Responsibilities of companies, master and others

(1) This regulation applies only to Belize ships. (2) Every company shall ensure that– (a) every seaman assigned to any of its ships holds an Endorsement certificate in respect of any function he is to perform on that ship; (b) every seaman on any of its ships has had training specified in the STCW Code in respect of any function he is to perform on that ship; and (c) documentation and data relevant to all seamen on its ships are maintained and readily available for inspection and include, without being limited to, documentation and data on their experience, training, medical fitness and competency in assigned duties. (3) Nothing in subregulation (2) shall prohibit the allocation of the tasks for training under supervision or in case of “force majeure”. (4) The company shall provide written instructions to the master of each of its ships setting out the policies and the procedures to be followed to ensure that all seamen who are newly employed on board the ship are given a reasonable opportunity to become familiar with shipboard equipment, operating procedures and other arrangements needed for the proper performance of their duties, before being assigned to those duties. (5) The policies and procedures referred to in subregulation (4) shall includeMerchant Ships (Registration) 223 (a) allocation of a reasonable period of time during which each newly employed seaman will have an opportunity to become acquainted with– (i) the specific equipment the seaman will be using or operating; and (ii) ship-specific safety, environmental protection and emergency procedures and arrangements the seafarer needs to know to perform the assigned duties properly; and (b) designation of a knowledgeable crew member who will be responsible for ensuring that an opportunity is provided to each newly employed to receive essential information in a language the seaman understands. (6) It shall be the duty of every master and every member of a crew designated with an obligation under subregulation (4) to carry out that obligation.