§11101 Accommodations for Seamen

Summary

For U.S. merchant ships built after March 4, 1915 (except yachts, pilot vessels, or ships under 100 gross tons or with an approved alternate tonnage), the law sets minimum living and safety rules for the crew. Each crew space must give every seaman or apprentice at least 120 cubic feet of air and 16 square feet of floor. Every seaman gets a separate berth and bunks cannot be stacked more than one high. Berths and living areas must be well built, lit, drained, heated, ventilated, and protected from weather and, when possible, from cargo or bilge smells. Crew spaces must not store goods that don’t belong to the crew. Crew sleeping areas must display company rules against sexual assault, sexual harassment, retaliation, and drug or alcohol use, plus clear steps and contact info to report crimes (including Coast Guard phone, website, and email), company reporting steps, outside hotlines and counseling, how long surveillance video is kept after an incident, and any other items required by the Secretary. Ships that normally make voyages longer than 3 days and carry at least 12 crew must have a separate hospital room with one bunk for each 12 crew members, up to 6 bunks. Steam vessels on the Mississippi and its tributaries must have a heated sleeping room in the engine area protected by awnings or screens. If more than 10 seamen are on deck, the ship must have at least one clean, lit, heated, and ventilated washing place, with one washing outfit per two watchstanders. If more than 10 work in the fireroom or engineroom, a separate washing area must hold at least one-sixth of them at once and have hot and cold water, basins, sinks, and showers. Forecastle spaces must be fumigated at intervals set by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, with required approval, and must have at least two exits. Owners, operators, agents, masters, or licensed individuals who do not follow these rules can be fined between $50 and $500.