Call for strict adherence for safe crew change protocols

02 Feb 2021 / Singapore

The Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has further enhanced the safety measures for crew changes in Singapore and have published Port Marine Circular (PMC) 5 of 2021. MPA would also like to take this opportunity to share some cases of non-compliance to the crew change requirements in Singapore.

There was a case of an on-signer who has recovered from COVID-19 and arrived in Singapore within 21 days from the day he was initially tested positive. During the crew change application phase, neither the shipping company nor local agency informed MPA that the on-signer was a recovered personnel despite the guidelines mentioned in both the PMC and online application platform to submit documentary proof of the earliest diagnosis of COVID-19 should there be any sign-on application made for recovered crew.

MPA wish to highlight that the requirements for recovered crew in their PMC are in line with the guidelines from Ministry of Health Singapore whereby COVID-19 patients may still be infectious within 21 days from the date of initial infection.

There have also been cases of shipping companies and agencies submitting COVID-19 PCR test reports with positive results and requesting for MPA’s final no objection for crew who were tested positive to sign-on in Singapore. In some cases, the shipping companies and local agencies were unaware that the crew were tested positive until highlighted by MPA. MPA urge shipowners, shipping companies and agencies to be vigilant, be responsible and ensure that all required documents are checked thoroughly prior submission to MPA.

Investigation into all cases of non-compliance will be carried out and appropriate actions will be taken against anyone found to have breached the law while the shipowners, shipping companies and agencies were suspended from carrying out crew changes in Singapore until MPA could ascertain their compliance to the crew change requirements and conditions.

MPA would like to remind shipowners, shipping companies and agencies to be up to date with the latest crew change requirements in our PMC and crew change procedures and play their part to keep the Covid-19 situation under control in Singapore.

(For further details and updates, as well as information about operations in Singapore, contact GAC Singapore at [email protected])

Source: Singapore Shipping Association notice dated 2 February 2021

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