Information for designated physicians under the General Pilotage Regulations

From: Transport Canada

In Canada, once a ship enters a compulsory pilotage area, the ship must have a licensed marine pilot or pilotage certificate holder onboard to guide it through the area. These individuals are experts in their field and require a high level of physical, cognitive, sensory, and mental fitness.

The issuance and maintenance of a marine pilot licence or a pilotage certificate fall under the Pilotage Act.

This page is for physicians designated under the General Pilotage Regulations who assess seafarers’ fitness for pilotage duties and for other marine pilotage stakeholders.

On this page:

How to get designated as a Marine Medical Examiner

To be recognized as designated physician (DP), you must:

Before a seafarer’s medical exam

The seafarer must tell you about their pilotage duties before undergoing a medical exam that is related to their certification. They must also advise if they already hold a:

  • marine medical certificate
  • pilot licence, or
  • pilotage certificate

How to conduct a medical exam

During your exam, you must:

  • use the medical fitness standards in Division 8, Part 2 of the Marine Personnel Regulations
  • determine if the seafarer has depth perception using a standardized assessment method such as Titmus Stereo test (Fly test), TNO Stereo test, or Random Dot Stereo test (Randot test)
    • 80 seconds of arc or less are required for pilotage duties
    • if a seafarer does not meet this requirement, they must have a full orthoptic assessment by an ophthalmologist. The ophthalmologist should then provide you with recommendations regarding the seafarer’s fitness to hold a pilot licence or a pilotage certificate
    • if you are not able to conduct a depth perception assessment, then another professional can conduct this assessment and provide you with the results
  • determine whether the seafarer has any of the following disabilities:
    • an impairment that could cause an unpredictable loss of consciousness and is not controlled through medication or other means
    • a disorder that could prevent them from reacting effectively while performing pilotage duties
    • a disorder that could prevent them from having the strength, agility, or ability necessary to perform pilotage duties in all weather and sea conditions likely to be encountered while performing pilotage duties
    • a disorder that could prevent them from speaking in a clear and prompt manner while performing pilotage duties
    • a condition that could endanger others, taking into account the duration of pilotage duties and the conditions on board ship
    • a condition that is likely to require emergency medical care and is not controlled through medication or other means
    • an active psychiatric disorder, including drug or alcohol dependence or abuse

To complete a Marine Medical Examination Report:

  1. Use The Marine Medical Examiner Hub or paper version of the Marine Medical Examination Report
  2. Conduct the exam according to TP11343
    1. In the Occupation section, mark “Pilotage duties” in the “Other” field
  3. Submit the report to Transport Canada via:
    1. The Marine Medical Examiner Hub (you must be registered to use the hub)
    2. Fax: 613-993-4935
    3. Mail: Marine Medical Unit
      Transport Canada
      Mailstop: AMS
      Place de Ville, Tower C
      330 Sparks St
      Ottawa, ON K1A 0N8
  4. Transport Canada will review the report and issue a marine medical certificate or letter to the seafarer

To complete a National Marine Pilotage Medical Report:

  1. Request a fillable PDF copy of the National Marine Pilotage Medical Report form
  2. Conduct the entire exam yourself, including assessing the seafarer’s depth perception
  3. if you are not able to conduct a depth perception assessment, then another professional can conduct this assessment and provide you with the results either directly or by the seafarer
  4. Complete the report using the form you downloaded and note whether the seafarer is:
    1. fit for pilotage duties without limitations,
    2. fit for pilotage duties with limitations, or
    3. unfit for pilotage duties
  5. If you assess the seafarer as “fit for duties with limitations” you must state these limitations in the report and confirm that the limitations do not constitute a disability as listed on the report
  6. Note how long the report is valid. This can be as long as 2 years from the day the report is issued
  7. Submit the report to Transport Canada via:
    1. The Marine Medical Examiner Hub (you must be registered to use the hub)
    2. Fax: 613-993-4935
    3. Mail: Marine Medical Unit
      Transport Canada
      Mailstop: AMS
      Place de Ville, Tower C
      330 Sparks St
      Ottawa, ON K1A 0N8
  8. Keep a copy of each for your files and give the seafarer:
    1. a stamped copy of your report (valid for up to 2 years), and
    2. a provisional  marine medical certificate (valid for up to 6 months)

How to complete a marine medical examination and pilotage medical exam separately

The process of completing the exams separately is similar to completing the exams at the same time, but there are several things you must consider.

When completing the National Marine Pilotage Medical Report for the Minister and when making a fitness determination, the DP must consider and apply the medical reasons for any limitations on any currently valid marine medical certificate. For example: if visual aids are required, the seafarer must carry a second pair of glasses or if hearing aids are required, the seafarer must have extra batteries. 

If there are any duty or geographical limitations on the marine medical certificate, you must investigate the reasons for the limitations to determine if the applicant has a disability listed in subsection 3(1) of the General Pilotage Regulations. 

The Marine Medical Examination Report and National Marine Pilotage Medical Report shall be sent to the TC Marine Medical Unit via one of these methods: the Medical Examiner Hub, mail, or fax.

After a seafarer’s exam

Your legal obligations

If a DP, or any other physician or optometrist, is made aware of a health condition of a licensed pilot or pilotage certificate holder that may pose a risk to maritime safety, they must report the risk to the TC Marine Medical Unit.  This can be done by email to the TC Marine Medical Unit at MMEassistanceMEM@tc.gc.ca.

Re-examinations

The Minister may, at any time, under the General Pilotage Regulations, require that a seafarer be re-examined if:

  • they have reasonable grounds to believe that the seafarer’s state of health may constitute a risk to the safety of the ship or of persons on board the ship, or
  • the seafarer requests it because they believe they are no longer physically or mentally fit for pilotage duties

An applicant or holder who has reasonable grounds to believe that they are no longer physically or mentally fit for pilotage duties in accordance with subsection 2(3) of the General Pilotage Regulations shall immediately inform the Minister and request a medical re-examination. See the “Need help?” section below for contact information.

What happens if a seafarer disagrees with a medical report? 

If a seafarer disagrees with a medical report, they have 15 days to ask the Minister to be re-examined by a (DP) that they choose.

The DP will re-examine the seafarer following the normal procedures.

If the DP disagrees with the original DP’s assessment, the Minister will appoint a third designated DP to examine the seafarer.  The DP will re-examine the seafarer following the normal procedures.

The DP will issue their report. The report is final and binding on both the Minister and seafarer.

Need help?

Help for designated physicians: MMEassistanceMEM@tc.gc.ca
Help for other stakeholders: TC.Marinemedicine-Medecinemaritime.TC@tc.gc.ca
Fax:  613-993-4935

Mail:
Marine Medical Unit
Transport Canada
Mailstop: AMS
Place de Ville, Tower C
330 Sparks St
Ottawa ON K1A 0N8

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