TC issues brief statement on SSB fiasco

Transport Canada headquarters in Ottawa

I reached out to Transport Canada Media Relations for a statement on the Ship Safety Bulletin situation. Namely, were the Marine Engineering Certificate of Competency issued under the Ship Safety Bulletin 05/2017, still valid? I also asked about timeline of new guidelines (SSB) being issued, and what resources were made available to address the backlog of applications. I received a response a couple of days after asking.

Being a government response, it is very vague. Most of my questions were not answered directly, but here is what I boil down their answers to mean for Marine Engineers in Canada:

  • For one, sounds like if you have been issued a CoC under the SSB when it was active, your good to go.
  • Those who have application in the pipe, will be affected, how, it does not state.
  • Those affected applicants will be contacted by Transport Canada.
  • What the issues are with SSB 05/2017, they don’t say.
  • TC should be issuing a new SSB in short order “…in the coming weeks”.
  • New SSB will apply to existing, and new applications.

 

Ship Safety Bulletin Number 05/2017 (“Update on how to meet STCW 2010 Manila Convention Requirements for Officers and Ratings of the Engine Department”) has been rescinded as of November 7, 2017. A new ship safety bulletin will follow in the coming weeks and will apply to seafarers whose applications have not yet been fully processed and to seafarers making a new application.
Transport Canada is assessing issues that have arisen as a result of the Ship Safety Bulletin Number 05/2017 being rescinded. Once the assessment is complete, Transport Canada will contact those seafarers directly affected.
Transport Canada staff will process all pending and future applications, with affected applications treated on a priority basis.
Feel free to comment below, or join the discussion on The Common Rail – the forum area.
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Transport Canada and Australian Marine Safety certified Marine Engineer, over 25 years experience sailing professionally on commercial ships all over the world. Creator and editor of www.dieselduck.net. Father of three, based in Nanaimo, British Columbia.

6 Responses

  1. thanks martin for the info i am one of the guys that has already received my up graded certificate leave it to T.C
    to leave us in limbo
    i enjoy your web site and all the info you can find here
    Regards Jim Duffy marine engineer

  2. Thank you for the information and I will keep checking on the news and changes that is occurring with my new certificate. I ‘m glad to see that Jim Duffy and other engineers are concerned and aware off any changes that could occur with our certificate .Thank you Martin for the information .
    Best Regards
    Florent Lanteigne Marine Engineer

  3. FIASCO, that’s one word to describe this… Don’t get me wrong, i believe the exams should be challenging and the tickets earned by engineers receiving them(even if the exam process questions are outdated and solely directed towards big slow speed heavy fuel ships which don’t apply to over 3/4 of the workforce ). But that being said, i really do wonder how many people received upgrades and moved on from the respective companies/jobs they were working, to now only find themselves with an invalid ticket and out of a job with no seniority!

  4. Demand an answer to why this happened and who/what is to blame. I have contacted them several times but only got the runaround. Contact your local government authority and legal counsel if necessary

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