20 Jun 11
STCW 2010 Amendments : What you need to know
It is widely known that IMO was holding a Diplomatic Conference in Manila,
Philippines, earlier this year to discuss amendments to STCW. What most people
fail to identify is the extend of revisions and the implementation realities
behind that. To sort things straight lets see what happened step by step:
STCW Manila Amendments
On June 25th, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and other major
stakeholders in the global shipping and manning industry formally ratified the
so-called "Manila Amendments" to the current Convention on Standards of
Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) and its
associated Code. The amendments aiming to bring the STCW up to date with
developments since its conception and initial adoption in 1978, and the
subsequent amendments in 1995.
Enty Into Force
The Convention amendments will be adopted with a tacit acceptance procedure
which has been agreed indicating that amendments will be accepted by 1st July
2011 UNLESS more than 50% of the parties to the STCW object such a development.
As a result STCW Amendments are set to enter into force on January 1, 2012.
Enhancement of STCW Objectives
The following items outline the key improvements realised through the new
Amendments:
Certificates of Competency & endorsements to be issued only by Administration -
thereby reducing the possibility of fraudulent practices associated with issue
of certificates of competency.
Common medical standards for seafarers - seafarers from one country can serve
on board ships of another country without undergoing another medical exam.
Revalidation requirements rationalized for the benefit of the seafarer.
Introduction of modern training methodology i.e. distance learning and web
based learning.
Hours of rest harmonized with the requirements of ILO Maritime Labor Convention
(2006) with a view to reducing fatigue.
Requirements introduced to avoid alcohol and substance abuse.
New Competencies required to be built and curriculum to be updated in life with
modern developments and real life needs
Refresher Training is properly addressed within the convention
A brief outline of key curriculum upgrades is as follows:
Chapter I General provisiona
Regulation I/2 : Only Administrations to issue COC & maintain electronic
database for verification of authenticity
Regulation I/3 : near coastal voyage requirements made more clear, including
principals governing such voyages and entering "into an undertaking" with the
Parties concerned (flag and coastal states)
Regulation I/4 : PSC Assessment of seafarer watch keeping & security standards
- "Compromise to security" in the list
Regulation I/6 : Guidance on e-learning
Regulation I/9 : Medical standards updated in line with ILO MLC Requirements
Regulation I/11 : revalidation requirements made more rational and includes
revalidation requirements for tanker endorsements
Regulation I/14 : companies responsible for refresher training of seafarers on
their ships
STCW Chapter II Support Level
Chapter Two is the section on the deck department. The principal change in
Chapter II is the addition of an Able Seafarer - Deck Rating. This is separate
from the Rating Forming Part of a Navigational Watch (RFPNW).
Based on sea time requirements, it will be critical for a mariner to get their
RFPNW qualification as early in their career as possible. Sea time toward an AB
qualification will not start until RFPNW qualifications have been met and any
sea time toward subsequent licenses will require the AB endorsement. This will
require training and testing and will be a new section called A-II/5.
STCW Chapter II Operational and Management Level
Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) will be required
training for all deck officers on all vessels that are equipped with ECDIS.
ECDIS will be treated the same as ARPA or the GMDSS training, where it is an
STCW restriction from serving on equipped vessels if you don't have these
training certifications.
By 2012 nearly all vessels more than 200 gross tons will be required under a
separate law to have ECDIS equipment. By default, any deck officer on vessels
of more than 200 tons will need ECDIS training. There will be two levels of
ECDIS, operational and management dealing with the different responsibilities
of each.
Bridge Resource Management, Teamwork and Leadership training will be mandatory
at both the operational and management levels.
STCW Chapter III Engineering
The principal change in Chapter III is the addition of an Able Seafarer -
Engine Rating. This is separate from the Rating Forming Part of an Engineering
Watch.
Many countries have only had the RFPEW level and this new Able Seafarer Engine
rating will require the RFPEW to be STCW Compliant. This will require training
and testing and will be a new section called A-III/5.
Section A-III/1 will be reformatted and reorganized. You will no longer need to
have the 30 months of approved training in the engine room. The wording will
now be more synchronized with the deck department and will read three years of
sea service with one year of combined work shop skills and six months of engine
room watchstanding.
A new Electro Technical Officer (ETO) and an Electro Technical Rating (ETR)
will be added.
Engine Room Resource Management, Teamwork and Leadership training will be
mandatory at both the operational and management levels.
