Proposed

COVID-19 Protocols for the Ocean-Going Maritime Industry

04-03-2020

This document was developed for the maritime industry with the kind assistance of industry experts and medical consultants. It is intended to provide a framework to raise the awareness and dialog necessary to build industry protocols. We welcome any comments and/or additions that can help to further improve the contents and ultimately our industry.

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Introduction - Page 2 of 3

Discussion As the COVID-19 virus spreads and impacts our nation and the broader world, mitigation techniques are necessary because there are no effective vaccines or therapeutics available to prevent or treat the most severe cases. Social distancing, quarantine, sequestering, hand washing and sanitizing are some of the measures currently being taken. Unfortunately, as noted in CDC guidance for ships, most of these preventive measures have limited effect aboard a ship where the crews are closely confined to living and working spaces with an air conditioning system that conditions and recycles interior air. Further, when these vessels are in either a foreign or domestic port the crew comes in contact with many people who can quickly compromise even the best sanitation and social distancing practices: government officials, company officials, inspectors, auditors, repair people and longshoremen among the many. Furthermore, as with many highly skilled workers in this country, the age demographic is skewed to the upper end with all the attendant comorbidity traits that complicate treating the virus in older people. This is most significant in the senior ranks where there may be only one replacement who has the education, training, skills and experience to fill the job—this industry not only doesn’t have a “back bench”, it doesn’t have a bench at all. With a typical timeline of 14+ years and a cost of several hundred thousand dollars for experienced officers and crew, there are no quick fixes to losses. Moreover, if even a single crewmember is infected with the virus, the vessel is subject to a lengthy quarantine in any port they enter, foreign or domestic. A lengthy quarantine has many ramifications that are amplified when in foreign ports. Not only will the vessel’s critical cargo be delayed for possibly weeks (possibly costing servicemen’s lives in the case of military cargo) and the crew confined to the ship, the ship’s owners and operators face possibly disastrous economic consequences from cargo owners, medical expenses incurred from the crewmember’s medical treatment and medical evacuation, and the crushing impact of an idle ship costing $20,000-$40,000 or more in daily expenses.

Proposal Establish protocols to ensure that the crews aboard U.S. vessels remain virus free and avoid the severe ramifications of having an infected crewmember aboard. The concepts would be much like that adopted for the astronauts going to the moon. The crewmembers would be isolated with strategic COVID-19 testing from prior to embarkation to their debarkation. The ship would essentially be a citadel for healthy crews. These protocols are based on the use of newly available Point of Care Tests (POCT) capable of providing reliable test results within a few minutes. As new medical countermeasures and interventions against COVID-19 are developed, the protocols may need to be re-examined and revised. In all cases, the selection and use of any diagnostic testing methodology must be evaluated in the context of prioritizing resources for the treatment of the critically ill.

Introduction - Page 3 of 3

These protocols are designed to provide a framework. They are written to a rigid standard, but it is recognized that each company may need to adjust them to their individual operating procedures. The most important aspect of these protocols is that any modifications must adhere to the fundamental concept of keeping the crew isolated from any disease vector. At this time, these protocols do not address government owned Reduced Operating Status (ROS) vessels. They may be adaptable for government owned Pre-Positioned vessels, but these vessels require coordination with numerous domestic and foreign government agencies, some of which may be establishing their own protocols.

Protocols included in this document:

1) Protocol for crewing vessels operating in CONUS and Overseas. This addresses company, crewmembers and unions involvement in assignment, testing, lodging and transport to the vessel. The protocol has procedures for vessels calling in CONUS and vessels calling in foreign ports.

2) Protocol for Vessel Control of Visiting Personnel, Supplies and Spares.

This addresses the procedures for vessel’s crew interaction with government and government directed officials (e.g. classification societies), ship’s food and consumable supplies and spares.

3) Protocol for Managing Longshoremen, Cargo Handlers and Bunkering.

This protocol addresses the necessary interaction of the vessel’s crew and the various personnel assigned to work the vessel’s cargo and bunkering.

4) RESERVED - Protocol for Management of COVID-19 Positive Crewmembers and Returning a Vessel to Service from Quarantine. This protocol is currently under review by subject matter experts and will be distributed when finalized as an addendum to this document.

