This week, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) will extend its suite of plastic credit card sized seafarer certificates, designed to be more durable and secure than traditional paper certificates.
Following a successful trial for the Certificate of Safety Training in 2012, plastic cards will now be issued for certificates of competency, proficiency, and Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) certificates.
The first cards will be issued for the following certificates:
- Certificate of Proficiency-Integrated Rating
- Certificate of Proficiency-Chief Integrated Rating
- Certificate of Proficiency-Able Seafarer-Deck
- Certificate of Proficiency-Able Seafarer-Engine
- Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) Radio Operator certificate
Cards for other certificates will be progressively released until 2015.
"Australia is one of the first countries in the world to issue seafarer certificates on plastic cards...it's something we can be proud of", said Mark Eldon-Roberts, manager of AMSA's shipping qualifications section.
"There will be no need for seafarers holding a valid paper or passport style certificate to apply for a new credit card style certificate as their current certificate will remain valid to the expiry date of their current certificate. Certificates issued as a plastic card will not cost the seafarer any more than the old paper certificates."
All certificates will include the mandatory fields as required by Regulation I/2 of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers 1978, as amended, and will therefore be compliant with the Convention.
