If your ship intends to call in ports affected by the Ebola virus, here are some important safety measures via the World Health Organization and the Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator that should be implemented:
In the event of a seafarer presenting symptoms compatible with Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) (fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding) on board a vessel. The following precautions should be applied:
1) Keep his/her cabin doors closed, if not placed in a medical isolation room on board.
If your ship intends to call in ports affected by the Ebola virus, here are some important safety measures via the World Health Organization and the Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator that should be implemented:
In the event of a seafarer presenting symptoms compatible with Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) (fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding) on board a vessel. The following precautions should be applied:
1) Keep his/her cabin doors closed, if not placed in a medical isolation room on board.
2) Provide information about the risk of Ebola transmission to persons who will take care of the seafarer or enter the isolation area.
3) A log listing all people entering the cabin should be maintained.
4) Anyone who enters the cabin to provide care to the person in isolation or to clean the cabin should wear personal protective equipment (PPE) with:
•A surgical protection mask; and eye protection or a face shield;
•Non-sterile examination gloves or surgical gloves; and
•Disposable impermeable gown to cover clothing and exposed skin. A waterproof apron should be worn over a non-impermeable gown or when coming in close contact with the person in isolation.
5) Before exiting the isolation the PPE should be removed in such a way as to avoid contact with the soiled items and any area of the face.
6) Limit the movement and transport of the seafarer from the cabin for essential purposes only. If transport is necessary, the seafarer should wear a surgical mask.
7) Clean and disinfect spills without spraying or creating aerosol. Used linen, cloths, eating utensils, laundry and any other item in contact with a seafarer’s body fluids should be collected separately and disinfected in such a way as to avoid any creation of aerosol or any contact with persons or contamination of the environment. An effective disinfectant is a dilution of sodium hypochlorite (bleach) at 0.05 or 500 parts per million (ppm) available chlorine, with a recommended contact time of 30 minutes.
8) All waste produced in the isolation cabin should be handled according to the protocol of the ship for clinical waste. If an incinerator is available on board, then waste should be incinerated. If waste needs to be delivered ashore, then special precautions are needed and the port authority should be informed before waste delivery.
9) Start case investigation immediately. Protective equipment is not required when interviewing asymptomatic individuals, when a distance of one (1) meter is maintained.
10) Close contacts should be identified and asked to do passive self-monitoring of temperature (e.g. monitoring temperature only if feeling feverish) and symptoms or active self-monitoring (e.g. by regular temperature measurement twice a day for 21 days).
11) In the event of a suspected diagnosis of EVD on a vessel, immediate expert medical opinion should be sought and the event should be reported as soon as possible to the next port of call by the Captain.
12) The seafarer should disembark in such a way as to avoid any contact with healthy crew members and wearing a surgical mask. Personnel in contact with the seafarer during the medical evacuation should wear a surgical protection mask and PPE.
13) The competent authority at port may need to arrange, depending on the situation, medical evacuation or special arrangements for disembarkation and hospitalization of the seafarer and laboratory diagnosis. Crew members who have been identified through contact tracing should be assessed for their specific level of exposure. Passive self-monitoring of temperature (e.g. monitoring temperature only if feeling feverish) and symptoms or active self-monitoring (e.g. by regular temperature measurement twice a day) for those at higher risk level should be continued for 21 days.
14) At the request of a governmental port health authority, vessel operators should also facilitate obtaining, from some or all crew members, their contact details (should they need to be contacted) when there is a particular reason to believe they may have been exposed to infection on board the vessel. Additionally, countries may consider requiring arriving vessels to complete and deliver the Maritime Declaration of Health (IHR Annex 8). Measures taken on board should also be noted on the IHR Ship sanitation control certificate (IHR Annex 3).
15) In addition to the above information from the WHO, limited and/or restricted access to vessels should be enforced. Under the Convention of Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), necessary steps may be taken in order to ensure the safety of a vessel and its crew members:
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