Employment of seafarers
8.—(1)  Subject to subsections (2) and (3), no person may employ another person as a seafarer on a ship unless that other person has been issued with a medical fitness certificate complying with requirements as may be prescribed, and which is still valid and is not suspended.
(2)  A person may continue to employ as a seafarer on a ship, a person whose medical fitness certificate has expired during the course of a voyage until the earlier of the following:
(a)the first port of call at which it is possible for the seafarer to make an application for a medical fitness certificate and be examined by a qualified medical practitioner;
(b)the expiry of 3 months starting from the date of expiry of the certificate.
(3)  In urgent cases, with the Director’s approval, if a person who is a seafarer —
(a)does not hold a valid medical fitness certificate; but
(b)has held a medical fitness certificate for a period of not less than 24 months (or in the case of a person below 18 years of age at the date of issue of the certificate, 12 months) and that certificate has expired no earlier than one month from the date on which the seafarer joined a ship,
a person may employ that person as a seafarer on that ship until the first port of call at which it is possible for an application for a medical fitness certificate in respect of that seafarer to be made and for that seafarer to be examined by a qualified medical practitioner, but in any case not for a period exceeding 3 months.
(4)  No person shall employ a person as a seafarer on a ship in a capacity of sea service or in a geographical area precluded by any restriction in that person’s medical fitness certificate.
(5)  No person shall employ a person as a seafarer on a ship in such a way as to breach a condition of that person’s medical fitness certificate.
(6)  Any person who contravenes subsection (1), (4) or (5) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.