New Protocol for Pilotage

When the Crew Protocol was approved in May, the Crisis Committee for River, Sea and Lake Transport created within the Undersecretariat of Ports, Waterways and Merchant Navy, requested that those who perform pilotage services prepare a protocol for the National Health Authority. It also indicated that pilots must comply with an affidavit of the Captain of the Vessel regarding compliance with the use of Personal Protective equipment by each pilot on international vessels, as well as the recording of body temperature upon entry and exit. This affidavit must be produced in three copies: one to keep on board, one to give to the pilot and one to present to Border Health.

The Protocol for Pilotage was elaborated based on the presentation made by the Chamber of Pilotage of Argentina, the Center of Pilotage Companies of the Paraná River, and external pilots. On its part, the Chamber prepared the Protocol with the intervention of a medical advisor based on the latest guidelines established by the Ministries of Health from Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, the World Health Organization and the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control of the United States.

On the other hand, the companies that sail the Paraná River also prepared an independent version of recommendations, information and procedures to be considered by the companies.

The final Unified Protocol was approved by Joint Act between the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Security on July 30, after the Ministry of Health introduced certain modifications it considered relevant to the project presented by the Chamber of Pilotage. The project contains an action plan for the adequate performance of pilotage, which details the coordination and organization of work, facilities and/or means of transport to prevent and/or attend to any event related to the pandemic.

The persons obliged to comply with the Protocol are the Pilots of the different areas of compulsory pilotage in Argentina, whose names have been identified in a list on April 1 in a Circular signed jointly by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Transport, and again extended by the latter, which was made available to the security forces so that they may be aware that they are covered by the above-mentioned exception to mandatory isolation, provided that they comply with the health and safety regulations established in the Protocols in force, a situation that will be certified by the Argentine Coastguard in each case.

To clarify, the activity of pilotage falls into the category contemplated as an exception by virtue of being “persons affected by the transfer of goods by international trade operations of transporting cargo of goods, by air, land, sea, river and lake means” (Section 2, subsection A of Decree No. 274/20). The activity is also considered essential to ensure safe navigation in waters under national jurisdiction, as established by Navigation Law No. 20,094 and related laws.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Transport has informed the Ministry of Security that the persons who carry out pilotage should be considered exempted from quarantine after their return from Uruguay, as long as it is guaranteed in the documentation, through a guarantee granted by the Coastguard that the pilot has complied with the provision for the use of Personal Protective Equipment and fulfilled the protocol that subjects his entry to the ship to the previous accreditation of absence of risk by the Border Health.

Among the control measures, the Protocol establishes that pilotage companies are obliged to train and inform pilots, provide them with adequate means to ensure their safe transfer to and from their place of work, actively follow up on suspicious and/or positive cases of their employees, and collaborate with Border Health.

Likewise, pilots should perform daily contact tracing and continuous self-monitoring: daily temperature self-taking, daily recording of temperature and symptoms, or use the mobile app “Cuidar” where they can enter this data.

Regarding the transfer of pilots by land and water to foreign vessels, the Protocol sets out the preventive measures to be observed by pilots in transfer vehicles and the measures to be enforced by pilotage companies to persons or companies providing related services who provide transfer services to pilots.

The Protocol also describes the actions to be taken in case the Captain declares that the pilot did not use the Personal Protective Equipment and/or presents symptoms associated to the coronavirus. Thus, in the case of authorizing a pilot who is considered a suspicious case to go ashore, same must comply with isolation for 14 days.

Finally, the Crisis Committee for River, Sea and Lake Transport recently worked on a draft Protocol for National Cabotage in waters under national jurisdiction in conjunction with the various agencies involved in interprovincial and/or intra-provincial water transport. The project is currently under consideration by the Ministry of Health and the National Coastguard and its main purpose is to establish the basic guidelines to carry out, in a coordinated manner among the agencies, the different actions to be taken in case of suspicious and/or positive cases in vessels that are anchored, at sea and/or moored inside or outside port facilities.