If you are a supervisor or qualified person working in the Australian maritime industry, you will need to observe and sign off a seafarer using a task book.
Each task performed and recorded in the task book must be witnessed and signed off by a supervisor or qualified person who is connected with the vessel’s operation. This can be a master, engineer, owner or operations manager, depending on the seafarer's current certificate level and the certificate they are working towards. It must be someone in a supervisory role.
To be a supervisor or qualified person you must do one of the following:
- Have a certificate of competency that is at least equal to the qualification being supervised.
- Have a restricted certificate of competency that is at least equal to the qualification being supervised. You are not allowed to sign off tasks that you are not permitted to do under the restriction.
- Have a workshop skill equivalent or trade qualification directly related to the qualification—a marine mechanic or diesel fitter can supervise engineering tasks, a refrigeration mechanic can supervise refrigeration tasks, an electrician can supervise electrical tasks.
- Be the owner, master or engineer of the vessel.
You must:
- Make sure that tasks are conducted safely.
- Date and initial the task book in each box as each task is completed.
- Sign each box when repetition of a task is required.
- Check that any sketches, photographs, checklists, procedures, notes, copies of documents and/or other additional information/material required are attached and correct before signing off the task.
By signing the task book, you are verifying that:
- a task has been performed to an industry standard in keeping with the best practices of seafarers and safe working
- you are satisfied that the seafarer can perform the task.
Last updated: 28 October 2020