46 CFR 140.405: Emergency duties and duty stations on towing vessels

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section sets crew requirements and emergency duty rules for towing vessels. A towing vessel with alternating watches (shift work) or overnight accommodations must identify the duties and duty stations of each person onboard during an emergency. Those duties must be posted, or in some cases kept onboard.

Applies toCrewmembers on towing vessels, and towing vessels with alternating watches (shift work) or overnight accommodations for the duty-station requirements.

What it says

  1. Crewmembers must meet the requirements in §§ 15.405 and 15.1105 of this chapter, as appropriate.

    46 CFR 140.405(a)“Crewmembers must meet the requirements in §§ 15.405 and 15.1105 of this chapter, as appropriate.”

  2. Any towing vessel with alternating watches (shift work) or overnight accommodations must identify the duties and duty stations of each person onboard during an emergency.

    46 CFR 140.405(b)“Any towing vessel with alternating watches (shift work) or overnight accommodations must identify the duties and duty stations of each person onboard during an emergency, including:”

  3. The identified duties must include responding to fires and flooding, and responding to emergencies that necessitate abandoning the vessel.

    46 CFR 140.405(b)(2)“Responding to emergencies that necessitate abandoning the vessel;”

  4. The identified duties must include taking action in the event of failure of propulsion, steering, or control system.

    46 CFR 140.405(b)(7)“Taking action in the event of failure of propulsion, steering, or control system;”

  5. The identified duties must include managing individuals onboard who are not crewmembers.

    46 CFR 140.405(b)(8)“Managing individuals onboard who are not crewmembers;”

  6. The identified duties must include responding to other special duties essential to addressing emergencies as determined by the TSMS applicable to the vessel, if a TSMS is used.

    46 CFR 140.405(b)(10)“Responding to other special duties essential to addressing emergencies as determined by the TSMS applicable to the vessel, if a TSMS is used.”

  7. The emergency duties and duty stations must be posted at each operating station and in a conspicuous location in a space commonly visited by crewmembers.

    46 CFR 140.405(c)“must be posted at each operating station and in a conspicuous location in a space commonly visited by crewmembers.”

  8. If posting is impractical, such as in an open boat, the duties and duty stations may be kept onboard in a location readily available to the crew.

    46 CFR 140.405(c)“If posting is impractical, such as in an open boat, they may be kept onboard in a location readily available to the crew.”

Common questions

Which towing vessels must identify emergency duties and duty stations?

Any towing vessel with alternating watches (shift work) or overnight accommodations must identify them for each person onboard.

“Any towing vessel with alternating watches (shift work) or overnight accommodations must identify the duties and duty stations of each person onboard during an emergency, including:”

Where must emergency duties and duty stations be posted on a towing vessel?

They must be posted at each operating station and in a conspicuous location in a space commonly visited by crewmembers.

“must be posted at each operating station and in a conspicuous location in a space commonly visited by crewmembers.”

Can emergency duties be kept onboard instead of posted?

Yes, if posting is impractical, such as in an open boat. They may then be kept onboard in a location readily available to the crew.

“If posting is impractical, such as in an open boat, they may be kept onboard in a location readily available to the crew.”

The text of 46 CFR 140.405

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

Emergency duties and duty stations

(a) Crewmembers must meet the requirements in §§ 15.405 and 15.1105 of this chapter, as appropriate.

(b) Any towing vessel with alternating watches (shift work) or overnight accommodations must identify the duties and duty stations of each person onboard during an emergency, including:

(1) Responding to fires and flooding;

(2) Responding to emergencies that necessitate abandoning the vessel;

(3) Launching survival craft;

(4) Taking action during heavy weather;

(5) Taking action in the event of a person overboard;

(6) Taking action relative to the tow;

(7) Taking action in the event of failure of propulsion, steering, or control system;

(8) Managing individuals onboard who are not crewmembers;

(9) Managing any other event or condition which poses a threat to life, property, or the environment; and

(10) Responding to other special duties essential to addressing emergencies as determined by the TSMS applicable to the vessel, if a TSMS is used.

(c) The emergency duties and duty stations required by this section must be posted at each operating station and in a conspicuous location in a space commonly visited by crewmembers. If posting is impractical, such as in an open boat, they may be kept onboard in a location readily available to the crew.

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.