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Certification guide

STCW basic safety training: the four courses and how they renew

Seafarers are trained and certified under the STCW Convention of the International Maritime Organization. Basic safety training is the entry ticket: four short courses before a first contract at sea. Here is what they are, who approves them, and what has to be refreshed.

Every rule on this page names the body that sets it. Checked against the sources on .

At a glance

Convention
STCW, International Maritime Organization; basic training is STCW Code section A-VI/1
The four courses
Personal survival techniques; fire prevention and fire fighting; elementary first aid; personal safety and social responsibilities
Approved by
The flag state. In the UK, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency approves each provider
Refresher
Survival and fire fighting: evidence of updated training every five years
Medical
In the UK the ENG1, valid two years at most, one year under 18

The four courses

Basic training under STCW Code section A-VI/1 has four elements: personal survival techniques (table A-VI/1-1), fire prevention and fire fighting (A-VI/1-2), elementary first aid (A-VI/1-3) and personal safety and social responsibilities (A-VI/1-4). The MCA lists them in Merchant Shipping Notice 1865.

Who approves the courses

The Convention sets the standard; each flag state approves the training given under it. In the United Kingdom, basic training has to be given by an MCA approved training provider, and the MCA publishes the list of providers for each course, updated monthly.

Other flag states keep their own lists. A listing in the UK does not make a course approved elsewhere; check the administration of the flag you will sail under.

How to get it

The order is medical first, then the courses, then the certificates that the flag state issues or recognises.

  1. Pass the seafarer medical In the UK that is the ENG1, from an MCA approved doctor. It is valid for at most two years, or one year under 18, and a doctor can issue a shorter one on health grounds.
  2. Book the four courses with an approved provider In the UK, one from the MCA list for each course. The MCA sets what the courses cover; the provider sets the dates and the length.
  3. Keep the certificates Each course earns a certificate of proficiency. Employers and crewing agencies ask for all four before a first contract.
  4. Note the refresher dates Survival and fire fighting need evidence of updated training every five years. Elementary first aid and personal safety are not on the updating list.

What has to be refreshed

Since the 2010 Manila amendments, seafarers have to show every five years that they have kept up their basic training in personal survival techniques and in fire prevention and fire fighting. The MCA asks for documentary evidence of either the course or updated training within the last five years. Some elements can be updated on board with a self-declaration; fire prevention and fire fighting cannot.

Certificates from another country

The Convention entitles its parties to accept, in principle, certificates issued by or on behalf of other STCW parties. Whether a particular basic training certificate is accepted for a particular ship is decided by that ship's flag state and employer, so ask before booking a course abroad.

Questions people ask

How do I get an STCW certificate?

Pass the seafarer medical, then take the four basic training courses with a provider approved by the flag state: personal survival techniques, fire prevention and fire fighting, elementary first aid, and personal safety and social responsibilities. In the UK the MCA publishes the approved providers for each course.

Does STCW basic training expire?

Two of the four courses have to be kept up: personal survival techniques and fire prevention and fire fighting need evidence of updated training every five years. Elementary first aid and personal safety and social responsibilities are not on the MCA's updating list.

What medical do I need to work at sea?

A seafarer medical certificate from the flag state. In the UK it is the ENG1 from an MCA approved doctor, valid for at most two years, or one year for seafarers under 18.

Sources

  1. International Maritime Organization: STCW Convention
  2. Maritime and Coastguard Agency: MSN 1865, basic training requirements
  3. Maritime and Coastguard Agency: approved training providers
  4. Maritime and Coastguard Agency: the Manila amendments
  5. Maritime and Coastguard Agency: MSN 1887, medical certification
  6. Maritime and Coastguard Agency: approved doctors for ENG1
  7. International Maritime Organization: parties to the STCW Convention

At a glance

Convention
STCW, International Maritime Organization; basic training is STCW Code section A-VI/1
The four courses
Personal survival techniques; fire prevention and fire fighting; elementary first aid; personal safety and social responsibilities
Approved by
The flag state. In the UK, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency approves each provider
Refresher
Survival and fire fighting: evidence of updated training every five years
Medical
In the UK the ENG1, valid two years at most, one year under 18

Jobs that ask for it

1,566 live listings mention STCW basic safety training right now.

Marine and maritime jobs 2,703 Offshore jobs 3,171 Entry-level offshore and marine jobs 128 Jobs in the United Kingdom 521 Jobs in the Netherlands 211 Jobs in Norway 60

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