46 CFR 140.505: General health and safety requirements on towing vessels

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section sets general health and safety duties for the owner or managing operator and for personnel on the vessel. It requires procedures for reporting unsafe conditions, records of incidents, safe use of equipment, proper PPE, and a sanitary vessel.

What it says

  1. The owner or managing operator must implement procedures for reporting unsafe conditions and must have records of the activities conducted under this section.

    46 CFR 140.505(a)“The owner or managing operator must implement procedures for reporting unsafe conditions and must have records of the activities conducted under this section.”

  2. The owner or managing operator must maintain records of health and safety incidents that occur on board the vessel, including any medical records associated with the incidents.

    46 CFR 140.505(a)“The owner or managing operator must maintain records of health and safety incidents that occur on board the vessel, including any medical records associated with the incidents.”

  3. Upon request, the owner or managing operator must give crewmembers incident reports and the crewmember's own associated medical records.

    46 CFR 140.505(a)“Upon request, the owner or managing operator must provide crewmembers with incident reports and the crewmember's own associated medical records.”

  4. All vessel equipment must be used in accordance with the manufacturer's recommended practice and in a manner that minimizes risk of injury or death.

    46 CFR 140.505(b)“All vessel equipment must be used in accordance with the manufacturer's recommended practice and in a manner that minimizes risk of injury or death.”

  5. Machinery and equipment that is not in proper working order, including missing or malfunctioning guards or safety devices, must be removed, made safe through marking, tagging, or covering, or otherwise made unusable.

    46 CFR 140.505(c)“must be removed; made safe through marking, tagging, or covering; or otherwise made unusable.”

  6. Appropriate PPE must be made available and on hand for all personnel engaged in an activity that requires the use of PPE.

    46 CFR 140.505(d)(1)“Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) must be made available and on hand for all personnel engaged in an activity that requires the use of PPE.”

  7. PPE must be suitable for the vessel's intended service, meet the standards of 29 CFR part 1910, subpart I, and be used, cleaned, maintained, and repaired in accordance with manufacturer's requirements.

    46 CFR 140.505(d)(2)“PPE must be suitable for the vessel's intended service; meet the standards of 29 CFR part 1910, subpart I; and be used, cleaned, maintained, and repaired in accordance with manufacturer's requirements.”

  8. The vessel, including crew's quarters and the galley, must be kept in a sanitary condition.

    46 CFR 140.505(e)“The vessel, including crew's quarters and the galley, must be kept in a sanitary condition.”

Common questions

Do crewmembers have a right to see incident reports?

Yes. Upon request, the owner or managing operator must give crewmembers incident reports and the crewmember's own associated medical records.

“Upon request, the owner or managing operator must provide crewmembers with incident reports and the crewmember's own associated medical records.”

What must be done with broken machinery or equipment on a towing vessel?

Machinery and equipment not in proper working order must be removed, made safe through marking, tagging, or covering, or otherwise made unusable.

“must be removed; made safe through marking, tagging, or covering; or otherwise made unusable.”

What standards must PPE meet on a towing vessel?

PPE must be suitable for the vessel's intended service and meet the standards of 29 CFR part 1910, subpart I. It must also be used, cleaned, maintained, and repaired in accordance with manufacturer's requirements.

“PPE must be suitable for the vessel's intended service; meet the standards of 29 CFR part 1910, subpart I; and be used, cleaned, maintained, and repaired in accordance with manufacturer's requirements.”

The text of 46 CFR 140.505

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

General health and safety requirements

(a) The owner or managing operator must implement procedures for reporting unsafe conditions and must have records of the activities conducted under this section. The owner or managing operator must maintain records of health and safety incidents that occur on board the vessel, including any medical records associated with the incidents. Upon request, the owner or managing operator must provide crewmembers with incident reports and the crewmember's own associated medical records.

(b) All vessel equipment must be used in accordance with the manufacturer's recommended practice and in a manner that minimizes risk of injury or death. This includes machinery, deck machinery, towing gear, ladders, embarkation devices, cranes, portable tools, and safety equipment.

(c) All machinery and equipment that is not in proper working order (including missing or malfunctioning guards or safety devices) must be removed; made safe through marking, tagging, or covering; or otherwise made unusable.

(d) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). (1) Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) must be made available and on hand for all personnel engaged in an activity that requires the use of PPE.

(2) PPE must be suitable for the vessel's intended service; meet the standards of 29 CFR part 1910, subpart I; and be used, cleaned, maintained, and repaired in accordance with manufacturer's requirements.

(3) All individuals must wear PPE appropriate to the activity being performed;

(4) All personnel engaged in an activity must be trained in the proper use, limitations, and care of the PPE specified by this subpart;

(e) The vessel, including crew's quarters and the galley, must be kept in a sanitary condition.

Sections it refers to

  • 29 CFR part 1910, subpart I

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.