Australian Regulated Vessels
AMSA Medical Carriage Requirements 2016
Under maritime regulations, marine vessels must carry certain quantities of scheduled medicines to ensure that medical treatment is available should unexpected medical problems or emergencies occur.
The Navigation Act 2012 (Cwlth) and Maritime Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law Act (National Law) specify the minimum requirements including the type and quantity of medicines a vessel must carry based on the vessel’s class and scale.
The Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006 outlines standards for the medical care of seafarers whilst employed or engaged on a vessel. Implementation of these standards on Regulated Australian vessels occurs under the Navigation Act 2012 (Commonwealth) Chapter 2 (Division 3) and Marine Order 11 (Living and working conditions on vessels) 2015.
Regulated Australian vessels must be equipped with a medicine chest that contains medicines and medical supplies that would allow an appropriately trained person to treat injuries and illnesses on board the vessel until a patient can be transferred to receive care from a medical practitioner.
Regulated Australian vessel’s must carry the scale of medicines and medical equipment appropriate to the vessel’s usual voyage category described below:
Category A |
Vessel on unlimited voyages where medical supplies can be restocked if necessary. |
Category B |
Vessel on short voyages not extending more than 150 nautical miles from the nearest port with emergency medical facilities. This may be extended to 200 nautical miles if the vessel is continuously within range of helicopter rescue services. |
Category C |
Vessel operating in smooth or partially smooth waters within short range of emergency medical facilities. |
Vessels are required to carry the medical equipment and supplies specified as applicable to the vessel, dependant on its class and operating area. The table below identifies the scales applicable to vessel class and operational area.
Vessel Use and Operational Area |
Class and Scale for Passenger Vessels |
Class and Scale for Non-Passenger Vessels |
Class and Scale for Fishing Vessels |
Unlimited Domestic Operations (greater than 200nm) |
Class 1A
Marine Order 11 (Living and working conditions on vessels) 2013 |
Class 2A
Marine Order 11 (Living and working conditions on vessels) 2013 |
Class 3A
Marine Order 11 (Living and working conditions on vessels) 2013 |
Offshore Operations (up to 200nm) |
Class 1B - Scale D |
Class 2B - Scale E |
Class 3B - Scale E |
Restricted Offshore Operations |
Class 1C
Berthed Passengers - Scale E Unberthed Passengers - Scale F |
Class 2C - Scale F |
Class 3C - Scale F |
Partially Smooth Water Operations (areas defined by jurisdictions) |
Class 1D
Berthed Passengers - Scale F Unberthed Passengers - Scale G |
Class 2D - Scale G |
Class 3D - Scale G |
Smooth Water Operations |
Class 1E Berthed Passengers - Scale F Unberthed Passengers - Scale G |
Class 2E - Scale G |
Class 3E - Scale G |
AMSA Medical Carriage Requirements 2016
Annex A - List of medicines
Name |
Form |
Strength |
|
Acetylsalicylic acid |
Tab |
300mg |
|
Aciclovir tab |
Tab |
400mg |
|
Adrenaline |
Amp |
1mg/mL |
|
Amoxicillin/ clavulanic acid |
Tab |
875mg/ 125mg |
|
Artemether + lumefantrine |
Tab |
20mg/120mg |
|
Atropine |
Amp |
1.2mg/mL |
|
Azithromycin |
Tab |
500mg |
|
Ceftriaxone |
Amp |
1g |
|
Cetirizine |
Tab |
10mg |
|
Charcoal, activated |
Powder |
|
|
Ciprofloxacin |
Tab |
250mg |
|
Cloves, oil of |
Liq |
|
|
Dexamethasone |
Amp |
4mg/mL |
|
Diazepam |
Tab |
5mg |
|
Docusate with senna |
Tab |
50mg/8mg |
|
Doxycycline |
Tab |
100mg |
|
Ethanol, hand cleanser |
Gel |
70% |
|
Ethanol |
Liq |
70% |
|
Fluorescein |
Eye strips |
1% |
|
Frusemide |
Amp |
40mg/4mL |
|
Glucagon |
Amp |
1mg |
|
Haloperidol |
Amp |
5mg/mL |
|
Hydrocortisone |
Crm |
1% |
|
Ibuprofen |
Tab |
400mg |
|
Isosorbide dinitrate |
Tab |
5mg |
|
Lignocaine |
Amp |
1%, 5mL |
|
Loperamide |
Tab |
2mg |
|
Mebendazole |
Tab |
100mg |
|
Metoprolol |
Tab |
100mg |
|
Metronidazole |
Tab |
500mg |
|
Miconazole |
Crm |
2% |
|
Midazolam |
Amp |
5mg/mL |
|
Misoprostol |
Tab |
200ug |
|
Morphine |
Amp |
10mg/mL |
|
Morphine |
Liq |
1mg/mL |
|
Naloxone |
Amp |
0.4mg/mL |
|
Omeprazole |
Tab |
20mg |
|
Ondanestron |
Tab |
4mg |
|
Oral Rehydration Solution |
Powder |
Sachet |
|
Paracetamol |
Tab |
500mg |
|
Paracetamol / Codeine |
Tab |
500mg/15mg |
|
Permethrin |
Lot |
1% |
|
Permethrin |
Lot |
5% |
|
Povidone iodine |
Oint |
10% |
|
Povidone iodine |
Liq |
10% |
|
Prednisone |
Tab |
25mg |
|
Salbutamol |
Inh |
100ug/dose |
|
Sodium chloride |
Liq |
0.9%, 1 litre |
|
Tetracaine [amethocaine] |
