The Offshore Marine Service Association last week issued a memorandum providing guidance on the transport of potentially infected personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As Kean Miller attorneys Chuck Talley and Gabe Silva note in a column for the Louisiana Law Blog, the memorandum is designed to guide the offshore service industry in the appropriate standards and procedures before, during and after the transport of potentially infected personnel.
Transporting infected or potentially infected personnel can likely increase the crew’s exposure to COVID-19 can result in the vessel and/or the vessel’s crew being subject to a quarantine for 14 days or more.
“To mitigate exposure prior to transportation, all stakeholders should assess risk and reach a consensus regarding all planned activities and protocols before executing any related operations,” Talley and Silva write. “Stakeholders should ensure that all arrangements, isolation measures, crew protective procedures, screening records and protocols are well documented.”
The attorneys also recommend a robust discussion concerning the responsibility and liability during transport, financial responsibility of vessel during a potential downtime of the vessel and/or quarantine, and the financial responsibility surrounding any disinfecting activities before considering the transport of potentially infected personnel.
