46 CFR 13.121 - Courses for tank vessel endorsements.

Regulations last checked for updates: Feb 09, 2026

Title 46 - Shipping last revised: Jan 15, 2026

View all text of Subpart A [§ 13.101 - § 13.129]

§ 13.121 - Courses for tank vessel endorsements.

(a) This section prescribes the requirements, beyond those in §§ 10.302 and 10.304 of this subchapter, applicable to schools offering courses required for a tank vessel endorsement and courses that are a substitute for experience with transfers of liquid cargo in bulk required for the endorsement.

(b) A course that uses simulated transfers to train students in loading and discharging tank vessels may replace up to two loadings and two discharges, one commencement and one completion of loading, and one commencement and one completion of discharge required for a Tank Vessel-PIC or Tank Barge-PIC endorsement. The request for approval of the course must specify those segments of a transfer that the course will simulate. The letter from the Coast Guard approving the course will state the number and kind of segments that the course will replace.

(1) Tank Vessel-PIC DL is Tankship: Dangerous Liquids;

(2) Tank Barge-PIC DL is Tank Barge: Dangerous Liquids;

(3) Tank Vessel-PIC LG is Tankship: Liquefied Gases;

(4) Tank barge-PIC LG is Tank Barge: Liquefied Gases;

(5) Tank Vessel-Assistant DL is Tankship: Familiarization (Dangerous Liquids);

(6) Tank Vessel-Assistant LG is Tankship: Familiarization (Liquefied Gases);

(7) Tank Vessel-Engineer DL is Tankship: Dangerous Liquids; and

(8) Tank Vessel-Engineer LG is Tankship: Liquefied Gases.

(d) The firefighting course required for an endorsement as—

(1) Tank Barge-PIC is Tank Barge: Firefighting or Basic Firefighting; and

(2) Tank Vessel-PIC, Tank Vessel-Assistant, and Tank Vessel-Engineer is basic firefighting.

(e) The Coast Guard will evaluate and approve the curricula of courses to ensure adequate coverage of the required subjects. Training may employ classroom instruction, demonstrations, or simulated or actual operations.

(1) The course curricula for Tankship Familiarization must consist of the topics identified in table 1 to § 13.121(e).

(2) The course curricula for Tank Vessel-PIC, Tank Barge-PIC, and Tank Vessel-Engineer endorsements must consist of the topics identified in table 2 to § 13.121(e).

(3) The course curricula for firefighting courses must consist of the topics identified in table 3 to § 13.121(e).

Table 1 to § 13.121(e)

Tankship familiarization topics	1	2
Basic knowledge of tankers:
Types of oil and chemical vessels or liquefied gas tanker vessels	X	X
General arrangement and construction	X	X
Basic knowledge of cargo operations:
Piping systems and valves	X	X
Cargo pumps and cargo handling equipment	X	X
Loading and unloading and care in transit	X	X
Tank cleaning, purging, gas-freeing and inerting	X	X
Basic knowledge of the physical properties of oil and chemicals:
Pressure and temperature, including vapor pressure/temperature relationship	X
Types of electrostatic charge generation	X
chemical symbols	X
Basic knowledge of the physical properties of liquefied gases, including:
Properties and characteristics		X
Pressure and temperature, including vapor pressure/temperature relationship		X
Types of electrostatic charge generation		X
Chemical symbols		X
Knowledge and understanding of tanker safety culture and safety management	X	X
Basic knowledge of the hazards associated with tanker operations, including:
Health hazards	X	X
Environmental hazards	X	X
Reactivity hazards	X	X
Corrosion hazards	X	X
Explosion and flammability hazards	X	X
Sources of ignition	X	X
Electrostatic hazards	X	X
Toxicity hazards	X	X
Vapor leaks and clouds	X	X
Extremely low temperatures		X
Pressure hazards		X
Basic knowledge of hazard controls:
Inerting, water padding, drying agents and monitoring techniques	X	X
Anti-static measures	X	X
Ventilation	X	X
Segregation	X	X
Cargo inhibition	X	X
Importance of cargo compatibility	X	X
Atmospheric control	X	X
Gas testing	X	X
Understanding of information on a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)	X	X
Function and proper use of gas-measuring instruments and similar equipment	X	X
Proper use of safety equipment and protective devices, including:
Breathing apparatus and tank-evacuating equipment	X	X
Protective clothing and equipment	X	X
Resuscitators	X	X
Rescue and escape equipment	X	X
Basic knowledge of safe working practices and procedures in accordance with legislation and industry guidelines and personal shipboard safety relevant to oil and chemical tankers, including:
Precautions to be taken when entering enclosed spaces	X	X
Precautions to be taken before and during repair and maintenance work	X	X
Safety measures for hot and cold work	X	X
Electrical safety	X	X
Ship/shore safety checklist	X	X
Basic knowledge of first aid with reference to a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)	X	X
Basic knowledge of emergency procedures, including emergency shutdown	X	X
Basic knowledge of the effects of oil and chemical pollution on human and marine life	X	X
Basic knowledge of shipboard procedures to prevent pollution	X	X
Basic knowledge of measures to be taken in the event of spillage, including the need to:
Report relevant information to the responsible persons	X	X
Assist in implementing shipboard spill-containment procedures	X	X
prevent brittle fracture	X

