Page 29: of Marine News Magazine (May 2022)

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Feature

Training & Education ntil every employee, and every mid- time academies and Great Lakes commercial vessel opera- shipman, and cadet, and every trainee tors”. The reference to the state academies is worth a close trusts the system and until all allega- look. The Federal Register text proposes that EMBARC tions are handled properly, abuse will would apply to the academies both as operators of training “U continue to occur, it will continue to go unreported, and vessels and “as institutions of higher education that place people will continue to suffer alone—and that is simply their cadets on commercial vessels would be required to intolerable,” said Lucinda Lessley, Acting Maritime Ad- meet Coast Guard licensing requirements.” ministrator, presenting at the Connecticut Maritime As- EMBARC development is open and evolving. MARAD’s sociation Shipping Expo and Conference, in February. website already has EMBARC updates. One important

On March 30, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) upcoming move is establishing a Federal Advisory Com- released a guidance document—EMBARC— to establish mittee on SASH issues; MARAD is seeking committee a structure and process to protect maritime cadets from membership now.

sexual assault and sexual harassment (SASH). Its primary As many readers know, MARAD paused Sea Year focus is on U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (MMA) ca- training aboard commercial vessels last October. This dets during their Sea Year training on commercial vessels. decision, and the events that led up to it, were a priority

However, it has an expanded focus: to establish a safe, re- topic – a “call to action” – within Lessley’s keynote at the spectful and non-hostile working environment for all mar- CMA Expo: iners throughout the maritime industry. “We (paused Sea Year training) so we could strengthen

In her keynote address to the CMA Expo, Lessley said both the measures we require of the vessel operators car- that it is her hope that EMBARC practices are “imple- rying cadets and also our own institutional policies, pro- mented in vessels’ Safety Management System (SMS): to cedures, and training instructions to improve safety and address this as a safety measure for every mariner aboard a support a culture of respect.

vessel.” SMS documents are part of the Coast Guard’s reg- “As Secretary Buttigieg has said, sexual assault and ha- ulatory and enforcement system. The inclusion of SASH rassment have been open secrets in the maritime indus- policies could extend legal protection beyond just cadets. try. And to combat them, it’s not enough to say the right

EMBARC, which stands for “Every Mariner Builds things…to say we have zero tolerance. It’s not enough to a Respectful Culture”, will require vessel operators who say we take all allegations seriously.

host Sea Year cadets to agree to demands for safety and “We must name the problems we seek to eliminate and accountability (for more summary details, see text box then fully implement policies and procedures to prevent “EMBARC Primer”). harassment and assault from happening. We must also re-

Importantly, the publication in March started a public move the barriers that have too often stood in the way of comment period (ending May 31) on the guidance. EM- reporting when harassment and assaults have occurred.”

BARC is not entirely new. It was