STCW 95

The STCW – Convention

International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers - an agreement that sets binding minimum worldwide standards for the training of seafarers.
Adopted by the IMO (International Maritime Organization) in 1978, entered the Federal Republic of Germany 1984.
The current version is STCW 95

The consensus definition of international standards was designed to protect human life and property at sea and to protect the marine environment. Numerous different national qualifications were unified by little.

The Convention applies to seafarers working on ships flying the flag of a State to which the Convention entered into force. It also applies to vessels from other flag states when they call at the port of a STCW-state.

The Convention consists of the Convention and the Code. The practical content has been designed as appendix - part A mandatory, part B recommendatory. The mandatory rules for the training content are written in 8 chapters:

Chapter I of the Convention provides definitions and clarifications.
Chapter II defines mandatory minimum requirements for the master and the deck area.
Chapter III deals with the technical area on board.
Chapter IV provides for the radio traffic and the demands on the radio staff.
Chapter V contains special training requirements for personnel on certain types of ships such as tankers, ro-ro passenger ships and passenger ships.
Chapter VI includes tasks related to emergency, safety, medical care and survival measures.
Chapter VII contains provisions on other certificates and Chapter
Chapter VIII rules to guard duty.

Maritime education and training landscape go under future trends. This fact is supported by a regular review and adjustment account. The changes are then to be found in the appendices. A review was held recently in June 2010 at a conference in Manila, Philippines.



Important certificates from Chapter VI