Protocol 1 - Page 1 of 5

PROTOCOL 1 Crewing vessels in CONUS and Overseas

This Protocol addresses company, medical providers and unions’ responsibilities for assignment, sequestering, testing, lodging and transport to the vessel. The protocol applies to both, vessels calling in CONUS and vessels calling in foreign ports. The overall concept is to test a replacement crewmember prior to their travel, segregate and isolate the individuals after they travel. The period of isolation must be for a period long enough to increase the effectiveness of COVID-19 testing and then maintain that integrity until they can board the vessel. Further, the vessel must be treated as a citadel for the crew through sanitation, social distancing (to the extent possible) and COVID-19 testing. The concept is essentially the same as NASA used for astronauts going to the moon. This concept and its success are based on a common set of definitions and several assumptions agreed to by all parties involved. Removing any block in the logic chain will affect the integrity of the protocol.

Definitions • Isolate is defined as no outside contact, except with medical providers, who will provide testing

or other necessary medical needs. This includes personal interaction with other replacement crewmembers.

• Citadel is defined for the purposes of this protocol as a place devoid of COVID-19 virus and incorporates all procedures of social distancing, sanitization and testing necessary to maintain a virus free atmosphere for the crew. Additionally, maintaining the integrity of the citadel requires strict protocols for managing all personnel, supplies and parts coming from ashore. It also precludes any shore leave for the embarked crew.

• Testing is defined as those procedures necessary to identify the presence or absence of specific agents of disease. These tests include, but are not limited to, COVID-19 and Influenza tests. Tests are administered by Maritime Medical Providers and may require personnel to provide blood or other bodily fluids.

Assumptions • Maritime Medical Provider:

o Obtain authority and priority to purchase the new Point of Care Test (POCT) kits. These kits must be administered by a health care professional, however some tests only require a “finger prick” to draw sufficient blood for testing and they return results in (approx.) 15 minutes. These serology tests identify if SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (e.g., IgM, IgG) are present in the patient’s blood sample and differentiate between active infection and past infection. Primary SARS-Cov-2 infection is characterized by the presence of detectable IgM antibodies 3-7 days after the onset of infection, which would indicate an active or recent infection. Secondary SARS-Cov-2 infection is characterized by the elevation of SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG antibodies, which generally appear 7-10 days after infection. The presence of IgG antibodies typically indicates a past infection but

Protocol 1 - Page 2 of 5

does not rule out the recently infected who are still contagious, especially when detected with IgM antibodies. It remains to be seen how long IgG antibodies to SARS-Cov-2 remain in the body or if they will confer immunity to infection. The IgM sensitivity (i.e., the ability to correctly report a positive result for a positive sample) of these test is typically in the 88-92% range. The IgM specificity (i.e., the ability to correctly report a negative result for a negative sample) is in the 98-99% range.

o In cooperation with the operating company, pre-stage at the port designated for the crew change, test kits, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)—both for use on port facilities and that equipment necessary for providing testing and medical care to the replacement crew and in the case of a positive COVID-19 test—or any other anticipated supplies for providing emergent medical care. (or for use by Maritime Medical Provider when boarding a vessel to conduct testing to determine infection status and possibly rule out need to quarantine the vessel.)

o Perform the required pre-travel and pre-embarkation testing as requested by the operating company.

o Coordinate with local authorities and medical facilities to establish plans and procedures for evacuating any crewmember who tests positive for COVID-19.

o The medical provider(s) will need an official letter from a local, state or federal agency, as appropriate to the area, noting that they are designated critical personnel and have clearance through any quarantined, locked-down or restricted movement areas in order to provide for medical needs aboard a critical national security vessel. A letter from the Department of State will be needed to clear personnel for travel overseas.

o Coordinate with pertinent maritime unions to recommend they require all their members to have influenza vaccinations.

• Operating Company: o Identify a single port for conducting crew changes and grouping the replacement mariners in

groups of 5-10, or more if necessary. This will be necessary to allow medical providers to concentrate assets for testing and response to any crewmembers positive for COVID-19.

o Provide a detailed verbal and written briefing on the isolation procedures and inform them that any breach of the protocol will carry penalties agreed to by the union. The company, its Maritime Medical Provider and the union will vet this briefing to ensure a common understanding of the process.

o Coordinate with the pertinent union to address compensation for the replacement crewmembers for travel and the time spent in isolation.

o Arrange for adequate, comfortable lodging with a kitchenette, Wi-Fi, cable television and popular video games, if possible, that enhances the ability to sequester and isolate the individual replacement crewmembers.

o Identify a company chaperone who will accompany the replacement crewmembers into sequester and ensure the integrity of the isolation. The chaperone will be subject to the same protocols in order to coordinate with crewmembers during the isolation and also act as the transport driver to move the crewmembers to the vessel on its arrival. The chaperone will need an official letter from a local, state or federal agency, as appropriate to the area, noting that they are designated critical personnel and have clearance through any quarantined, locked-down or restricted movement areas for the purposes of conducting a crew change on a critical national security asset.

