Principles of MSM as per the Panama MMC-285

Chapter V regulation 14 of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), as amended establishes that: “Contracting Governments undertake, each for its national ships, to maintain, or, if it is necessary, to adopt, measures for the purpose of ensuring that, from the point of view of safety of life at sea, all ships shall be sufficiently and efficiently manned.”

 

 

Effective as of January 1983, the Panama Registry requires that every Passenger and Cargo Vessel of more than 200 GRT registered under the Panama Flag should have on board a Minimum Safe Manning Certificate. As well in 1986 and 1987 the requirement for a “Minimum Safe Manning Certificate” was extended to Mobile Offshore Drilling Units and Offshore Supply vessels registered under Panama.

 

 

The Panama Maritime Administration Adopted the Resolution A.1047(27) which contains the Principles of Minimum Safe Manning, consisting of Guidelines for the application of principles of safe manning; Guidelines for determination of minimum safe Guidance on contents and model form of minimum safe manning document and Framework for determining minimum safe manning.

 

Recently, the Panama Maritime Authority amended the Merchant Marine Circular MMC-285, to describe the National Rules for the MSMC, including:

 

• Applicability
• Validity
• Costs for the issuance of MSMC
• Format
• MSMC for Lay-up special registry
• Temporary reduction in manning
• MSMC for Mobile Offshore Units
• How to apply for the MSMC
• STCW 1978, as amended, regulations.