STCW Convention

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The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers ( STCW Convention of English. International Convention on S tandards of T raining, C ertification and W atchkeeping for Seafarers ) is a UN Convention , the 1978 was created by the International Maritime Organization . The currently valid version is the STCW Convention ( STCW 95 ), amended in 1995 , which in turn has undergone several minor changes in the meantime.

backgrounds

The STCW Convention should create internationally comparable standards in the training of seafarers. To this end, the many different national qualifications have been gradually standardized. The convention also contains general procedural instructions for personnel deployed in security services (bridge, machine, cargo handling).

The STCW Convention also applies to ships from flag states that have not ratified the STCW Convention, provided they visit the port of a contracting state.

The inspectors of the port state control (in Germany the BG Verkehr, Dienststelle Schiffssicherheit ) check, among other things, whether the requirements of the STCW convention are being observed.

scope

The STCW Code applies to all ships whose flag state has ratified the STCW Convention, as well as to all other ships calling at a port or the territory of a contracting state.

The convention only applies to merchant ships, not to naval and government vessels, fishing vessels and private yachts.

construction

The STCW Code consists of the mandatory Part A and Part B , which only contains recommendations.

Part A contains the following eight chapters:

  • Chapter I:
General provisions such as notices of recognition, extensions and periods of validity as well as health standards
  • Chapter II:
Certificates of nautical competency for the master, nautical officers and deck crews with the ability to watch
  • Chapter III:
Technical certificates of proficiency for chief engineers, technical engineers and machine crews authorized to watch. In addition, from 2017, Chapter III regulates the certification of electrotechnical ship personnel (STCW III / 6 and III / 7).
  • Chapter IV:
GMDSS certificates
  • Chapter V:
Certificates for service on special ship types such as tankers (STCW V / 1), passenger ships (STCW V / 2) or ships that are subject to the IGF code (STCW V / 3).
  • Chapter VI:
Certificates in connection with occupational safety (STCW VI / 1), lifeboat man (STCW VI / 2) or danger prevention (STCW VI / 6, see ISPS code )
  • Chapter VII:
Alternative certificates, such as the certification of ship mechanics (STCW VII / 2)
  • Chapter VIII:
Certificates related to the security service

Certificates of competency

Example of a certificate issued by the BSH in accordance with STCW II / 1

The STCW code also specifies the certificates of competency for various ranks.

The procedure here is as follows:

  • Division into departments
    • Division I for Fisheries
    • Department II for deck and nautical engineering
    • Department III for machine
  • Division into levels
    • 1 = operational level (operational)
    • 2 = management level
    • 3 = less than 500 GRT (for II) or less than 3,000 kW (for III)
    • 4 = teams (ratings)
    • 5 = qualified shipmen (Able Bodied)

This results in the well-known STCW abbreviations, some examples:

  • Captain = STCW II / 2
  • Officer on watch = STCW II / 1
  • Chief Engineer = STCW III / 2
  • Shipmen who watch the bridge = STCW II / 4
  • Sailor with letter = STCW II / 5
  • Ship mechanic = STCW II / 5 and STCW III / 5, summarized under STCW VII / 2

In some countries the certificate of competency coincides with the seafarer's card .

Web links

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  1. ↑ STCW Convention ( Memento of the original from October 30, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Summary of the STCW Code  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.deutsche-flagge.de
  2. ↑ New requirements from 2017 , Warshah Superyacht Academy.