Column 1—Tankship Familiarization (Dangerous Liquids).

Column 2—Tankship Familiarization (Liquefied Gases).

Table 2 to § 13.121(e)

Tankship and tank barge course topics	1	2	3	4
General characteristics, compatibility, reaction, firefighting procedures, and safety precautions for the cargoes of:
Bulk liquids defined as Dangerous Liquids in 46 CFR Part 13	X	X
Bulk liquefied gases & their vapors defined as Liquefied Gases in 46 CFR Part 13			X	X
Knowledge and understanding of the physical and chemical properties of oil and chemical cargoes	X
Physical phenomena of liquefied gas, including:
Basic concept			X	X
Compression and expansion			X	X
Mechanism of heat transfer			X	X
Potential hazards of liquefied gas, including:
Chemical and physical properties			X	X
Combustion characteristics			X	X
Results of gas release to the atmosphere			X	X
Health hazards (skin contact, inhalation, and ingestion)			X	X
Control of flammability range with inert gas			X	X
Thermal stress in structure and piping of vessel			X	X
Cargo systems, including:
Principles of containment systems	X	X	X	X
Construction, materials, coating, & insulation of cargo tanks			X	X
General arrangement of cargo tanks	X	X	X	X
Venting and vapor-control systems	X	X	X	X
Cargo-handling systems, including:
Piping systems, valves, pumps, and expansion systems	X	X	X	X
Operating characteristics	X	X	X	X
Instrumentation systems, including:
Cargo-level indicators	X	X	X	X
Gas-detecting systems	X		X	X
Temperature-monitoring systems, cargo	X		X	X
Temperature-monitoring systems, hull			X	X
Automatic-shutdown systems	X		X	X
Auxiliary systems, including:
Ventilation, inerting	X	X	X	X
Valves, including:
Quick-closing	X	X	X	X
Remote-control	X	X	X	X
Pneumatic	X	X	X	X
Excess-flow	X	X	X	X
Safety-relief	X	X	X	X
Pressure-vacuum	X	X	X	X
Heating-systems: cofferdams & ballast tanks			X	X
Operations connected with the loading and discharging of cargo, including:
Lining up the cargo and vapor-control systems	X	X	X	X
Pre-transfer inspections and completion of the Declaration of Inspection	X	X	X	X
Hooking up of cargo hose, loading arms, and grounding-strap	X	X	X	X
Starting of liquid flow	X	X	X	X
Calculation of loading rates	X		X
Discussion of loading	X	X	X	X
Ballasting and deballasting	X	X	X	X
Topping off of the cargo tanks	X	X	X	X
Discussion of discharging	X	X	X	X
Stripping of the cargo tanks	X	X
Monitoring of transfers	X	X	X	X
Gauging of cargo tanks	X	X	X	X
Disconnecting of cargo hoses or loading arms	X	X	X	X
Cargo-tank-cleaning procedures and precautions	X	X
Slop arrangements	X
Ship-to-ship transfers	X
Operating procedures and sequence for:
Inerting of cargo tanks and void spaces	X	X	X	X
Cooldown and warmup of cargo tanks			X	X
Gas-freeing	X	X	X	X
Loaded or ballasted voyages	X		X
Testing of cargo-tank atmospheres for oxygen & cargo vapor	X	X	X	X
Stability and stress considerations connected with loading and discharging of cargo	X	X	X	X
Loadline, draft, and trim	X	X	X	X
Disposal of boil-off, including:
System design			X	X
