Seafarers are required to undergo medical examinations to reduce risks to other crew members and for the safe operation of the ship, as well as to safeguard their personal health and safety. The maintenance and promotion of the safety at sea entail inter conscientious medical examinations of those seafarers to whom Merchant shipping applies. In general, the person involved should be free from any abnormality, disease or injury which obstructs a safe performance of the duties in order to qualify for a medical certificate.

A seafarer should at all times be able to act adequately in case of an emergency. He must not only be able then to bring himself in a safe position, he must also be able to assist in extinguishing a fire, launching of life-saving devices and the assistance of crew members and passengers. Furthermore, his (her) presence may cause no danger to the health of the other persons on board. In this connection it is of particular importance to promptly recognize and treat (or have treated) those disorders which clearly increase the risk to the safety on board.

While nothing in Maritime guidelines should preclude sound medical judgment, in conducting an examination. a medical examiner should bear in mind the following aspects of shipboard life:

• 1 It is unadvisable and often unsafe to allow persons with certain medical conditions to become seafarers or return to seagoing employment due to the difficulty of transporting sick or injured seafarers ashore where they can receive adequate medical care.
• 2 Contagious diseases may be a threat to other crew members and, when carried. passengers, due to the close living conditions