TC needs you !

Transport Canada Marine Safety would like your input.

If you access Marine Safety’s services, they are looking for some feedback on the length of time they should provide these services.

I thought it was a survey at first, but its basically a “comment card”, you would find at your average franchise business, to put in that little wooden box hidden by the end of the counter. The way (or lack thereof) they explain it is not straightforward (big surprise there) so I fill it out thinking they had a bunch of survey question to follow. However this is not the case.

So I suggest you have a look at the program’s website, and decide for yourself. Each topic has the amount day they aim to deliver in, if this is too long or short, use the comment card to submit your suggestion. i.e. Issuance of Medical Certificate, right now they target 120 days to give your medical, I think, and judging by discussions on The Common Rail forum, many of you also find this too long. So if you would like to comment on this time frame…

• …click the feedback button, click “yes” – you want to provide feedback, then the “next”.
• Now comes a form page with a bunch of tick boxes matching the hierarchy of the areas they previously mentioned,
• Find the one item – i.e. “Marine Medical Certificate”, tick that box (The confusing  part for me is why they allowed choices – so many tick boxes… but I guess you might have a general comment that affect all)
• Then fill in your “Group” your “name”,”association or company”, info
• Then enter your comment, i.e. here’s what I put down “Seafarer Medical – These are critical to our ability to earn a wage. I think medicals should be issues within 60 days – max. Provisional certificates are fine, but they only last 6 months, and on a 3 month on / off schedule, you end up stressed because you will be kicked off the ship if no valid medical matches your license. Its fine in Canada, everybody know TC and their ways, but try explaining that to a PSC inspector in Hong Kong or Miami. ”
• Then you can enter your email for follow up information
• Press submit
• You can press home, to start a new form again, and submit a comment for another topic

I don’t know why it seems a bit confusing for me, perhaps it the ISM audit we just went through, but I’m sure it will be for some others. Anyways, have a look and do provide input where you feel you should. It’s so rare that anyone ever ask the seafarers for input, that we should not pass this opportunity up.

You can find the TC standards feedback website here, you only have until May 31st, 2012, to provided your comments through this medium.