Protocol 1 - Page 3 of 5

o Provide a sufficiently large transport vehicle for the company chaperone to meet and transport arriving replacement crewmembers from the airport, if necessary. This vehicle must be sanitized before it used for picking up crewmembers and before it is used for transporting crewmembers to the vessel.

o Prohibit replacement crewmembers from bringing personal vehicles, even if they live in the local area. Personal vehicles are a temptation to break isolation.

o Perform COVID-19 testing on replacement crewmembers at two intervals:

First Test: prior to initiating travel to sequestering location; and

Second test: prior to transport to port facility for embarkation (ideally 4-8 hours).

o Secure permission from port authorities, the Captain of the Port, Customs, Immigration and Agriculture for Medical Providers to embark the vessel for testing the arriving crew prior to other officials boarding. If this is not possible, investigate with the local pilots if the medical provider can board with the pilot at the sea buoy.

o Ensure the local pilots association knows the protocol being used for the crew change and determine if they have their own protocols for social distancing, sanitizing and testing. Offer to provide a POCT COVID-19 testing prior their embarking the vessel.

o Perform COVID-19 testing on replacement crewmembers prior to initiating travel to sequestering location.

o Ensure the vessel’s crew is aware of the protocols and testing being used and that they will all be tested upon arrival to ensure the integrity of the citadel.

o Ensure the Maritime Medical Provider has established procedures conforming to current CDC and USCG guidelines with the local authorities and medical facilities for removing a crewmember who tests positive for COVID-19. Identify all appropriate notifications and actions required by the company and ensure a specific individual is designated as the person in charge.

o In coordination with the Maritime Medical Provider, establish a set of procedures in compliance with CDC guidelines with local authorities and pertinent maritime unions that identifies all steps necessary to return a vessel to service if a crewmember tests positive for COVID-19.

• Maritime Unions: o Agree in writing with the operating company on the following issues:

Amount of compensation paid during travel and the crewmember’s isolation.

Amount of compensation for the crewmember’s restriction to the ship during the assigned tour.

How to handle situations where the vessel cannot change crews for a prolonged period.

Agree to waive the strict guidelines contained in some CBAs for number of days needed to rotate in order to facilitate larger groups for crew changes.

Agree to waive strict requirements for drawing vacation pay and qualifying for medical benefits.

Agree on a common briefing that will be provided by both the union and the company on, including fines, censure and/or expulsion for willfully violating the isolation protocol or refusing testing or vaccinations.

Protocol 1 - Page 4 of 5

o Upon receipt of a company request for replacement crewmembers, carefully vet each mariner’s medical suitability and professional credentials.

o Contact each individual and provide the agreed upon verbal and written briefing on details of the COVID-19 test process and crew change protocol, and the isolation and testing involved. Ensure the penalties involved are explained and a signed copy of the briefing is put on file.

o Ensure each crewmember has a copy of the compensation and waiver agreements.

o Each individual will need an official letter from a local, state or federal agency, as appropriate to the area, noting that they are designated critical personnel and have clearance through any quarantined, locked-down or restricted movement areas for the purposes of conducting a crew change on a critical national security asset. They may need an additional letter from the State Department if they are flying overseas.

o [Note: In consultation with the company, consideration should be given to adding an additional steward assistant to the catering department who would be dedicated to sanitation.]

NOMINAL TIMELINE Time Prior to Embarkation

At the earliest possible date but NLT 30 days: - Captain provides list of crew changes to Company - Company crewing coordinator provides requirements to unions

28 days: - Unions provide names of replacements. - Union ensures that any expired documents or lapsed training has the required USCG waiver to accompany it. - Union ensures all proposed replacements are briefed that there will be a strict sequester and testing done

prior to embarkation. 26 days: - Company crewing coordinator reviews replacement’s medical and professional qualifications and orders any

required medical examinations. - Proposed replacement crew are fully briefed, verbally and in writing, on details of the sequester and testing.

21 days: - Crewing coordinator completes all vetting of replacements - Arranges accommodations for sequestering the replacements

14 days: - Provide travel to all vetted replacements to ensure they arrive at the sequester location not later than 7 days

prior to the vessel’s arrival. - Appoint the company’s designated chaperone for the replacement personnel and provide detailed instructions

on procedures to be followed during the sequester.

