WHO: Crisis Assessment on Board a Ship

Run this checklist when planning and implementing health measures on board ships or in ports.

Introduction:

Pre-boarding arrangements:

Clarify crisis management preparedness

Follow proper security clearance practices

Ensure administrative supplies are accessible

Make sure you have all necessary equipment

Assessment of event once on board:

Develop communication strategy

Ensure that WHO IMGS measures have been implemented

Request additional measures

Supervise disembarking of ill travelers

Decide if an investigation is necessary to conduct

Identify close contacts of persons exposed

Review documentation

Consult with the ship master and staff

Collect clinical specimens and/or environmental samples

Keep records of the findings

Brief the ship master/representative crew member

Seek specialist advice

Discuss requirements with WHO

After the on board assessment:

Establish communication with national IHR NFP

Establish communication with authorities

Approval: Final approval

Sources:

Related checklists:

Introduction:

This checklist template is part of our Coronavirus Workplace Processes pack.

It was built following the procedures outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO).

This process template outlines a step-by-step guide to help address public health risks and related rules and regulations when planning and implementing health measures on board ships or in ports.

Port authorities are responsible for responding to any situations/events that may pose a risk to the health of the general public. This checklist is not written exclusively in response to COVID-19 (though it applies as well). It can also be followed for events that may be caused by biological, chemical or radiological agents.

This checklist covers:

Event identification
Verification
Risk assessment
Response

You can edit this template with form fields and widgets to better suit your team's needs. This template makes use of Process Street features like: dynamic due dates and stop tasks to encourage team compliance and enforce strict deadlines.

When you're ready to put your template into action, simply run the template as a checklist.

Process Street is not a medical institution and the items contained in this process template are illustrative and not intended to be understood as medical advice. Please refer to the attached PDF document for any and all medical or operational recommendations.

Pre-boarding arrangements:

Clarify crisis management preparedness

Crisis management starts with an understanding of the situation at hand. Be sure to inform yourself on all crisis management policies and procedures, and take care to understand the capacity to take action.

Record important details with the form fields below.

Ship size

Type and estimated time of arrival of a ship

Required personnel available (taking into account knowledge and skills needed)

Previous record regarding public health risks (from ship master/medical staff)

Info from the MDH and its attachment according to the model provided in IHR Annex 8, with the following info about ship master/representatives:

Health questions

Identification of sick person(s)

Age(s)

Sex

Nationality

Port of embarkation

Details of illness

Treatment(s) given

Follow proper security clearance practices

Prepare arrangements for checking staff identification for security clearance/permission when boarding the ship.

Doing this will guarantee efficient and safe activity on board.

It may be necessary to use an interpreter/translator during these arrangements to minimize any difficulties due to language barriers.

Security arrangement notes

Ensure administrative supplies are accessible

Make sure that the correct forms, unique seals/stamps to authenticate certificates, and any other necessary administrative supplies are easily accessible and in good condition if needed.

Administrative supply notes

Make sure you have all necessary equipment

Lastly for pre-boarding arrangements, make sure that you have all the tools and equipment necessary for assessment and control measures, including:

Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Sampling equipment
Communication equipment (such as radio communication)
Medical devices
Etc.

Assessment of event once on board:

Develop communication strategy

Work together with the ship master or designated offer to develop an effective communication strategy.

This will help achieve better cooperation from the travelers when conducting a risk assessment on board.

Communication strategy notes

Ensure that WHO IMGS measures have been implemented

Make sure that the measures specifies in the WHO IMGS (International Medical Guide for Ships) have been implemented properly.

Request additional measures

If necessary, request for the implementation of additional measures.

Supervise disembarking of ill travelers

Make sure to supervise the disembarking of any ill travelers and any travelers suspected of being ill, following appropriate measures.

Decide if an investigation is necessary to conduct

Assess the situation and determine whether an investigation is necessary and/or feasible to conduct.

If so, then use a thorough, systematic approach for better effectiveness and keeping the situation under control.

Investigation notes

Identify close contacts of persons exposed

Carefully asses who may have come into close contact with ill travelers and make sure they receive information about the health measures that need to be taken.

List of at risk travelers

Review documentation

Review all documentation, including:

MDH
SSC
Medical log book, including information regarding the health status of passengers and crew members, health control measures including medical treatment and prophylaxis taken on board
Guides for management of outbreaks (norovirus, Legionella, etc.)
List of medicines according to national regulations, etc.

MDH

MDH notes

SSC

SSC notes

Medical log book

Medical log book notes

Guide for management of outbreaks

Guide for management of outbreaks notes

List of medicines according to national regulations

List of medicines according to national regulations notes

Consult with the ship master and staff

Conduct an interview with the ship master, ship medical staff, and if necessary, the quarantined travelers.

Interview notes

Collect clinical specimens and/or environmental samples

Carefully collect clinical specimens and/or environmental samples following the national practice, after reviewing international standards.

Clinical specimens and/or environmental sample notes

Keep records of the findings

Keep thorough records of all findings.

Make sure to take note of the evidence found (i.e. infection on board/hazards founds) and the measures that have been taken in compliance with existing SSE/SSCs, according to IHR Article 39 paragraph 5.

Findings notes

Evidence notes

Notes on measures taken place

Brief the ship master/representative crew member

Conduct a meeting with the ship master/representative crew member.

Provide them with a summary of the issues deemed relevant to prevent and control cases.

Offer your advice on what steps to take.

Meeting notes

Seek specialist advice

Depending on the situation, it may be necessary to seek out specialist advice to properly assess the risk, protect public health, and devise the necessary control measures needed.

Asses the nature and scale of the situation to determine what kind of experts to reach out to.

These experts could be a:

microbiologist
virologist
epidemiologist
toxicologist
chemical and radiological adviser
engineer
etc.

You may need work with various agencies and organizations that offer specialist support and advice (analytical capacity, environmental monitoring and assessment, decontamination, etc.).

This list doesn't include everything, but covers the general range of disciplines that might be called upon to help with risk assessment.

Notes on the nature and scale of the situation/specialist request(s)

Discuss requirements with WHO

Member States without access to specialist services should discuss their requirements with WHO, which will offer advice and help in these circumstances.

Notes on requirements

After the on board assessment:

Establish communication with national IHR NFP

If necessary, you should establish communication with the national IHR NFP and/or national surveillance system, and other local authorities, according to national protocols.

Establish communication with authorities

Establish communication (nationally or internationally) with authorities located at the next known port to inform them if you're unable to carry out the necessary control measures at the port, or if a follow-up on whether the control measures has been effectively carried out is needed.

Some public health events may require you to implement health measures that may delay a ship’s departure. In these cases, all information must be communicated to the ship master as soon as possible, because there are special provisions that must be followed if health measures will result in delaying the departure of the ship.