Safety features			X	X
Stability-letter requirements	X		X
Emergency procedures, including notice to appropriate authorities, for:
Fire	X	X	X	X
Collision	X	X	X	X
Grounding	X	X	X	X
Equipment failure	X	X	X	X
Leaks and spills	X	X	X
Structural failure	X	X	X	X
Emergency discharge of cargo	X	X	X	X
Entering cargo tanks	X	X	X	X
Emergency shutdown of cargo-handling	X	X	X	X
Emergency systems for closing cargo tanks	X	X
Rules & regulations (international and Federal, for all tank vessels) on conducting operations and preventing pollution	X	X	X	X
Pollution prevention, including:
Procedures to prevent air and water pollution	X	X	X	X
Measures to take in event of spillage	X	X	X	X
Danger from drift of vapor cloud	X	X	X	X
Environmental protection equipment, including oil discharge monitoring equipment	X
Terminology for tankships carrying oil and chemicals	X
Terminology for tank barges carrying oil and chemicals		X
Terminology for tankships carrying liquefied gases			X
Terminology for tank barges carrying liquefied gases				X
Principles & procedures of crude-oil-washing (COW) systems, including:
Purpose	X
Equipment and design	X
Operations	X
Safety precautions	X
Maintenance of plant and equipment	X
Principles & procedures of the inert-gas systems (IGSs), including:
Purpose	X		X
Equipment and design	X		X
Operations	X		X
Safety precautions	X		X
Maintenance of plant and equipment	X		X
Principles & procedures of vapor-control systems, including:
Purpose	X	X	X	X
Principles	X	X	X	X
Coast Guard regulations	X	X	X	X
Hazards	X	X	X	X
Active system components	X	X	X	X
Passive system components	X	X	X	X
Operating procedures, including:
Testing and inspection requirements	X	X	X	X
Pre-transfer procedures	X	X	X	X
Connecting sequence	X	X	X	X
Start-up sequence	X	X	X	X
Normal operations	X	X	X	X
Loading and unloading plans	X
Emergency procedures	X	X	X	X
Cargo-hazard-information systems	X	X	X	X
Safe entry into confined spaces, including:
Testing tank atmospheres for oxygen & hydrocarbon vapors	X	X
Definition and hazards of confined spaces	X	X	X	X
Cargo tanks and pumprooms	X	X	X	X
Evaluation and assessment of risks and hazards	X	X	X	X
Safety precautions and procedures	X	X	X	X
Enclosed space rescue	X
Personnel protective equipment (PPE) and clothing	X	X	X	X
Maintenance of PPE	X	X	X	X
Dangers of skin contact	X	X	X	X
Inhalation of vapors	X	X
Electricity and static electricity—hazards and precautions	X	X	X	X
Emergency procedures	X	X	X	X
Federal regulations, national standards & industry guidelines	X	X	X	X
Inspections by marine chemists & competent persons, including hot-work permits & procedures	X	X	X	X
Vessel response plans:
Purpose, content, and location of information	X	X	X	X
Procedures for notice and mitigation of spills	X	X	X	X
Geographic-specific appendices	X	X	X	X
Vessel-specific appendices	X	X	X	X
Emergency-action checklist	X	X	X	X

Column 1—Tankship: Dangerous Liquids.

Column 2—Tank Barge: Dangerous Liquids.

Column 3—Tankship: Liquefied Gases.

Column 4—Tank Barge: Liquefied Gases.

