When you own a large vessel, there are certain requirements for you as a vessel owner that you must follow. If you want your vessel to be legal when it is in the water, you need to follow the regulations set forth by the United States Coast Guard (USCG). The Coast Guard has regulations that apply to different vessels of different sizes, including rules that govern the prohibition of the discharge of oil into open waters. There are requirements that you need to adhere to in this matter, including the use of a USCG oil discharge placard that you must mount on your vessel.
Particular Size Vessels Require USCG Oil Discharge Placard Regulations
According to the latest Coast Guard regulations, any vessel that measures over twenty-six feet is required by law to mount a placard that discusses the prohibition of discharging oil into the ocean. Whether your vessel is for recreational or commercial reasons does not matter; you still need to display the placard so that it can be seen by your crew or anyone else that may be on the vessel. The information on the placard is to state the law against discharging harmful quantities of oil into the water, and that violators are subject to civil penalties such as fines or imprisonment. Failure to have a sign like this places you as the vessel owner in violation, and you could be fined.
Regulations for the Sign
The USCG oil discharge placard that you need to have must be a certain size and placed in the proper location. The placard must be 5 inches by 8 inches in size, and it must be placed in your machinery space in areas where it can be easily seen by everyone. It may also be placed at the bilge or the ballast pump control station. The language of the sign must be in a language that is understood by the crew aboard your vessel, so you may need a sign in multiple languages in order to comply with the regulations.
Where to Get a Placard
Now that you know that you need to have a USCG oil discharge placard, you want to know where you can go to get the sign you need. You can come to us Vessel Placards, specialists in signs and placards that are required by the U.S Coast Guard. We can create a variety of different signs for you that you may need for your vessel, so they look good and perform the proper function. You can see the placards we have available and place your order when you visit us at www.vesselplacards.com.
