Follow-Up Forms

A legal requirement after an incident….

Unfortunately, in 2026, we have been involved with more incidents than ever before during this first 4-month period.  Shorlink has assisted with the following:

• Investigations for our clients, interviewing parties;
• Represented clients with AMSA meetings;
• Represented/supported clients during legal proceedings; and
• Assisting with completing the forms both internal and external.

It has been an extremely busy time. You only need to read the latest Quarterly Domestic Report from AMSA regarding the incident and the result.

One of the biggest hurdles after an incident, regardless of size, is the paperwork.

Any vessel involved in a marine incident in Australian waters needs to make a report direct to AMSA.

How do I report a marine incident to AMSA?

There are two steps:

1. SUBMIT AN INCIDENT ALERT
   As soon as reasonably possible after becoming aware of the incident, you should complete and submit the online incident alert form 18 OR complete and email form 18 to  reports@amsa.gov.au.
   
   Under Marine Order 1 (Administration) 2013, regulated Australian vessels and foreign vessels must submit an incident alert within 4 hours.
   
   
2. SUBMIT AN INCIDENT ALERT
   Within 72 hours after becoming aware of the incident, you must complete and submit the online  incident report form 19 OR complete and email form 19 to reports@amsa.gov.au.

Internal Reporting

Whether your company is big or small, you should have very clear procedures on Internal Reporting.  These should be clear in your SMS.  Completing an internal incident report is essential and in case of an incident, even minor can protect you and your crew legally in case of an incident.

Shorlink developed SMS’s refer in Section 11 – headed Reporting of Incidents: Internal as below:

The procedure should be clear and defining the steps, actions and who’s responsible.  You should also have a clear list of steps for Master included.

One of these steps, is submitting an Internal Incident Report.  This should be completed and submitted to your Designated Person or owner for all incidents, including minor incidents. 

Despite have a clear record and history of all incidents onboard the vessel, it shows AMSA that you are:

1. Following your SMS procedures; and
2. Taking incidents and safety seriously and keeping diligent records.

The Follow-up Record

The follow-up of marine incidents is a requirement by AMSA under MO504 Section 13. To ensure this is recorded correctly we include a Follow-up Record form (SM 13-01) in all of the SMS’s we develop.  The wording that you use in this form IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT. 

In this form you need to record the date, full names and contact details of the person/s involved, the incident details, any feedback details and the actions/changes that were made.

Shorlink’s Recommendation

Incident reporting is a collective effort by crew, vessel operators and vessel owners to make the industry and vessels safer places to work.

The Follow-up Record outlines the incident and actions/changes made based on the investigation. It should also list the areas of the SMS that were reviewed based on incident and any actions or changes required to ensure it is up to date with current operations.

A further recommendation is to ensure your Master and owner are fully competent on the laws surrounding reporting and can complete both internal and external reporting should an incident occur within the timeframes.

Tip

If in doubt, report the incident anyway. Make sure all your crew members, staff and all onboard are aware that their reporting of any incidents, regardless of size is welcome to Owners and Operators of the vessel. 

If you are unsure about any of the contents of this newsletter, please reach out to our office on (07) 4242 1412 as we would rather have 1,000 calls to ensure safety, education and reporting is conducted where appropriate, than to have you exposed legally in case of an incident.