When you are the owner of a vessel, you know that there are certain safety regulations you must follow to keep your vessel safe. There are also regulations you need to keep in mind that help your vessel comply with certain U.S. Coast Guard regulations. Vessels that are over a particular size not only require documentation with the U.S. Coast Guard but are subject to other regulations as well, including the posting of certain placards for those aboard the ship to be aware of particular USCG regulations. You may find that the vessel you are purchasing or already own is in need of an oil pollution placard so you can comply with regulations.
Be Ready for Potential Inspections at your Vessel
When you are a vessel owner out on the open waters, you are subject to inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard. Just as your car is subject to get checked by law enforcement to make sure you have a valid registration and inspection, the Coast Guard can do the same to your ship. If upon inspection, they find that you do not have the appropriate placards or information displayed for your vessel, you as the owner are subject to fines from the Coast Guard, and they may force you to dock your ship until it meets with regulations.
Your Needs in a Placard
When it comes to an oil pollution placard, any vessel over twenty-six feet in length is required to display a placard stating the oil discharge laws. These placards must conform with Coast Guard regulations, need to be a certain size (five inches by eight inches) and need to be placed in specific locations on the ship so that they may be seen easily by those on the vessel. There is also a requirement in place that the placard gets posted in the language or languages spoken by the crew of the ship, so you may need multiple placards or a placard in multiple languages.
Make Sure You Meet Regulations
To avoid any potential fines as an owner, it is in your best interests to make sure your vessel complies and has an oil pollution placard in the proper place. You can get the placards that you may need to meet Coast Guard Regulations when you visit us at Vessel Placards. We offer different placards ideal for displaying your Coast Guard documentation number or other important Coast Guard information that is required. You can see the placards we have available and place an order when you go to our site at www.vesselplacards.com.