Protocol 1 - Page 5 of 5

7/6 days: - COVID-19 screening and POCT test performed by Maritime healthcare provider just prior to travel day. - Replacements begin arriving and are met at the sequester point by the company chaperone who briefs them

and assigns them to their isolation rooms. 5 days - Total isolation for all replacements. - In the event of ship’s delayed arrival, replacements will remain in isolation.

Immediately prior to ship’s arrival - Medical Providers perform COVID-19 testing

Transport - [Should be done after all official visitors leave the vessel, after the Medical Provider screens (including POCT

if vessel at sea less than 14 days), and it is sanitized. Off-signers should be transported to the airport separately]

- Chaperone transports replacement crewmembers to port facility and escorts them aboard ensuring social distancing as they are integrated into the crew.

Protocol 2 - Page 1 of 4

PROTOCOL 2 Vessel Control of Visiting Personnel, Supplies and Spares

This protocol is a follow-on to Protocol #1, which addresses Crewing Vessels Operating from CONUS and Overseas. Protocol #1 essentially isolates and tests crews for a period of time prior to their embarkation and tests all departing crewmembers. The vessel itself is managed as a crew citadel, free of the virus, and all replacement and departing crewmembers are tested to ensure they remain virus free. See Protocol #1 for the overall concept, definitions and assumptions that also apply all other protocols. Protocol #2 addresses the shared management responsibilities and the ship’s internal procedures to reduce external infection vectors in order to maintain the integrity of the virus free citadel inside the vessel. Managing a dynamic external environment to avoid contamination of the crew requires intense coordination by all responsible parties. Responsible parties include, but are not limited to, the operating company, the ship’s crew, various government and government-sponsored agencies, repairmen, vendors and their delivery systems. Managing the ship’s internal response to the barrage of people, supplies and parts requires a mechanical approach that effectively put a barrier between the ships crew and their spaces, and the external environment. Management of Personnel Responsibilities Operating Company

• Appoint a single point of contact (POC) to clear and/or coordinate all visits to a vessel, including company personnel. The POC_Personnel will need a small staff to assist with coordination, paperwork and chaperone/escort activities.

• Work with other company departments and reach out to each organization in the vessel’s ports of call to establish working relationships and phone/email lists of key personnel. This will not only assist with managing “short-fused” changes in schedules and operations, it will allow the Company POC to establish themselves as the one and only clearing authority for ship visits. External agencies include, but are not limited to:

o USCG Captain of the Port (COTP)

o USCG Marine Inspection

o Immigration

o Customs

o Agriculture

o Public Health/CDC

o Port Officials

o Pilot Association

o Mariner Labor Union Officials

o Classification Society (ABS, Lloyds, DNV-GL, etc.)

o Seafarers Welfare Organizations

o Chandlers

Protocol 2 - Page 2 of 4

o Company Boarding Agent

For foreign visits, the company agent will normally be the intermediary for outreach to boarding officials. The POC should ensure the agent is aware of the company’s protocols and ask that he request adherence by boarding officials. However, if the local officials do not agree, the vessel’s Master must take unilateral precautions to prevent contamination of the crew and the citadel.

• Contract with a local security company to provide a gangway security watch in lieu of using the crew. Ensure the gangway security watch is positioned off the ship at the foot of the personnel gangway or vehicle ramp, whichever is used for personnel access. Seal off any other access points or post a guard on it to prevent unauthorized access to the interior of the vessel.

o Establish written procedures for the security company’s personnel that addresses personnel access to the ship, including that they require a written clearance from the Company’s POC and be escorted by a company representative.

• The POC_Personnel should investigate each request to visit the vessel and determine the following in order to avoid visitor contact with a crewmember and/or the crew living spaces:

o Is this visit required by statute or regulation? And, if so, can someone other than ship’s crewmember deal with it? Can it be deferred?

o If the visit requires interaction with a crewmember (e.g. the Master or Chief Engineer) can it be done electronically?

o If there must be a personal interaction with a crewmember, does the visit require access to the interior of the vessel? Does it require access to crew living spaces? (e.g. Customs, Agriculture inspectors, USCG, Class Society, fire equipment inspection, etc.)

o If the visit requires access to the interior of the vessel but not necessarily any interaction with a crewmember, who else can be assigned to escort them?

o Notify the visitor they will be medically screened and inquire if they are willing to also be tested with a POCT COVID 19 test, prior to meeting a crewmember and/or entering any crew spaces.

