Page 3rd Cover: of Marine News Magazine (November 2014)

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public safety,” how does granting a fi ve year expiration date for operators plying domestic waters meet this lofty goal? Everyone else must undergo the probes and expense of medical exami- nations every two (2) years or one (1) year as in the case of active Pilots.

Policy in Practice

In 2003, the New York Staten Is- land Ferry, “Andrew J. Barberi”, al- lided with a maintenance dock while carrying more than 1,000 passengers and 15 crew, injuring 70 and resulting in the deaths of 11 passengers. Mari- ners tasked with ferrying millions of

American passengers annually and those moving millions of barrels of oil in the same time period along the

U.S. Coast get their medical condi- tion checked every fi ve years. Hence, if the intent of the U.S. Coast Guard is “to maintain the safety of the Ma- rine Transportation System through a comprehensive MMC (Merchant

Marine Credential) evaluation pro- cess,” shouldn’t these mariners whose wellbeing is necessary to the health, safety and security of US citizens and

US resources receive the same sort of review?

Upon further investigation of the ferry incident, the operator, an As- sistant Captain at the time of allision, was temporarily unresponsive after taking one prescription pain reliever that promotes drowsiness. According to company regulations, there was to be a second person (Assistant Captain or Captain) on the ferry bridge able to take control while underway and just before docking, but in this instance, the Captain was not on the bridge and the two crewmembers in the wheel- house – a lookout and mate – were not vetted to operate the ferry ma- neuvering controls. The incident pre- cipitated the 10 page comprehensive medical form (719-K) required to be fi lled out each time a mariner renews a credential (license, seaman’s docu- ment), as opposed to the less compre- hensive four page medical form 719 in use for the previous 20 years, in one form or another.

The National Transportation Safety

Board (NTSB) investigation of the event pointed out that “a mariner’s medical status is reviewed only ev- ery fi ve years, during which time he or she could experience new medical symptoms, see a health care provider, take new medications, or be hospital- ized.” Nevertheless, the accident that happened over 10 years ago has not changed the policy for this class or service of mariner. Why are the peo- ple who ferry millions of people and transport millions of tons/barrels of hazardous substances along our coast exempt from taking physicals every two years? Are these Nationally cre- dentialed crewmembers in that good of physical shape?

Real Life –

Impossible Criteria

The reasons for the unequal playing fi eld are actually quite simple. If the

NMC were to have all credentialed mariners submit physical examina- tion results at two year intervals, our

Coast Guard could not perform the necessary 200,000 evaluations in a timely manner. Presently, their annual evaluations number from 50,000 to 70,000 annually. Given present man- power and resources allocated by the

DHS, if they did attempt to evaluate over 200,000 exams per year, ships would not sail, oil among other prod- ucts, would not get moved. The safety of millions of people and clean water- ways hangs in the balance.

The Federal Aviation Administra- tion has over 1,000 medical doctors

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