Table 3 to § 13.121(e)

Firefighting course topics	1	2
Elements of fire (Fire triangle):
Fuel	X	X
Source of ignition	X	X
Oxygen	X	X
Ignition sources (general):
Chemical		X
Biological		X
Physical		X
Ignition sources applicable to barges	X
Definitions of flammability and combustibility:
Flammability	X	X
Ignition point	X	X
Burning temperature	X	X
Burning speed		X
Thermal value		X
Lower flammable limit	X	X
Upper flammable limit	X	X
Flammable range	X	X
Inerting		X
Static electricity	X	X
Flash point	X	X
Auto-ignition	X	X
Spread of fire:
By radiation	X	X
By convection	X	X
By conduction	X	X
Reactivity	X	X
Fire classifications and applicable extinguishing agents	X	X
Main causes of fires:
Oil leakage	X	X
Smoking	X	X
Overheating pumps	X	X
Galley appliances		X
Spontaneous ignition	X	X
Hot work	X	X
Electrical apparatus		X
Reaction, self-heating, and auto-ignition		X
Fire prevention:
General	X	X
Fire hazards of DL and LG	X	X
Fire detection:
Fire- and smoke-detection systems		X
Automatic fire alarms		X
Firefighting equipment:
Fire mains, hydrants		X
International shore-connection		X
Smothering-installations, carbon dioxide (CO2), foam * * *		X
Pressure-water spray system in special-category spaces		X
Automatic sprinkler system		X
Emergency fire pump, emergency generator		X
Chemical-powder applicants		X
General outline of required and mobile apparatus		X
Boiler Technician's outfit, personal equipment		X
Breathing apparatus		X
Resuscitation apparatus		X
Smoke helmet or mask		X
Fireproof life-line and harness		X
Fire hose, nozzles, connections, and fire axes		X
Fire blankets		X
Portable fire extinguishers	X	X
Limitations of portable and semiportable extinguishers	X	X
Emergency procedures:
Arrangements:
Escape routes	X	X
Means of gas-freeing tanks	X	X
Class A, B, and C divisions		X
Inert-gas system		X
Ship firefighting organization:
General alarms		X
Fire-control plans, muster stations, and duties		X
Communications		X
Periodic shipboard drills		X
Patrol system		X
Basic firefighting techniques:
Sounding alarm	X	X
Locating and isolating fires	X	X
Stopping leakage of cargo	X	X
Jettisoning		X
Inhibiting		X
Cooling		X
Smothering		X
Sizing up situation	X
Locating information on cargo	X
Extinguishing	X	X
Extinguishing with portable units	X	X
Setting reflash watch	X	X
Using additional personnel	X	X
Firefighting extinguishing-agents:
Water (solid jet, spray, fog, and flooding)		X
Foam (high, medium and low expansion)		X
Carbon dioxide (CO2)	X	X
Aqueous-film-forming foam (AFFF)		X
Dry chemicals	X	X
Use of extinguisher on:
Flammable and combustible liquids	X	X
Manifold-flange fire	X	X
Drip-pan fire	X	X
Pump fire	X	X
Drills for typical fires on barges	X
Field exercises:
Extinguish small fires using portable extinguishers:
Electrical	X	X
Manifold-flange	X	X
Drip-pan	X	X
Pump	X	X
Use self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)		X
Extinguish extensive fires with water		X
Extinguish fires with foam, or chemical		X
Fight fire in smoke-filled enclosed space wearing SCBA		X
Extinguish fire with water fog in an enclosed space with heavy smoke		X
Extinguish oil fire with fog applicator and spray nozzles, dry-chemical, or foam applicators		X
Effect a rescue in a smoke-filled space while wearing breathing apparatus		X

Column 1—Tank Barge-PIC.

Column 2—Tank Vessel-PIC, Tank Vessel-Engineer, and Tank Vessel-Assistant.

[USCG-2004-17914, 78 FR 77989, Dec. 24, 2013, as amended by USCG-2014-0688, 79 FR 58279, Sept. 29, 2014]

authority: 46 U.S.C. 3703,7317,8105,8703,9102; DHS Delegation No. 00170.1, Revision No. 01.4

source: CGD 79-116, 60 FR 17142, Apr. 4, 1995, as amended by USCG-2021-0097, 89 FR 93106, Nov. 25, 2024, unless otherwise noted.

cite as: 46 CFR 13.121