STCW Basic Safety Training cheat sheet

STCW certificates of competency are issued by or under the authority of the flag State Administration after verification of identity, medical fitness, sea service, and competence.

A certificate of competency is valid for a maximum of five years and must be revalidated by the issuing Administration.

An endorsement attesting recognition of a certificate does not by itself certify competence; it confirms that the flag State accepts the underlying certificate.

Companies must ensure that each seafarer assigned to a ship holds a valid certificate, is medically fit, and is familiar with shipboard duties and emergency procedures under Regulation I/14.

Port State control may verify certificates and endorsements and may detain a ship when clear grounds show the crew is not properly certificated or does not meet rest requirements.

Approved training and assessment must be conducted by qualified persons and covered by a quality standards system under Regulation I/8.

A seafarer's medical certificate is normally valid for a maximum of two years, or one year for a seafarer under 18 years of age.

The Administration may allow near-coastal voyages to be regulated by national provisions, but the certificate remains subject to STCW control procedures.

Regulation II/1 covers officers in charge of a navigational watch; certification requires approved seagoing service, approved training, medical fitness, and demonstrated navigational competence.

The OICNW sea service route is at least 12 months in an approved training programme with a training record book, or at least 36 months of approved seagoing service.

Regulation II/2 covers masters and chief mates; certification requires advanced training in navigation, cargo operations, ship management, and safety.

Deck ratings forming part of a navigational watch are certified under Regulation II/4 after approved sea service, training, and assessment.

An able seafarer deck is certified under Regulation II/5 with competence in navigation support, cargo handling, mooring, and shipboard safety.

The master retains ultimate responsibility for safe navigation and for ensuring that the navigational watch is properly maintained.

A bridge watch handover includes position, course, speed, traffic, navigational hazards, machinery status, and standing orders.

Navigational watchkeeping uses visual, auditory, and electronic means, including radar, ARPA, ECDIS, and compass, to maintain a proper lookout.

Regulation III/1 covers officers in charge of an engineering watch in manned or periodically unmanned engine rooms.

OICEW certification requires approved seagoing service, approved training, medical fitness, and demonstrated competence in engine watchkeeping.

Regulation III/2 applies to chief engineer officers and second engineer officers on ships with main propulsion machinery of 3,000 kW or more.

Regulation III/3 applies to chief engineer officers and second engineer officers on ships with main propulsion machinery between 750 kW and 3,000 kW.

Regulation III/4 covers ratings forming part of an engine-room watch; Regulation III/5 covers able seafarer engine certification.

Regulation III/6 covers electro-technical officers qualified to maintain electrical, electronic, and control systems.

In a periodically unmanned engine room, a designated duty engineer remains on call and must respond to alarms and maintain communications.

Engine watch handover includes machinery status, ongoing maintenance, alarm history, and standing instructions.

GMDSS sea area A1 is within VHF coast-station coverage with continuous DSC alerting; A2 is within MF coverage; A3 is within Inmarsat coverage; A4 is outside A1-A3.

A Restricted Operator's Certificate (ROC) is limited to sea area A1; a General Operator's Certificate (GOC) covers A1-A3.

VHF channel 16 (156.8 MHz) is the distress and safety voice frequency; VHF channel 70 (156.525 MHz) is the DSC distress and safety frequency.

MF 2182 kHz is the distress and safety voice frequency; MF 2187.5 kHz is the DSC distress and safety frequency.

GMDSS equipment includes VHF DSC, MF/HF DSC as required, satellite distress alerting, EPIRB, SART, and survival craft two-way radio.

Radio watchkeeping requires continuous DSC watch on the appropriate distress and safety frequencies for the sea area.

A distress alert must identify the vessel, position, nature of distress, and assistance required; false alerts must be cancelled immediately.

Radio operators must hold a valid GMDSS certificate appropriate to the ship's sea area and equipment.

Regulation V/1-1 covers basic and advanced training for masters, officers, and ratings on oil and chemical tankers.

Regulation V/1-2 covers basic and advanced training for masters, officers, and ratings on liquefied gas tankers.

Tanker basic training covers cargo hazards, fire safety, personal protective equipment, emergency procedures, and pollution prevention.

Regulation V/2 covers passenger ship familiarization, safety training, and crowd management for personnel assisting passengers in emergencies.

Regulation V/3 covers additional training for personnel on ro-ro passenger ships, including crowd and crisis management and human behaviour.

Regulation V/4 covers training for personnel on ships subject to the IGF Code using low-flashpoint fuels.

Regulation V/5 covers basic and advanced training for masters, officers, and crew on ships operating in polar waters.

Special training requirements apply before a seafarer is assigned to duties on the relevant ship type.

Regulation VI/1 basic safety training has four elements: personal survival techniques, fire prevention and firefighting, elementary first aid, and personal safety and social responsibility.

Personal survival techniques include donning a lifejacket, abandoning ship, survival in water, and use of survival craft and rescue equipment.

Fire prevention and firefighting training covers the fire triangle, fire classes, extinguishers, fixed systems, breathing apparatus, and firefighting organization.

Elementary first aid covers casualty assessment, airway and breathing, bleeding control, burns, shock, and requesting medical help.

Personal safety and social responsibility covers shipboard hazards, emergency duties, communication, fatigue, and pollution prevention.

Regulation VI/2 covers proficiency in survival craft and rescue boats; Regulation VI/3 covers advanced firefighting.

Regulation VI/4 covers medical first aid and medical care; Regulation VI/5 and VI/6 cover security awareness and security duties.

Crew must participate in drills and familiarization before sailing so that emergency duties and equipment locations are known.

Alternative certification is permitted under Chapter VII only when the Administration ensures competence and safety equivalent to the conventional chapter requirements.

An alternative certificate may cover functions across deck, engine, or radiocommunication duties rather than a single traditional department.

The Administration must approve training, assessment, and sea service used for alternative certification and apply quality standards.

Alternative certification arrangements must not reduce watchkeeping standards or allow duties beyond the holder's demonstrated competence.

Alternative certificate holders remain subject to medical fitness, fitness for duty, and port State control verification.

The flag State must maintain records of alternative certificates and make verification information available to other Administrations.

Alternative certification does not exempt a seafarer from basic safety training or from the ship's emergency familiarization.

Regulation VIII/1 requires watchkeepers to be fit for duty and not impaired by fatigue, illness, alcohol, or drugs.

Minimum rest is 10 hours in any 24-hour period and 77 hours in any 7-day period.

Rest may be divided into no more than two periods, one of at least 6 hours, and the interval between rest periods must not exceed 14 hours.

Watch schedules must be posted and rest hours recorded so that fatigue and compliance can be verified.

A navigational watch must maintain a proper lookout by sight, hearing, and all available electronic means, including radar and ECDIS.

An officer in charge of a watch must not leave the bridge until properly relieved by a competent person.

Engine-room watchkeeping includes monitoring propulsion and auxiliary machinery, responding to alarms, and recording important events.

Watch handover must be complete and include position, course, speed, traffic, hazards, machinery status, and standing orders.