Detail

Back to Revised Laws of Saint Lucia (2023)

Schedule 1

(Regulation 7(1))

VISION STANDARDS FOR SEAFARERS

1.1 No person should be accepted for training or sea service where any irremediable morbid condition of either eye, or the lids of either eye, is present and liable to risk of aggravation or recurrence.

1.2 Binocular vision is necessary for all categories of seafarers. However, monocular seafarers serving and those who become monocular in service and meet the required standard should be allowed to continue at sea.

1.3 In all cases where visual aids, spectacles or contact lenses, are required for the efficient performance of duties, a spare pair must be carried while seafaring. Where different visual aids are used for distant and near vision, a spare pair of each must be carried.

1.4 Colour Vision for deck officers and ratings is tested with Ishihara plates; using the introductory plate and all the transformation and vanishing plates. Candidates who fail the Ishihara colour plate test may ask for their colour vision to be re-tested using a Holmes Wright B lantern at a nominated centre. For engineer and radio department personnel colour vision is tested using either Ishihara plates (as for deck department) or Farnsworth D15 test or City University test.

TABLE

Category of seafarer	Basic Visual Acuity Standard – unaided		Higher visual acuity standard – aided if necessary			Near	Colour	Visual Field
Deck or dual career	Better eye 6/60	Other eye 6/60	Better eye 6/6	Other eye 6/12		N8	Ishihara or Lantern 2 miles	No pathological field defect
Engineer/ Radio	6/60		6/18	6/18		N8	Ishihara or Farnsworth D15 or City University	Sufficient to undertake duties efficiently
Others	Sufficient to undertake duties efficiently
Those who become monocular in service with no evidence of progressive eye disease in the remaining eye
Deck	6/60	–	6/6		–	N8	Ishihara or Lantern 2 miles	No pathological field defect
Engineer/ Radio	6/60	–	6/9		0	N8	Ishihara or Farnsworth D15 or City University	Sufficient to undertake duties efficiently
Others	Sufficient to undertake duties efficiently
There should be a sufficient period of adaptation after becoming monocular to enable stairs to be descended rapidly and safely.
Notes
1. No diplopia, congenital night blindness, retinitis pigmentosa or any other serious or progressive eye disease is permitted.
2. Where bifocal glasses are worn there should be a period of adaptation first because of the risk of falls.
3. Where glasses or contact lenses are needed to meet the higher standard, a spare pair (distance and near vision if necessary) should be carried.
4. Aids to colour vision, e.g. Red-tinted, x-chroma, chromas lenses and chromagen lenses are not permitted.
5. Seafarers who suffer pathological field defects (i.e. not new entrants, deck officers and monocular seafarers) should have a field of vision at least 120° in the horizontal measured by the Goldman perimeter using the iii/4 setting (equivalent perimetry). In addition, there should be no significant defect in the binocular field which encroaches within 20° of fixation above or below the meridian. Homonymous or bi-temporal defects which come close to fixation where hemianopic or quadrantopic are not accepted.
6. Where the vision standard in this Schedule is marginally higher than the previous standard, seafarers in service before the date of publication of this Schedule may continue to be assessed according to the old standard, to ensure that serving seafarers are not penalised. This means that the following standards may continue to apply for seafarers already in service —
.1 deck department personnel required to operate lifting plant: 6/9 for the better eye (as opposed to the new standard of 6/6) for aided visual acuity;
.2 deck department personnel not required to perform lookout duties or to operate lifting plant: 6/18 for the better eye (as opposed to the new standard of 6/6) for aided visual acuity;
.3 engineers: 6/60 for the other eye (As opposed to the new standard of 6/18) for aided visual acuity.