Reporting Marine Casualties and Incidents

Under the Merchant Shipping “Accident Reporting and Investigation” Regulations, owners or operators are required and have a duty to report accidents/incidents to Department of Maritime by completing an incident report form as outlined below:

If a vessel is involved in an incident that results in injury to a person who requires medical treatment beyond first aid, but no admittance to a hospital, or that causes minor property damage, the owner or operator shall complete an incident report form within 14 days of the incident and submit it to the Maritime Department by hand or email maritime_shipping@gov.tc.

If a vessel is involved in an accident that results in a fatality, injury to a person who requires admittance to the hospital, or major property damage, the owner or operator shall report the accident to the Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force (911 Alert Post) and the Maritime Department as soon as possible.

This information is important as it will assist Maritime Department in determining if an investigation into any reported incident is necessary.

The sole objective of an investigation is the prevention of future accidents through the ascertainment of its causes and circumstances and is not intended to determine liability or, apportion blame.

Upon completion of the investigation, a report is produced which provides recommendations and highlights lessons learned.