• Establish a decontamination/sanitization process of any crew living or working spaces entered by a visitor.

• Establish a “clean room” for receiving officials or any other personnel conducting business with the vessel that do not require access to the interior of the vessel.

• The clean room should be as far from crew living and working spaces as possible. It may be desirable or necessary to establish it on the dock in a tent or trailer.

o The room should be large enough to provide maximum social distancing if the visitor requires any interaction with the crew.

o The room must have a working space such as a long table that can be used to pass paperwork and documents between parties.

o All touchable spaces in the room must be sanitized before and after any meeting. o Sanitizing sprays, wipes and hand sanitation must be available inside the clean space. o No drinks, food, extraneous bags or equipment allowed in the clean room. o Attempt to limit all visits to no more than one crewmember and one visitor for 15 minutes

or less. Any additional people should wait in a clear area outside the clean room, or outside on deck if onboard, until their presence is needed.

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• Establish procedures for the company escort to screen the visitor concerning their state of health and to take their temperature with an infrared thermometer prior to bringing any required crewmember into the clean room. Administer a POCT COVID 19 test (if available and agreed to). Additionally, provide hand sanitizer and a mask for the visitor to use before entering the clean room.

Vessel Senior Officers

• The Master must familiarize himself to the plans and procedures established by the Company POC and train the crew on the procedures. If any procedure is unworkable because of the vessel’s configuration or loading, the POC and Master must agree on an alternate plan that addresses all elements of protecting the crew prior to any visitors

• In those cases where a crewmember is required to meet with a visitor, whether it is in the “clean space” or in crew living and working spaces, the Master must ensure that those crewmembers have proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). At a minimum the PPE must consist of an N95 or equivalent mask, face shield or goggles, nitrile gloves and, if the visit is a prolonged one or involves close quarters, ideally a disposable gown.

• Additionally, the Master and Company insures conformity with CDC approved sanitization of both the crewmember and spaces after any meeting.

Management of Vessel Supplies and Repair Parts Operating Company

• Appoint a single Point of Contact for all logistic support to vessel(s). This POC_Logistics will coordinate with all internal company departments to ensure uniform procedures for moving all supplies aboard a vessel, including but not limited to: food, consumables, parts and spares.

• Coordinate with internal company departments and the vessel’s senior management to set specific delivery dates and times. Deliveries may need to be staggered in order not to overwhelm the crew.

• Identify specific people from purchasing and/or the warehouse to supervise all loading and sanitizing/decontaminating of material going aboard the vessel.

• Identify and procure proper chemicals and protective equipment needed for sanitizing/decontaminating all material, including food containers, to be moved from shore to the vessel and ensure both, the vessel crew and shore side personnel are trained and equipped.

• Actual loading aboard a vessel must be done by a ship’s stores crane (or shore crane) or by ramp on RoRo vessels—no crewmember involvement in loading. Precautions must be taken to ensure proper separation of loading personnel and members of the crew. If loading personnel are aboard they are subject to the same screening and protection procedures as visitors.

• Decontamination of material loaded aboard the vessel may be guided by current information printed in the New England Journal of Medicine on March 17, 2020, which studied the persistence of COVID 19 virus on various materials:

o Cardboard………24 Hours

o Plastic…………...72 Hours

o Stainless Steel….48 Hours

o Copper……………8 Hours

o Other materials were not tested. Use maximum persistence as guide.

Protocol 2 - Page 4 of 4

• In light of the persistence of the virus, ideally all material, except food, would be decontaminated prior to loading. This might be accomplished by holding it in a warehouse for a prescribed period or decontaminating it on the dock prior to lifting aboard and then only handled by screened, healthy workers using sanitary methods of handling. When this is not possible, the vessel may identify a holding zone onboard where the material may sit for the prescribed persistence period or decontaminated onboard by the crew.

• The FDA currently says that there is no evidence that the COVID-19 Virus is transmitted by ingestion of food. The primary threat to the crew is the handling of the containers and other foods that could manually transmit the virus to the catering staff. Food containers will need separate, specific guidance on sanitization/decontamination. As a general guideline, cardboard containers that cannot be isolated for at least 24 hours or plastic for 48 hours, should be sprayed or wiped with a sanitizer compatible with foodstuffs. (see EPA guidelines on COVID-19)

o Once containers are sanitized, food, including fresh fruits and produce, should be cleaned and prepared using standard food handing and preparation guidelines.