Eye drop |
0.5% |
|
Tetracycline |
Eye oint |
1% |
|
Vitamin K |
Amp |
10mg/mL |
|
Water for injection |
Amp |
5mL |
|
Zidovudine + lamivudine |
Tab |
300mg/ 150mg |
|
Zinc oxide |
Paste/oint |
20% |
|
Annex B - List of Medical Equipment
1) Resuscitation Equipment |
Defibrillator |
Valve and bag type |
Mechanical aspirator |
Disposable mouth to mouth plastic shield |
Guedel Airway sizes 1, 3 and 4 |
- 1 portable oxygen giving set with at least 1 x two litre 200 bar cylinder ready for use, with a spare two litre 200 bar cylinder, and- 1x flow meter unit giving a minimum setting of 4 litres per minute- 1x pressure regulating unit- 1x set of tubing- 5 x 24% oxygen disposable face masks- 5 x 35% oxygen disposable face masks. |
2) Dressing and Suturing Equipment |
Cotton wool balls sterile 5s |
Crepe bandage - 7.5cm x 1.5m |
Elastic adhesive bandage - 7.5cm x 4m |
Conforming gauze bandage - 5cm x 5m |
Tubular gauze bandage for finger dressings with applicator |
Suspensory bandage - Large |
Triangular bandage - Calico |
Zinc oxide tape - 7.5cm x 5m |
Zinc oxide tape - 2.5cm x 5m |
Cotton tips, sterile, 2s |
Elastic adhesive dressing strip - 6cm x 1m |
Adhesive plastic dressing - 19mm x 72mm, pack of 100, sterile |
Hydroactive dressing - 10x10cm |
Non-adherent dressing - 10cm x 10cm |
Wound dressing - Small, BPC 13 |
Wound dressing - Medium, BPC 14 |
Wound dressing - Large, BPC 15 |
Absorbent gauze - 1m x 90cm |
Gauze compress 5s - 7.5cm x 7.5cm |
Gauze ribbon - 2.5cm x 2.5m |
Polyethylene or latex gloves - large or extra large |
Skin adhesive (2-octyl cyanoacrylate liquid) 0.5mL |
suture, non-absorbable, 26mm half circle needle |
suture, non-absorbable, 40mm half circle needle |
suture, absorbable, catgut, 40mm half circle needle |
Suture strips adhesive - 75mm |
Alcohol swabs - 100 |
Talc |
Burn Towel Kit |
Burn Towel Arm dressing size [10x20cm - non-adherent] |
Burn Towel Body dressing size [220x75cm - non-adherent] |
Burn Towel Face mask dressing [40x30cm - Impregnated gel dressing] |
Burn Towel Hand dressing size [10x10cm - non-adherent] |
Burn Towel Kit 500mL bottles/sachets normal saline irrigation |
Burn Towel Kit Adhesive Tape |
Burn Towel Kit Crepe bandages, light 10cm width |
Burn Towel Leg dressing size [75x75cm - non-adherent] |
3 Instruments |
Eye wash bottle |
Instrument box – Stainless steel |
Dissecting forces - 12.5cm |
Tweezers slanted |
Needle holder |
Packing forceps |
Sinus forceps - 12.5cm |
Spencer wells (haemostatic clam) forceps - 12.5cm |
Razors |
Scalpel - size 23 |
Surgical scissors – 18cm, sharp/round |
Surgical scissors – 12.5cm, sharp/sharp |
Trauma scissors |
Eye spud |
Splinter probe (sterile) |
4) Examination and Monitoring |
Pulse oximeter |
Temperature charts |
Specimen container 50ml |
Sputum cup |
Specimen jar 50ml |
Plain labels, self-adhesive |
Medical evaluation reports |
Blood pressure set |
Stethoscope |
Urine analysis strips |
Thermometer |
Tongue depressors |
Penlight torch |
5) Equipment for Injection and Catheterization |
Foley type catheter, 16 gauge, with 5mL balloon |
Nelaton or Jacques type catheter, 16 gauge (with no balloon) |
IV Cannula - size 1.2mm |
IV administration set, with disposable infuser filters. |
2.5mL syringe0.8mm (21 gauge) 4cm needle |
5mL syringe0.8mm (21 gauge) 4cm needle |
10mL syringe0.8mm (21 gauge) 4cm needle |
Hypodermic subcutaneous needle, Luer connection, 16 x 0.5mm, sterile, disposable |
Hypodermic SC needle, Luer connection, 40 x 0.8mm, sterile, disposable |
Needles, blunt “drawing up” type (19 gauge) |
6) General Medical Equipment |
Aluminium foil blanket |
Bags for records |
Body bag |
Specimen bags |
Bedpan |
Hot water bottle |
Male urine bottle |
Female urine bottle |
Sharps disposal box |
Lotion bowl |
Nail brush |
Male condoms |
Kidney dish |
Eye bath |
Eye pad |
Eye shade |
Saline 30ml amp |
Face masks |
Magnifying glass |
Measuring jug 750mL |
Medicine measure |
Cold pack |
Safety pins |
Plastic apron |
Waterproof sheet |
Tampons/sanitary napkins |
Tissues |
Individual paper towel |
7) Immobilisation & Setting |
Neck immobilisation collar |
Inflatable splint set (set of 6) |
Malleable finger splint |
Malleable forearm and hand splint |
Traction splint (thigh) |
Finger stalls |
8) Other |
First Aid Kit |
Waterproof dressing |
Paraffin gauze dressing – 10cmx10cm |
Eye wash |
Disposable gloves – L or XL |
Safety pins |
Wound dressing No 13 BPC - Small |
Wound dressing No 14 BPC - Medium |
Wound dressing No 15 BPC - Large |
Scissors – 18cm sharp/round |
Sterile eye pads with attachment |
Cotton wool balls 5s |
Triangular bandages |
Controlled drugs registerDispensary logInternational Medical Guide for Ships, 3rd Edition |
Stretcher |