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    IMCA supporting calls for safety assurance for offshore personnel

    May 14, 2020
    The International Marine Contractors Association is supporting a recommendation for governments and national authorities to facilitate movement of offshore energy sector personnel despite COVID-19 restrictions.
    Margaret Fitzgerald, IMCA’s Head of Policy & Regulatory Affairs
    Margaret Fitzgerald, IMCA’s Head of Policy & Regulatory Affairs

    Offshore staff

    LONDON – The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) is supporting a recommendation for governments and national authorities to facilitate movement of offshore energy sector personnel despite COVID-19 restrictions.

    An international offshore energy industry group comprising the IADC, IAGC, IMCA, IOGP and ISOA, having gained initial approval from the IMO, have approached the IMO Secretary-General for recognition of offshore energy sector personnel as ‘key workers’ alongside seafarers and marine personnel.

    The Recommendations for Governments (and relevant national authorities), developed by the joint industry group, should ensure smooth handovers that are essential within the offshore sector, the IMCA said.

    Margaret Fitzgerald, the association’s Head of Policy & Regulatory Affairs, said: “While seafarers and marine personnel have been able to reference the ‘Recommendations’ which IMO had previously issued, they are not, unfortunately, applicable for offshore energy sector personnel, such as Industrial Personnel (a term covering everyone from divers to windfarm engineers, geodata specialists and drilling crew to HSE advisers, and more) who do not fall within the definition of either ‘seafarer’ or ‘marine personnel.’

    “The international offshore industry group developed an amended set of ‘Recommendations’ specifically addressing offshore energy sector personnel, calling for them to be recognized internationally as ‘key workers’ and given the same consideration as seafarers and marine personnel when transiting to and from their places of work.

    “Working together we impressed upon the IMO’s Secretary-General that the continued delivery of an unabated supply of these energy resources rests with the ability of the global offshore energy workforce to continue to carry out its function despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are delighted that the Secretary-General has now published the Recommendations presented by the five international trade associations.”

    The IMCA has worked with an International IMO Industry Group, led by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), to formulate a 12-step plan entitled “Recommended Framework of Protocols for Ensuring Safe Ship Crew Changes and Travel during the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic” (now published by the IMO.

    While the ‘Protocols’ reference the movement of ‘seafarers and marine personnel’ as initially identified by IMO, they also include a reference to the offshore industry Recommendations of May 5, 2020.

    Fitzgerald said: “One of the key recommendations in the document calls upon IMO Member Governments and national authorities to give serious consideration to exempting these key [offshore] workers “from any isolation or quarantine measures that might be applicable to other passengers arriving by aircraft from other countries.

    “In view of the importance of the global offshore energy sector in meeting the world’s energy demands, both IMO documents are intended to assist members when negotiating movement of their personnel across borders.

    “Members are urged to report to the IMCA Secretariat any issues they experience to enable IMCA to raise this at the highest level within IMO Member Governments.”

    05/14/2020