• [Note: Electrolyzed Water Systems that Generate Hypochlorous Acid are being used by some cruise lines and hospitals as a spray-on general disinfectant that is also safe for food.]

Protocol 3 - Page 1 of 2

PROTOCOL 3 Managing Longshoremen, Cargo Handlers and Bunkering

Protocol #1 addresses crewing of vessels operating from CONUS and Overseas. It details the procedures to implement in order to sequester and test oncoming crewmembers and to ensure that onboard crewmembers are isolated in a citadel created inside the ship in order to maintain a virus free environment for the ship’s crew. See Protocol #1 for the overall concept, definitions and assumptions that also apply all other protocols. Protocol #2 addresses the management of all personnel requiring access to crewmembers, the vessel or both, in order to maintain the integrity of the crew’s citadel and maintain a virus free environment for the ship’s crew. This protocol addresses company and shipboard responsibilities for management of personnel assigned to offload, onload, monitor and secure a vessel’s cargo in order to ensure the crew’s virus free environment is not breached during cargo operations. This protocol includes Stevedores, Longshoremen and any other groups or individuals involved in onload, offload, monitoring or securing the vessel’s cargo. Additionally, it addresses bunkering operations, with any unique procedures noted for this operation. Cargo Operations differ from the management approaches in Protocol’s #1 and #2 because there are often many entities involved with the booking, stowage planning and loading arrangements, particularly if the vessel is engaged in international trade. Additionally, it would be impossible to address in detail every type of cargo evolution (e.g. containers, RoRo, FloFlo, tankers, bulk cargo, etc.) Therefore this protocol will be more conceptual and will suggest only procedures that can be controlled at the local level when the vessel is docked or anchored in port and engaged in cargo operations.

• Operating Company: o The senior company official in charge of cargo operations must engage with the

Stevedoring companies retained to supply longshoremen and any other personnel involved in the cargo operation in order to provide them with written procedures that encompass the concept of maintaining a secure, virus free citadel for the crew.

o Where possible, particularly for operations in CONUS, retain separate cargo mates to supervise and monitor cargo operations and provide electronic updates to the vessel’s Master and his management team. Final paperwork, including the Dangerous Cargo Manifest (DCM), to be provided to the Master in a sanitized envelope and presented without personal interaction through a designated sanitized space.

o Bunkering in CONUS should use the same concept as cargo and employ outside temporary mates and engineers to conduct the bunkering.

o Work with the vessel’s Master and senior officers to standardize procedures and ensure they have the equipment and coordination necessary to execute these procedures. (e.g. Personal Protective Equipment, additional communications equipment such as additional walkie-talkies to avoid close personal contact in high noise environments, etc.)

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• Vessel Senior Officers: o The Master must educate his officers and crew on the procedures used for cargo and

bunkering operations and emphasize the goal is to prevent any physical interaction with personnel outside the citadel. However, in those situations where a physical interaction absolutely cannot be avoided, then the prescribed procedures must be followed precisely.

o In foreign ports, if outside cargo mates cannot be provided, the Master must determine the minimum number of people needed on deck for cargo operations and equip them with N95 masks, goggles, gloves and Tyvek suits if available. Ensure they understand they are only to engage personally if absolutely necessary and only from a safe distance. Use of Walkie-Talkies, even for short distances can be used to communicate rather than approaching someone. Breaks and meals will be taken on deck and they cannot be allowed inside the citadel spaces until their shift is complete. Once they complete a shift on deck they must go through a sanitizing process—to the maximum extent possible--similar to that used for decontaminating personnel exposed to any biological hazard. At a minimum, outer clothing removed and bagged for immediate washing or sanitizing, all exposed skin properly washed with soap and water, and any equipment brought back inside must be sanitized. Clean coveralls and all cleaning materials to carry out this decontamination must be pre-staged in a space outside the citadel, or if it is contiguous space, it must be sanitized before and after, too.

o Bunkering procedures should follow the same general guidelines used for cargo, however, often bunkering can be accomplished with the crew remaining aboard to handle hoses and connections with the shore side personnel remaining ashore. Communications can be handled by walkie-talkies. Paper work can often be transferred by use of a light line and container. Ensure the paperwork is handled as if it is contaminated for at least 48 hours.

o Cargo Operations often have unforeseen events, particularly in foreign ports, especially those in third world countries. Again, it falls upon the Master and his management team to make decisions to address these events. All decisions should keep the concepts of maintaining a virus, free citadel for the crew and use the procedures contain in the three protocols to guide their decisions.