Coast Guard Proposes Changes To Mariner Training Requirements

The U.S. Coast Guard has proposed changes to certain mariner training requirements related to Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) endorsements.

The proposed rule would remove six training requirements affecting masters and officers in charge of a navigational watch on vessels of less than 500 gross tons in near-coastal waters, as well as engineering officers, designated duty engineers and electro-technical ratings on vessels with propulsion machinery of 750 kW/1,000 hp. or more.

The proposed changes would eliminate requirements for leadership and managerial skills training, bridge resource management training, demonstration of competency in leadership and teamworking skills, engineering terminology and shipboard operations training, computer systems and maintenance training and high-voltage power systems training.

The Coast Guard said the requirements being removed exceed the minimum training and certification standards established under the STCW Convention and Code. The agency said removing them would reduce regulatory burdens and promote equivalent compliance standards with international requirements.

The Coast Guard estimates the proposed changes would result in annual cost savings of about $992,000 from eliminating leadership and managerial skills training, $99,000 from bridge resource management training and $4.9 million from eliminating engineering terminology and shipboard operations training. The savings would include training tuition, travel, time spent in training and costs associated with preparing documentation for Merchant Mariner Credential applications.

The proposed rule also includes technical revisions to remove duplicative or outdated regulatory language.

Comments on the proposed rule must be submitted to the Coast Guard by December 30.