33 CFR 155.1055: Training and training records in vessel response plans

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section sets training rules for vessel response plans. A plan must identify the training for people with responsibilities under it. The vessel owner or operator must keep records of that training for 3 years following completion of training.

Applies toVessel owners and operators, and response plans submitted to meet § 155.1035, § 155.5035 or § 155.1040.

What it says

  1. A response plan submitted to meet § 155.1035 or § 155.5035 must identify the training to be provided to persons having responsibilities under the plan, including the vessel crew, the qualified individual, and the spill management team.

    33 CFR 155.1055(a)“must identify the training to be provided to persons having responsibilities under the plan, including members of the vessel crew, the qualified individual, and the spill management team.”

  2. The training program must differentiate between training provided to vessel personnel and training provided to shore-based personnel.

    33 CFR 155.1055(a)“The training program must differentiate between that training provided to vessel personnel and that training provided to shore-based personnel.”

  3. A vessel owner or operator shall ensure the maintenance of records sufficient to document this training and make them available for inspection upon request by the Coast Guard.

    33 CFR 155.1055(b)“A vessel owner or operator shall ensure the maintenance of records sufficient to document this training and make them available for inspection upon request by the Coast Guard.”

  4. Training records must be maintained for 3 years following completion of training.

    33 CFR 155.1055(b)“Records must be maintained for 3 years following completion of training.”

  5. A vessel owner or operator may identify equivalent work experience which fulfills specific training requirements.

    33 CFR 155.1055(c)“A vessel owner or operator may identify equivalent work experience which fulfills specific training requirements.”

  6. The vessel owner or operator shall ensure that any oil spill removal organization identified in a response plan to meet the requirements of this part maintains records documenting training for its personnel.

    33 CFR 155.1055(d)“shall ensure that any oil spill removal organization identified in a response plan to meet the requirements of this part maintains records sufficient to document training for the organization's personnel.”

  7. This section does not relieve the vessel owner or operator of the responsibility to ensure that all private shore-based response personnel are trained to meet OSHA standards for emergency response operations in 29 CFR 1910.120.

    33 CFR 155.1055(e)“all private shore-based response personnel are trained to meet the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards for emergency response operations in 29 CFR 1910.120.”

Common questions

How long must vessel training records be kept?

Records must be maintained for 3 years following completion of training.

“Records must be maintained for 3 years following completion of training.”

Where can training records be located under a vessel response plan?

The response plan must identify where the records are kept. They must be on board the vessel, with the qualified individual, or at a U.S. location of the spill management team.

“(3) At a U.S. location of the spill management team.”

Can work experience count in place of training?

Yes. A vessel owner or operator may identify equivalent work experience which fulfills specific training requirements.

“A vessel owner or operator may identify equivalent work experience which fulfills specific training requirements.”

The text of 33 CFR 155.1055

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), current as of April 16, 2026 · Read it on eCFR

Training

(a) A response plan submitted to meet the requirements of § 155.1035 or § 155.5035 must identify the training to be provided to persons having responsibilities under the plan, including members of the vessel crew, the qualified individual, and the spill management team. A response plan submitted to meet the requirements of § 155.1040 must identify the training to be provided to the spill management team, the qualified individual, and other personnel in § 155.1040 with specific responsibilities under the plan including tankermen and members of the towing vessel crew. The training program must differentiate between that training provided to vessel personnel and that training provided to shore-based personnel. Appendix C of this part provides additional guidance regarding training.

(b) A vessel owner or operator shall ensure the maintenance of records sufficient to document this training and make them available for inspection upon request by the Coast Guard. Records must be maintained for 3 years following completion of training. The response plan must identify the location of training records, which must be—

(1) On board the vessel;

(2) With the qualified individual; or

(3) At a U.S. location of the spill management team.

(c) A vessel owner or operator may identify equivalent work experience which fulfills specific training requirements.

(d) The vessel owner or operator shall ensure that any oil spill removal organization identified in a response plan to meet the requirements of this part maintains records sufficient to document training for the organization's personnel. These records must be available for inspection upon request by the Coast Guard. Records must be maintained for 3 years following completion of training.

(e) Nothing in this section relieves the vessel owner or operator from the responsibility to ensure that all private shore-based response personnel are trained to meet the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards for emergency response operations in 29 CFR 1910.120.

(f) A training plan may be prepared in accordance with Training Elements for Oil Spill Response to satisfy the requirements of this section.

Sections it refers to

The plain-English explanation on this page was written with AI from the regulation text above and checked automatically before publishing: every quote appears in the text, every number comes from it, and a second model confirmed each statement adds nothing the text doesn't say. Regulation text current as of April 16, 2026. The regulation text governs. RegKnot is not affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard.