Since the magazine of Subchapter M, several AWO participants have actually shared worry about the regulation’s needs to bring 3 day as well as 3 evening aesthetic call for help (e.g. flares) aboard lugging vessels on Rivers paths, keeping in mind that there are various other, a lot more efficient, indicates for inland lugging vessels to alert neighboring vessels of a distress problem.
The Coast Guard has actually currently accepted a different setup suggested by AWO that gives a degree of security matching to the carriage of VDS: a distress notice treatment that lugging vessels running solely on Rivers paths can include right into their Towing Safety Management System.
Under the alternate setup suggested by AWO, composes Caitlyn Stewart, AWO’s Senior Director– Regulatory Affairs, the distress notice treatment would certainly consist of guidelines to workers aboard the lugging vessel to make a radio ask for support to vessels around and/or to neighboring terminals, centers, barge short lived locations as well as Coast Guard terminals, as well as to alert the firm’s shore-side workers using satellite or mobile phone or link. In its authorization letter, the Coast Guard has actually suggested that the distress notice treatment should additionally consist of the list below aspects:
- How the vessel launches distress notice using VHF radio as well as cellular/satellite phone to firm shore-side workers;
- How the vessel signals passersby to the emergency situation problem;
- Critical details to be come on a distress notice, consisting of vessel place; as well as
- Contact details for vessel shore-side workers, that should be offered 24/7 to get a distress notice.
- In enhancement, vessels exercising this alternative should additionally have a mobile or satellite telephone situated at the operating terminal with trusted insurance coverage of the vessel’s whole course.
For a vessel to use the alternate setup, the TPO or OCMI should confirm that all the aspects of the Coast Guard authorization letter have actually been satisfied, as well as the alternate setup should be recorded by the OCMI in the vessel’s COI.
