🔍 Key Concepts

• 46 CFR Subchapter M requirements for towing vessels • Chain of command and overall vessel safety responsibility • How regulations often treat owners, managing operators, and masters regarding safety programs

💭 Think About

• Ask yourself who has direct day-to-day control over crew compliance with procedures on board the towboat. • Consider whether regulations usually assign safety responsibilities to only one party or spread them among several responsible parties. • Think about who can be held accountable if fall overboard prevention and recovery procedures are not followed: is it just the person on board, or can shoreside management also be responsible?

✅ Before You Answer

• Check how 46 CFR Subchapter M describes responsibilities of the owner or managing operator versus the master. • Verify whether fall overboard procedures are part of the vessel’s overall safety management system (SMS) and who must ensure it is implemented. • Confirm if regulations mention a shared responsibility between shoreside management and the onboard master for compliance with safety procedures.