MEDICAL REQUIREMENT
All applicants for an officer certificate, Seafarer's Identification and Record Book o r certification of special
qualifications shall be required to have a physical examination reported on this Medical Form completed by a
certificated physician. T he completed medical form must accompany the application for of ficer certificate,
application for seafarer's identity document, or application for certification of special qualifications. This physical
examination must be carried out not more than 12 months prior to th e date of m aking application for an officer
certificate, certification of special qualifications or a seafarer's book. Such proof of examination must establish that
the applicant is in satisfactory physical condition for the specific duty assignment undertaken and is g enerally in
possession of all body faculties necessary in fulfilling the requirements of the seafaring profession. In addition, the
following minimum requirements shall apply:
(a) All applicants must have heari ng unimpaired for normal sounds and be capable of hearing a whi spered
voice in the better ear at 15 feet and in the poorer ear at 5 feet.
(b) Deck officer applicants must have (either with or without glasses) at least 20/20 vision in one eye and at
least 20/40 in the other. If the applicant wears glasses, he m ust have vision without glasses of at least
20/160 in both eyes. Deck officer applicants must also have normal color perception and be capable of
distinguishing the colors red, green, blue and yellow.
(c) Engineer and radio officer applicants must have (either with or without glasses) at least 20/30 vision in one
eye and at least 20/50 in the other. If the applicant wears glasses, he must have vision without glasses of at
least 20/200 in both eyes. Engineer and radio officer applicants must also be able to perceive the colors red,
yellow and green.
(d) An applicant's blood pressure must fall within an average range, taking age into consideration.
(e) Applicants afflicted with any o f the following diseases or co nditions shall be disqualified: epilepsy,
insanity, senility, alcoholism, tuberculosis, acute venereal disease or neurosyphilis, AIDS and/or the use of
narcotics.
(f) Deck/Navigational officer applicants and Radio officer applicants must have speech which is unimpaired
for normal voice communication.
(g) Applicants for able seaman, bosun, GP-1, ordinary seaman and junior ordinary seaman must meet the
physical requirements for a deck/navigational officer's certificate.
(h) Applicants for fireman/watertender, oiler/motorman, pumpman, electrician ,wiper, tankerman and survival
craft/rescue boat crewman must meet the physical requirements for an engineer officer's certificate.
DETAILS OF MEDICAL EXAMINATION
(To be completed by examining physician)
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