STCW Chapter V
Tankers and Tank Ships:
There will now be three categories of Tankerman on tank ships.
Oil
Chemical
Liquid Gas
In addition, each Tankerman category will have two levels
Basic (currently called assistant)
Advanced (currently called Person in Charge (PIC)
The major change will be the division of the chemical from the oil and each
requiring its own sea service prerequisites on each type of vessel and specific
training for each. Additionally, there will be a specially designated Tanker
Fire Fighting Course, although some parties may allow Basic Fire Fighting
courses to cover this requirement.
Passenger Vessels - There will be a consolidation of rules for passenger
vessels.
Offshore Supply Vessels (OSV), Dynamic Positioning (DP) Vessels and Operations
Ice Covered Waters:
There will be a new section with guidance on special licensing or training
requirements for OSVs, Dynamic Positioning (DP) Vessels and vessels operating
in water that are covered in Ice.
STCW Chapter VI
Marine Environmental Issues:
The amendments will include the addition of marine environmental awareness
issues in the Personal Safety & Social Responsibilities course conducted as
part of Basic Safety Training as well as an operational level of marine
environmental concerns at the STCW Code A-II/1 and A-III/1 levels of
Certification.
Basic Safety Training
The Personal Safety & Social Responsibilities (PSSR) coverage of the following
subjects will be added:
Communications
Control of Fatigue
Teamwork
These additional subjects will make the PSSR module longer in length but it
should still be less than one day in length. However, this will cause an
increase in the length of Basic Safety Training courses from the usual five
days to at least 5.5 days.
Refresher Safety Training:
One of the key elements of the STCW 2010 amendments appears to be the removal
of loopholes with respect to refresher training. The STCW Code, which was vague
in this area and many countries opted to interpret the "within five years"
requirement loosely. It has been decided that certain courses that may affect
the safety and survival of the crew and passengers in an emergency warrant
periodic refresher training.
Refresher Training may take the form of e-learning, shipboard drills and
training or shore based training.
The safety courses will require refresher training every five years and the
courses may be abbreviated somewhat from the original course lengths. The
training that will need to be refreshed by an approved method (in class or
shipboard - yet to be determined) are:
Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats
Advanced Firefighting
Basic Safety Training
Fast Rescue Boat
Medical Training
Security Training:
The amendments will include three levels of security training
Level One - Security Awareness (All crew members)
Level Two - Person with Security Duties
Level Three - Ship Security Officer - ISPS Code
Anti Piracy training will be added to each level as well.
STCW Chapter VIII : Watch keeping
This section of the STCW Code will be harmonized with the Maritime Labour
Convention (MLC) Convention. The Maritime Labour Convention was signed in 2006
and was created to create regulations for seafarers right's so that there would
be a global minimum standard for how mariners are treated.
Harmonisation with IMO MLC
Where the IMO (International Maritime Organization) oversees the STCW
Certification Convention, the ILO (International Labour Organization) oversees
the MLC Convention. When the International Labour Organization adopted a "bill
of rights" for the world's maritime workers, all concerned - governments,
seafarers and shipowners - hailed this new labour standard as a landmark
development for the world's most globalized sector.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) had taken important steps to
build protections in the areas of safety, certification and pollution, but the
sector was awash in a wide range of international labour standards going back
over eight decades. The ILO Maritime Labour Convention 2006 modernizes these
standards to:
Consolidate and update more than 60 earlier ILO Conventions and Recommendations.
Set minimum requirements for seafarers to work on a ship.
Address conditions of employment, accommodation, recreational facilities, food
and catering, health protection, medical care, welfare and social security
protection.
Promote compliance by operators and owners of ships by giving governments
sufficient flexibility to implement its requirements in a manner best adapted
to their individual laws and practices.
Strengthen enforcement mechanisms at all levels, including provisions for
complaint procedures available to seafarers, the shipowners' and shipmasters'
supervision of conditions on their ships, the flag States' jurisdiction and
control over their ships, and port state inspections of foreign ships.
Conclusion
The STCW is here to stay. The most interesting issue about the new amendments
is that SCTW Amendments will be implemented for sure beyond the ILO MLC. The
new amendments incorporate a 5 year phase in period for existing seafarers and
at the same time require all real life amendments such as the Work & Rest Hours
to be implemented as of 1st of January 2012.
So remain fastened and stay tuned.
/////////// fm safety4sea /////////////////
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