged Vessel and Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Inspections: 1. U.S. flagged vessels and OCS units due for Certificate of Inspection (COI) Renewals, Annual Inspections, Periodic Inspections, Dry Dock Exams, and Internal Structural Examinations (ISE) that are based on statutory or regulatory requirements should be addressed on a case-by-case basis by the local OCMI. Based on the OCMI’s evaluation of the history of the vessel and in consultation with the vessel owner or operator, the OCMI may: o Require Coast Guard attendance onboard the vessel to conduct a full or abbreviated inspection; o Accept objective evidence such as recent classification surveys, pictures, video, vessel logs, machinery alarm reports, etc., in lieu of Coast Guard attendance onboard the vessel to credit a required inspection or exam. (A dry dock, pressure vessel, or other non-annual exam may only be credited for a maximum of one year.); o Defer a required inspection or exam for up to 90 days; or o Issue a CG Form CG-835V to restrict the vessel movement as a worklist item. 2. Recognized Organizations (ROs) and Third Party Organizations (TPOs) that are conducting surveys and audits on behalf of the Coast Guard may request