§11101 Accommodations for seamen

Summary

U.S. merchant ships built after March 4, 1915 must give crew members safe and decent living and working spaces, with some exceptions for yachts, pilot boats, or vessels under 100 gross tons (or those using an alternate tonnage approved by the Secretary). Each crew space must provide at least 120 cubic feet of air and 16 square feet of floor space per person. Every seaman must have a separate berth with no more than one berth stacked above another. Berths and crew spaces must be sturdy, well lit, drained, heated, ventilated, and protected from weather and cargo or bilge smells. Crew areas must be kept free of nonpersonal cargo. Berthing areas must post owner/company policies banning sexual assault, sexual harassment, retaliation, and drug or alcohol use, and must show how to report crimes, including the Coast Guard phone number, website address, and email address, company reporting steps, outside help hotlines and counseling, how long surveillance video is kept after a report, and any other items required by the Secretary. Ships that normally sail more than 3 days and carry at least 12 crew must have a separate hospital compartment with at least one bunk per 12 crew (but no more than 6 bunks). Steam vessels on the Mississippi must provide an approved heated crew sleeping room in the engine area protected by awnings or screens. Vessels with more than 10 seamen on deck must have at least one clean, lighted, heated, and ventilated washing place, one washing outfit for every 2 seamen of the watch, and a separate washing area for fireroom/engineroom crew (if more than 10) big enough for at least one-sixth of them at once, with hot and cold water and showers. Forecastle spaces must be fumigated as required by health regulations and have at least 2 exits. Owners, charterers, managers, agents, masters, or licensed individuals who fail to comply can be fined between $50 and $500 payable to the United States.