MARINE EMERGENCY DUTIES TRAINING

Under the Canada Shipping Act Crewing Regulations, Section 21, all marine crewmembers, including those on fishing vessels, are required to complete basic safety training (called Marine Emergency Duties or MED) within six months of joining a vessel’s crew.

MED training has been required on large commercial vessels since the late 1970s. This training requirement was extended to all small commercial vessels, including small fishing vessels, by Transport Canada in 1997, following findings by the Transportation Safety Board that most marine accidents resulting in loss of life occur on small fishing vessels. The department agreed that a formal training regime was required to create a higher level of safety awareness within the fishing community and to help reduce the number of fatalities.

The training requirement for small commercial vessels applies to crewmembers on:

• fishing vessels under 150 tons; and
• non-passenger vessels and passenger vessels under 150 tons, with unberthed accommodations only, operating on Minor Waters (inland waters such as bays and rivers with specified exceptions) and Home Trade IV voyages (sheltered or seasonally sheltered waters as determined by Transport Canada).

Mariners on these vessels must complete one of three available marine emergency duties courses - MED A-1, MED A-3, and MED A-4 - depending on the operations of the vessel on which they work.

The MED A-1 course is the standard course that provides crewmembers with:

• basic understanding of the hazards associated with the marine environment and their own vessel;
• training on the prevention of shipboard incidents including fire;
• the knowledge necessary to raise and react to alarms and emergencies;
• information on how to provide assistance in fire/abandonment emergency situations; and
• knowledge and skills to assist in their own survival and rescue.

The MED A-3 and MED A-4 courses were developed specifically for crewmembers on vessels operating no more than 20 miles from shore. These courses also provide basic safety at sea awareness training, but are tailored specifically for crewmembers of smaller vessels and for the environment of near-shore operations.

The MED A-3 course is permitted for crewmembers on vessels under 150 tons operating no more than 20 miles offshore, and passenger vessels under 150 tons, with unberthed accommodations only, operating on Minor Waters (inland waters such as bays and rivers with specified exceptions) and Home Trade IV voyages (sheltered or seasonally sheltered waters as determined by Transport Canada).

The MED A-4 course is permitted for crewmembers on fishing, aquaculture and non-passenger carrying vessels under 10 tons operating in sheltered waters no more than two miles from shore.

Transport Canada is currently working with approved safety training providers and industry associations to enhance awareness among mariners about the MED training requirement and to make the training available in more remote and rural areas.

In order to avoid denying fish harvesters and small commercial operators in remote locations of their livelihood, crewmembers will be required to complete the training only when it becomes available within a reasonable distance of their vessel’s area of operation. In the interim, Transport Canada marine inspectors will work with fishing vessel operators in this situation to improve their crews’ awareness of basic safety at sea until the training becomes available.

Mariners who do not yet have training available in their area of operation must be able to demonstrate before July 30, 2003, or within a reasonable period after the training becomes available in their area, that they have registered to take the appropriate MED course.

Transport Canada will enforce the requirement without exception after April 1, 2007.

Commercial vessels over 150 tons, passenger ferries and passenger vessels with berthed accommodation are already required to comply fully with Section 21 of the Canada Shipping Act Crewing Regulations.