CMM Crew Management Manual (CMM)
Seafarer Recruitment 		Doc No.: CMM-6.9
Revision: 01
Date: 15 Oct 2024
Issued by: DPA
Approved by: MD

6.9 SEAFARER RECRUITMENT

The crews onboard the Company managed fleet are at the heart of our efforts to improve safety and protect the environment. It is important therefore that all seafarers are motivated, trained, qualified and competent to carry out their jobs effectively. The recruitment process is a vital first step in ensuring we select the best crewmembers.

Seafarers shall be recruited in accordance with the Officer Appointment Matrix (Annex II) and Rating Appointment Matrix (Annex V) as well as the Recruitment Process and in full compliance with ILO MLC2006. All relevant instructions shall be available to the TPAs.

6.9.1 Recruitment Process

All new hires must complete either the Standard Application for Employment.

a) Minimum Age

The employment, engagement or work on board a ship of any person under the age of 18 is prohibited. Age of all new hires must be verified by checking birth certificate or passport. In the case of cadets & trainee ratings, they may apply to us below the age of 18 while attending pre-sea training. However, Crew managers must ensure that cadets/trainees are 18 years of age or over prior to assignment aboard the first vessel.

b) Qualifications

All management and operational level certificates of competence required by an officer in order to undertake his/her duties shall be issued by the officer’s national administration and be STCW compliant. However, certificates of competence issued by the United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand are preferred substitutes for certificates issued by the officer’s national administration. In accordance with STCW and the relevant Flag State Authority, original versions of the certificates must be sighted by the Crew Manager or TPA Crewing Officer personnel and verified with the issuing authority where this facility is available.

For All Seafarers, the latest list of National authorities maintaining registers of certificates and endorsements can be checked on the following link:

For Indian Seafarers: Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways (E-mail: lbsindos@vsnl.net)

For Ukrainian Seafarers: State Register of Seafarers Documents of Ukraine (E-mail: srdskiev@registr.uct.ua; itcskiev@ukr.net)

For Panamanian flagged vessels: Report of Fraudulent Certificates of Seafarers is permanently published on the Panama Maritime Authority webpage: www.amp.gob.pa as well as on International Office of Maritime Security (SEGUMAR) www.segumar.com.

c) Seatime and Seagoing Experience

Particular attention should be paid to previous experience, and special emphasis must be placed on the relevance of that experience for the specific position.

d) Professional References

Professional references are sought for all seafarer ranks. References can be written or verbal, and ideally should consist of information about job performance, personal conduct, and sobriety. Details of references given verbally should be written up and retained in the relevant Seafarer File. In cases where it is not possible to obtain a reference, specific details shall be recorded in the relevant Seafarer’s File. Form CRW14 to be completed.

e) Medical History

Examinations are conducted by the Company’s selected medical practices in accordance with Guidelines on the Medical examination of Seafarers (ILO/IMO/JMS/2011/12), in compliance with the provisions of the STCW Convention as amended, and adopted by the MLC 2006, relevant national requirements as well as the requirements of the applicable Flag Authority. Medical certificates must be in English language and shall be issued by a duly qualified medical practitioner licensed at the place of examination and/or recognised by the competent authority at the place of examination. In the case of a certificate solely concerning eyesight, the certificate can be issued by a person recognised by the competent authority as qualified to issue such a certificate.

A copy of accreditation of medical practitioner or the person in the case of a certificate solely concerning eyesight shall be filed by the crewing office.

Validity of medical certificates – As per MLC2006, medical certificates shall be valid for a maximum period of 2 years. For seafarers in need of a colour vision certificate according to vessel's flag state laws, the validity of a colour vision certificate shall be maximum 6 years.

New entrants to the Company, and those who have been absent through illness for more than a month, must undergo a medical examination by the Company’s approved practitioner prior to being assigned to a vessel.

All seafarers of 50 years of age and over must undergo a medical examination by the Company’s approved practitioner at periods not exceeding 12 months.

Seafarers that have been refused a certificate or have had a limitation imposed on their ability to work, in particular with respect to time, field of work, or trading area, shall be given the opportunity to have further examination by another independent medical practitioner or by an independent medical referee.

In case of an expired medical certificate during the course of a voyage, this shall continue to remain in force until the next port where the Crew Manager shall arrange to renew the certificate by a duly qualified medical practitioner licensed at the place of examination and/or recognised by the competent authority at the place of examination.

The Medical fitness certificate issued to the seafarer should be as per the ILO sample format and as a minimum state that the hearing, sight, colour vision requirement (when required) is satisfactory, he/she is fit for duty, free from medical restrictions (if any).

ILO international guidelines for conducting pre-sea and periodic medical fitness examinations for seafarers contains further information on ILO website.

It is important to check the vaccination requirements according to vessel trade. For specific Yellow Fever requirements.

f) Competence Evaluation (for new hires only)

All seafarers must complete the Company’s Competence Evaluation Test.

g) Marlins’ English Language Test

All seafarers being recruited to the Company must pass an online test. The pass/fail criteria are contained on the Appointment Matrix (Annex II) for all officer ranks.

If an Officer’s COC examination is conducted in English then the above tests are not required.

h) Selection Interview

A selection interview, conducted by a Crew Manager, MSI, TSI shall be undertaken for all new hire Officers & Ratings. See the Officer Appointment Matrix (Annex II) and Rating Appointment Matrix (Annex V). Notes of the interview must be taken for:

These notes must be retained in the relevant Seafarer File. Specific reference must be made to any identified weaknesses and all resulting training requirements shall be entered as a Training Need.

i) Verification Interview

Verification interviews, conducted by a member of the TD & FLP & SNQ, shall be undertaken for specific new hire Officers as per the Appointment Matrix.

A copy of the interview records shall be available and the following forms shall be used to record the interview:

j) Recruitment Approval

The recruitment of a seafarer must be approved in accordance with the Officer Appointment Matrix (Annex II).