Medical treatment on board vessels

SUMMARY OF:

Directive 92/29/EEC on the minimum safety and health requirements for improved medical treatment on board vessels

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DIRECTIVE?

It aims to ensure that minimum safety and health systems are in place to improve medical treatment on board vessels.

KEY POINTS

Each European Union (EU) Member State should ensure that vessels registered in that country, or flying its flag, carries medical supplies. The detailed requirements depend on the category of vessel and the details listed in the annexes to the directive. In addition:

• every vessel should carry a watertight medicine chest for each of its lifeboats;
• every vessel of more than 500 gross tonnes, with a crew of 15 or more, on a voyage of more than 3 days, must have a suitable sickbay in which medical treatment can be given;
• every vessel with a crew of 100 or more on an international voyage of more than 3 days must have a doctor on board.

Any vessel transporting dangerous substances must carry the appropriate antidotes. Ferries must in any case carry a minimum of antidotes (as outlined in Annex II) to allow for the fact that the carriage of dangerous substances may not be known in advance, unless the regular crossing is under 2 hours. All available antidotes and medical supplies must be detailed on a checklist.

Other obligations

• The owner is responsible for providing the medical supplies. The captain, or a delegated representative, is responsible for the management of supplies, which must be kept in good condition and replenished systematically at the owner’s sole expense.
• The medical supplies must be accompanied by instructions as to their use, including information relating to the use of the required antidotes.
• Professional maritime training must include basic first response medical training in the event of an accident or serious medical emergency. The captain and any delegated worker responsible for medical supplies must receive special training, updated at least every 5 years.

Medical consultations by radio

Member States must designate centres to provide workers with free medical advice by radio, including from doctors trained in the special conditions prevailing on board ship.

Annual inspections

Member States must ensure that annual inspections are carried out to check that medical supplies comply with the directive.

Delegated acts

Regulation (EU) 2019/1243 amends Directive 92/29/EEC giving the Commission powers, as of 26 July 2019, to adopt delegated acts to make strictly technical amendments to its annexes to take account of technical progress or changes in international regulations or specifications and new findings concerning medical treatment on board vessels.

Amendments

• Directive 2007/30/EC amends Directive 92/29/EEC as regards the implementation report to be prepared by the Member States.
• Directive (EU) 2019/1834 amends Annexes II and IV to Directive 92/29/EEC as regards purely technical adaptations.

FROM WHEN DOES THE DIRECTIVE APPLY?

Directive 92/29/EEC has applied since 10 April 1992 and had to become law in the Member States by 31 December 1994.

BACKGROUND

Following the COVID-19 outbreak and the need to introduce measures to cope with the impact of the crisis, the Commission adopted guidelines on the protection of health, repatriation and travel arrangements for seafarers, passengers and other persons on board ships.

For further information, see:

• Directive 92/29/EEC — medical treatment on board vessels (European Agency for Safety and Health at Work).

MAIN DOCUMENT

Council Directive 92/29/EEC of 31 March 1992 on the minimum safety and health requirements for improved medical treatment on board vessels (OJ L 113, 30.4.1992, pp. 19–36).

Successive amendments to Directive 92/29/EEC have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

last update 12.11.2021