Lookout Duties

[Unregistered]

Hey all,

I need to wear glasses as my eyesight is somewhat poor but within limits, however I would like to undertake laser eye surgery at some point in my career (for both practical and general lifestyle reasons). Now I've been reading up the various MCA documents on eyesight standards and I have a query. Engineers do not need to undertake lookout duties, therefore it is every bit possible for an engineer to have an unrestricted ticket for their duties but be restricted for lookout duties (only applicable to deck, but must be included in the certificate anyway). With this in mind, let me post up a quote from a particular MCA document concerning eyesight, specifically the section dealing with laser eye surgery:

"If a seafarer decides to undertake the procedure and returns for reassessment, the Standards require you to make them temporarily unfit for lookout duties for 6 months after surgery."

Now, considering that a lookout restriction is not a barrier to an engineer serving on a ship with an unrestricted ticket, does this mean that an engineer who has undergone the surgery, once recovered, can take an ENG1, be restricted for lookout duties (as above) yet serve with an unrestricted ticket (again, as above) immediately upon completion of the ENG1 (as opposed to a deck officer who would have to wait 6 months)?

I hope that all makes some sense

[penfold]

Does this really warrant an anonymous thread? Anywho; The answer to your question is yes(assuming the eyecutter didn't have an offday and turn you into mr. magoo), but you seem to have worked that out already.

I've considered it myself, but it's reet pricy and I'm sceptical of hiring the services of the cheaper providers as they seem to be more in the business of flogging hire-purchase with incidental medical procedures rather than being especially good at what they do.

[ETwhat?]

Does this really warrant an anonymous thread? Anywho; The answer to your question is yes(assuming the eyecutter didn't have an offday and turn you into mr. magoo), but you seem to have worked that out already.

I've considered it myself, but it's reet pricy and I'm sceptical of hiring the services of the cheaper providers as they seem to be more in the business of flogging hire-purchase with incidental medical procedures rather than being especially good at what they do.

A friend went for it, he was finding in low light or when tired his eyes werent focusing, whilst it is expensive he was of the opinion that it was money well spent, as it removed the need for occasional glasses which tended to be always in the wrong place.