Nov. 25, 2022

National Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee meeting- Dec 19-20

The Office of Merchant Mariner Credentialing is hosting a hybrid in-person meeting and teleconference of the National Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee (NMERPAC) subcommittee for Task Statement 22-4, Mariner Workforce Issues on December 19th and 20th, 2022.

Nov. 25, 2022

Marine Safety Alert:  Ensuring proper operation and detection of radar search and rescue transponders (SARTs)

​The Coast Guard Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis has released Safety Alert 12-22 to address issues that may reduce the effectiveness of a radar Search and Rescue Transponder (SART) during an emergency.

Nov. 17, 2022

MSIB 06-22: FM-200 fire extinguishing agent phasedown

​The Coast Guard Office of Design and Engineering Standards has released MSIB 06-22 to inform Coast Guard Officers in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI) and the maritime industry that FM-200 (also known as HFC-227ea or heptafluoropropane), a fire extinguishing agent, is being phased down in production as part of the recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule1 to reduce the production of greenhouse gases leading to global warming. FM-200 is used in fire extinguishing systems for machinery spaces and cargo spaces on uninspected vessels, commercial vessels, and public vessels. This rule does not prohibit the use of FM-200 to extinguish fire and vessel operators should not hesitate to use their existing fire extinguishing systems in case of a fire.

Nov. 15, 2022

Final Rule: Survival Craft Equipment-Update to Type Approval Requirements

The Coast Guard announced in the Federal Register that it is updating the type approval requirements for certain types of equipment that survival craft are required to carry on U.S.-flagged vessels.

Nov. 14, 2022

Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center releases report: "Risk-Informed Analysis of Transportation Worker Identification Credential Reader Requirements"

​The Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center (HSOAC) has released The RAND Corporation report titled “Risk-Informed Analysis of Transportation Worker Identification Credential Reader Requirements.”