STCW Compliance 2010 Manila Amendments

STCW, the Standards for Training, Certification and Watchkeeping, addresses the minimum requirements all seafarers must meet before sailing in international waters. But as the maritime industry grows and evolves, these standards must be amended and brought up to date. In this video, we'll tell you what you need to know about the 2010 Manila Amendments, and go over new STCW requirements in the following areas, certificates and endorsements, record keeping, shipboard familiarization, crew coordination, fitness for duty, basic training, and ongoing training and assessment. Finally, we'll tell you when these new requirements are being implemented, and what you need to do to remain STCW-compliant. First, let's take a look at the latest STCW guidelines for certificates and endorsements. The Manila Amendments introduced two new grades of able seafarer deck and able seafarer engine, as well as new competence standards and certification for the positions of electrotechnical officer and electrotechnical rating. By January, 2017, ILO Able Seaman certificates will no longer be valid. To transition to new certification grades, seafarers must have a minimum of 12 months relevant experience at sea in the five years before May, 2012, and have completed all STCW basic training requirements. Whether it's an engineer, whether it's an able-bodied seaman, whether it's a mate, they know now that at the very least that person has demonstrated competence in the appropriate areas for the position which they will be filling. New record keeping regulations require all prospective officers to keep track of their training through an onboard training record book, ensuring that records are up to date and available for scrutiny. A new joining crew member has to be oriented to the vessel he's walking onto. And this orientation must take place before assignment to ship or duties. Though the process itself may vary, the company's training officers are responsible for ensuring that comprehensive training records are always kept, and that seafarers are fully trained in all their respective tasks. The deck and engine equipment of a ship are technologically different now as compared to 20 or 30 years ago. Along with new technology come new requirements in shipboard familiarization. Training in the use of computer-based navigation information systems, usually referred to as Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems, or ECDIS, is now required for seafarers at the operational level, as well as the management level. The IMO recommends a minimum of 40 hours of generic ECDIS training. Seafarers must demonstrate ECDIS proficiency or under the latest guidelines their certificate of competency will not allow them to serve aboard ships outfitted with ECDIS equipment. In the old days, you had very large crews because a lot of tasks simply required a lot of people to do them. Now with electronics and other design factors, crew sizes have gotten much smaller. The people that are left have to be much more highly trained. Other training requirements for dynamic positioning systems and pollution prevention equipment have also been added. Personnel operating tankers are now divided into three categories, oil, chemical, and gas, with ship-specific training for each. Crew operating ships in polar waters are also given new training guidance. I think the revisions that happened with the STCW are driven by technology and advances actually within the industry that are recognized standards and practices. Company and crew alike are always on the lookout for ways to improve crew coordination. To facilitate this, all deck and engine officers must now undergo training in leadership, teamwork, and managerial skills. Sailing a ship is the ultimate team sport. It takes more than just a captain. You have to have qualified people at all levels. It doesn't matter who we are on a ship. We all work together as a team. By January, 2017, all deck and engine officers seeking STCW certificates will be required to meet minimum competency requirements in leadership and teamworking. Additional training is required for those seeking titles of chief mate and master, or chief engineering officer. The 2010 amendments don't only raise competency standards, they standardize the international requirement to be fit for duty, establishing worldwide medical standards for all mariners. There's been a greater scrutiny on the medical fitness of seafarers. And that's probably the largest reason that those medical standards have changed. Medical certificates must be renewed no less than every two years. And the minimum eyesight and hearing standards have been raised. For certification, mariners will be required to demonstrate their fitness for duty in a physical exam. The thing about working on a ship is generally it's seven days a week. So in some jobs, you might be able to work and push yourself beyond your limits but you know you get a day, a day or two away. You can catch up. You can recover. On a ship it's not like that. These concerns for crew safety have led to new minimum rest requirements. Mariners must now get at least 10 hours of rest for every 24 hour period and at least 77 hours a week. For every 10 hours of rest, at least 6 of those must be in one uninterrupted period. And when people get tired, when they get fatigued, they make mistakes. They cause people to get hurt. They get hurt themselves. New requirements also stress the importance of compensatory rest periods if seafarers' normal schedule is disturbed. Musters and drills must be conducted in a manner that minimizes fatigue and the disturbance of rest periods. Fatigue has the same effect on the brain essentially as alcohol. And that is your