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Every Mariner Builds A Respectful Culture (EMBARC) Standards Program

Every mariner deserves to work in a safe and inclusive environment where everyone is welcome and supported, and their dignity is fully respected.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the Maritime Administration (MARAD), and United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) introduced the Every Mariner Builds A Respectful Culture (EMBARC) Standards Program in December 2021. It sets forth policies, programs, procedures, and practices to help prevent and respond to sexual assault and sexual harassment (SASH) and other forms of prohibited behaviors on commercial vessels at sea. Vessel owners and operators must adopt the EMBARC Standards before embarking USMMA cadets on board. 

Advancing EMBARC is critical to the success of commercial at-sea training for cadets, and to strengthening safety for all mariners.

The EMBARC Standards are designed to apply to the participation of commercial, ocean-going vessel operators that carry USMMA cadets as part of the USMMA Sea Year Program. EMBARC shall also apply to State Maritime Academy (SMA) cadets on vessels that adopt the EMBARC Standards.

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EMBARC Frequently Asked Questions

This document is intended to provide added clarity to the standards set out in the EMBARC Standards (dated December 15, 2021) and its accompanying Checklist.

EMBARC Enrolled Carriers

22 carriers are now enrolled representing nearly all U.S. commercial operators of vessels to which the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea 1974 (SOLAS) applies, all operators statutorily required to carry cadets participating in the Maritime Security Program (MSP), Tanker Security Program (TSP), and Cable Security Program (CSP), all Ship Managers of MARAD’s Ready Reserve Force (RRF), and all MARAD assigned General Agents (GA).  The name of Document of Compliance (DOC) holding companies is not listed below each enrolled carrier whom may hold numerous DOCs specific to the ship type(s) for which their SMS is implemented at the time of enrollment.

  • Alaska Marine Highway System
  • American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier
  • APL Maritime LTD
  • Central Marine Logistics
  • Chevron Shipping Company, LLC
  • Crowley
  • Fairwater Vessel Management, LLC
  • Keystone Shipping Company
  • Liberty Maritime Corporation
  • Maersk Line, Limited
  • Matson Navigation Co., Inc.
  • Ocean Shipholdings, Inc. 
  • OSG Ship Management, Inc.
  • Pacific-Gulf Marine, Inc.
  • Pasha Hawaii Holdings, LLC
  • Patriot Contract Services, LLC
  • Polar Tankers, Inc.
  • Savage Marine Management, LLC
  • Schuyler Line Navigation Company
  • TOTE Services, LLC
  • Transoceanic Cable Ship Co., LLC
  • U.S. Marine Management, Inc.

A listing of oceangoing, self‐propelled, privately‐owned U.S.‐flag vessels of 1,000 gross tons and above that carry cargo from port to port for commercial and government customers is maintained by MARAD here: Vessel Inventory Reports.

EMBARC Updates

USMMA Sea Year

Sea Year is a cooperative educational program designed to give cadets practical knowledge of the performance and operating characteristics of various classes of vessels, the operating requirements in different trade routes, and labor relations in the ocean shipping industry. Sea Year training typically consists of a sailing period during a cadet’s sophomore year and a longer sailing period during a cadet’s junior year and enables cadets to obtain the training days at sea necessary to become eligible to take the U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Credential examination for an officer license.   

On December 15, 2021, MARAD released the EMBARC Standards along with the following document to govern the Sea Year training program:

Letters from Leadership

Training Ship – Special Considerations for incorporating EMBARC Standards (TS-EMBARC)

The MARAD EMBARC Standards seek to prevent, respond to, and redress incidents of SASH on board commercial vessels. While it is equally important to ensure that MARAD-owned Training Ships provide a safe training environment for cadets through the implementation of SASH prevention and response (PR) measures, not all the provisions in the EMBARC Standards are applicable to training ship operations.

MARAD developed the Training Ship – Special Considerations for incorporating EMBARC Standards (TS-EMBARC) to meet the unique arrangements and operations of training vessels operated by a State Maritime Academy (SMA) or a MARAD-assigned General Agent (GA).

Last updated: Tuesday, October 29, 2024