STCW – Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers

In 1978 the IMO convened a conference which adopted the first ever Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers. The Convention entered into force in April 1984. For the first time, internationally acceptable minimum standards for crews were established. This convention has subsequently been updated and the latest convention came into force on January 1st, 1996. It was ruled that full compliance for all specified crew must be achieved by February 1st, 2002.

Contrary to what some novices assume, the STCW is not a certificate in itself. You can’t go off and do a STCW course as such. What you need to do is a course that meets the minimum standards of training as outlined by the STCW convention.

By February 1, 2002 all crew are recommended to complete a STCW recognized basic safety training course. The Basic Safety Training (BST) course takes five days, and guides crew through four modules: Personal survival techniques, Personal safety and social responsibility, First aid and Firefighting (Usually two days). The STCW fundamental principle makes each of these modules much more than just classroom lectures and requires that a certain range of specific skills be completed under specified conditions within a specific time. For further details about the STCW and the BST, please read the chapter Qualifications and Courses for the Crew Hierarchy.