cognitive functions tend to decrease the more fatigued you become. Speaking of alcohol, a maximum blood alcohol content of no more than 0.05 percent is now enforced. Different flag states that issue STCW certification can increase that and make it more stringent, but not less. Once again, with fewer people on board the vessel, there's really no room for anyone who is not at the peak of sobriety. Need to be alert, awake, aware of what's going on, because you may be the only person on the ship who is able to see at any given point what's going on. All mariners must complete basic training requirements comprised of survival training, basic firefighting, elementary first aid, and personal safety and social responsibility. But several additional requirements have recently been introduced, including marine environmental awareness and security Awareness. Security is something now that ships' crews need to be aware of. They need to have policies and procedures. They need to follow ISPS [INAUDIBLE]. One of the common security issues that's been in the media is piracy. What we're training people to do is not necessarily to fight, much more to be aware, be able to make timely notification of suspicious behavior, and recognize what doesn't look right. Notify the proper authorities. Notify the company. Beginning January, 2014, all seafarers must complete at least one of three levels of approved security training. Level 1, designated security awareness training, applies to all seafarers. Level 2 applies to mariners with designated security duties on board. Level 3 is the highest level of security training a seafarer can receive, and is required for the ship security officer on board. But all this safety training isn't just a one-time thing. For consistent results, we need ongoing training and assessment. Any training courses that affect the safety and survival of the crew now require refresher training every five-year cycle. That means all mariners must successfully complete refresher training every five years in basic firefighting and personal survival. Additionally, seafarers required to hold certificates in survival craft and rescue boats, fast rescue boat, and advanced firefighting must receive this refresher training in order to sail in compliance. It can be done through formal shoreside school training. It can be done perhaps by onboard assessment. There are a number of ways that that's going to be addressed in the future with newer technologies like e-learning. Indeed, there are many exciting 21st century opportunities in the ongoing training and assessment of mariners. The latest updates to STCW provide important guidance in approved e-learning, distance learning, and simulator training for mariners worldwide. Many training schools now offer new and exciting opportunities for STCW-approved Computer-Based Training programs or CPTs. Now more than ever, seafarers can show they meet basic training and assessment requirements from the comfort of their own homes. So you know about all the latest changes to STCW. But when do these new rules go into effect? Let's talk about important dates for implementation and what you need to do to remain STCW-compliant. The IMO began instituting these new rules back in 2012, thus beginning a five-year period to transition to these updated requirements. Starting in 2014, new security training requirements go into effect. By January, 2017, all seafarers must meet the latest requirements. STCW is the law. Seafarers who aren't in full compliance by 2017 won't have the necessary certificates to sail in international waters. And that's just the beginning. That vessel could be detained by a port state. In other cases, vessels might be denied access to a port if they do not have the appropriate level of training, so the consequences to a vessel operator can be very severe. Always remember it's the company's responsibility to make sure that all mariners are certified according to the latest amendments. Check with maritime training academies in your area for a list of approved STCW training courses to ensure your employees remain STCW-compliant. Let's recap 10 important new additions in the Manila Amendments that we learned in this video. STCW now offers new certification grades of able seafarer deck and able seafarer engine, and new certification requirements for electrotechnical officer and electrotechnical rating. Ships are required to keep an onboard training record book. Seafarers on ships outfitted with applicable technology must demonstrate familiarity with ECDIS, dynamic positioning systems, and pollution prevention equipment; and follow new guidance standards for operating tankers and ships in polar waters. New training requirements for leadership, teamwork, and managerial skills aim to improve shipboard communication and coordination. Tougher fitness for duty requirements establish minimum vision and hearing standards, and a maximum two-year medical certificate. To be fit for duty, seafarers must meet minimum standards for rest and blood alcohol level requirements. Additional training requirements include marine environment awareness and security awareness courses; and mandatory refresher training every five years for many STCW certifications. Finally, in today's rapidly advancing world, new opportunities for distance learning and e-learning are continually emerging. I think when you look at this process, it's like getting your driver's license. Going through the STCW process actually is your license to be on that boat and to do your job. Don't put your safety at risk. Make sure you and the rest of your crew are in full compliance with STCW and the Manila Amendments, and together, we can work to achieve a safer and better maritime workplace for all.