Amendments to the Seafarers'
Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Code in relation to the
International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping
for Seafarers of 7 July 1978 [1]
(London, 4 June 1997)
THE MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE,
RECALLING Article 28(b) of the Convention
on the International Maritime Organization concerning the functions of
the Committee,
RECALLING FURTHER Article XII and Regulation
I/1.2.3 of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification
and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, hereinafter referred to as
"the Convention", concerning the procedures for amending Part A of the
Seafarers' Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Code,
HAVING CONSIDERED Resolution 5 of the
1995 Conference of Parties to the 1978 STCW Convention and relevant provisions
addressing the training of personnel on ro-ro passenger ships in crisis
management and human behaviour,
HAVING ALSO CONSIDERED , at its sixty-eighth
session, amendments to Part A of the STCW Code proposed and circulated
in accordance with Article XII(1)(a)(i) of the Convention,
1. ADOPTS , in accordance with Article
XII(1)(a)(iv) of the Convention, amendments to the STCW Code, the text
of which is set out in the Annex to the present Resolution;
2. DETERMINES , in accordance with
Article XII(1)(a)(vii)2 of the Convention, that the said amendments to
the STCW Code shall be deemed to have been accepted on 1 July 1998, unless,
prior to that date more than one third of Parties or Parties the combined
merchant fleets of which constitute not less than 50% of the gross tonnage
of the world's merchant shipping of ships of 100 gross register tons or
more, have notified their objections to the amendments;
3. INVITES Parties to the STCW Convention
to note that, in accordance with Article XII(1)(a)(ix) of the Convention,
the annexed amendments to the STCW Code shall enter into force on 1 January
1999 upon their acceptance in accordance with paragraph 2 above;
4. REQUESTS the Secretary-General,
in conformity with Article XII(1)(a)(v) of the Convention, to transmit
certified copies of the present Resolution and the text of the amendments
contained in the Annex to all Parties to the Convention;
5. FURTHER REQUESTS the Secretary-General
to transmit copies of this Resolution and its Annex to Members of the Organization
which are not Parties to the Convention.
ANNEX
AMENDMENTS TO THE SEAFARERS' TRAINING, CERTIFICATION
AND WATCHKEEPING (STCW) CODE
Section A-V/2
Mandatory minimum requirements for the training
and qualifications of masters, officers, ratings and other personnel on
ro-ro passenger ships
1 Section A-V/2.5 is replaced by the following:
"Crisis management and human behaviour training
5 Masters, chief mates, chief engineer officers,
second engineer officers and any person having responsibility for the safety
of passengers in emergency situations shall:
.1 have successfully completed the approved
crisis management and human behaviour training, required by Regulation
V/2, paragraph 8, in accordance with their capacity, duties and responsibilities
as set out in table A-V/2; and
.2 be required to provide evidence that the
required standard of competence has been achieved in accordance with the
methods and the criteria for evaluating competence tabulated in columns
3 and 4 of table A-V/2."
2 The following new table A-V/2 is inserted
at the end of Section A-V/2:
"Table A-V/2
SPECIFICATION OF MINIMUM STANDARD OF COMPETENCE
IN CRISIS MANAGEMENT AND HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
Column 1 |
Column 2
|
Column 3
|
Column 4
|
COMPETENCE
|
KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING
AND PROFICIENCY
|
METHODS FOR DEMONSTRATING
COMPETENCE
|
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING
COMPETENCE
|
|
|
|
|
Organize shipboard
emergency procedures |
Knowledge of:
.1 the general design and layout
of the ship;
.2 safety regulations;
.3 emergency plans and procedures.
The importance of the principles
for the development of ship specific emergency procedures including:
.1 the need for pre-planning
and drills of shipboard emergency procedures;
.2 the need for all personnel
to be aware of and adhere to pre-planned emergency procedures as carefully
as possible in the event of an emergency situation. |
Assessment of evidence
obtained from approved training, exercises with one or more prepared emergency
plans and practical demonstration. |
The shipboard emergency
procedures ensure a state of readiness to respond to emergency situations. |
|
|
|
|
Optimize the use
of resources |
Ability to optimize
the use of resources, taking into account:
.1 the possibility that resources
available in an emergency may be limited;
.2 the need to make full use
of personnel and equipment immediately available and, if necessary, to
improvise.
Ability to organize realistic
drills
to maintain a state of readiness,
taking into account lessons learnt from previous accidents involving passenger
ships; debriefing after drills. |
Assessment of evidence
obtained from approved training, practical demonstration and shipboard
training and drills of emergency procedures. |
Contingency plans
optimize the use of available resources.
Allocation of tasks and responsibilities
reflects the known competence of individuals
Roles and responsibilities of
teams and individuals are clearly defined. |
|
|
|
|
Control response
to emergencies |
Ability to make
an initial assessment and provide an effective response to emergency situations
in accordance with established emergency procedures.
Leadership skills
Ability to lead and direct others
in emergency situations, including the need:
.1 to set an example during
emergency situations;
.2 to focus decision making,
given the need to act quickly in an emergency;
.3 to motivate, encourage and
reassure passengers and other personnel.
Stress handling
Ability to identify the development
of symptoms of excessive personal stress and those of others members of
the ship's emergency team.
Understanding that stress generated
by emergency situations can affect the performance of individuals and their
ability to act on instructions and follow procedures. |
Assessment of evidence
obtained from approved training, practical demonstration and shipboard
training and drills of emergency procedures. |
Procedures and actions
are in accordance with established principles and plans for crisis management
on board.
Objectives and strategy are
appropriate to the nature of the emergency, take account of contingencies
and make optimum use of available resources.
Actions of crew members contribute
to maintaining order and control. |
|
|
|
|
Control passengers
and other personnel during emergency situations |
Human behaviour
and responses
Ability to control passengers
and other personnel in emergency situations, including:
.1 awareness of the general
reaction patterns of passengers and other personnel in emergency situations,
including the possibility that:
.1.1 generally it takes some
time before people accept the fact that there is an emergency situation;
.1.2 some people may panic and
not behave with a normal level of rationality, that their ability to comprehend
may be impaired and they may not be as responsive to instructions as in
non-emergency situations;
.2 awareness that passengers
and other personnel may, inter alia :
.2.1 start looking for relatives,
friends and/or their belongings as a first reaction when something goes
wrong;
.2.2 seek safety in their cabins
or in other places on-board where they think that they can escape danger;
.2.3 tend to move to the upper
side when the ship is listing;
.3 appreciation of the possible
problem of panic resulting from separating families. |
Assessment of evidence
obtained from approved training, practical demonstration and shipboard
training and drills of emergency procedures. |
Actions of crew
members contribute to maintaining order and control |
|
|
|
|
Establish and maintain
effective communications |
Ability to establish
and maintain effective communications, including:
.1 the importance of clear and
concise instructions and reports;
.2 the need to encourage an
exchange of information with, and feedback from, passengers and other personnel.
Ability to provide relevant
information to passengers and other personnel during an emergency situation,
to keep them appraised of the overall situation and to communicate any
action required of them, taking into account:
.1 the language or languages
appropriate to the principal nationalities of passengers and other personnel
carried on the particular route;
.2 the possible need to communicate
during an emergency by some other means such as by demonstration, or by
hand signals or calling attention to the location of instructions, muster
stations, life-saving devices or evacuation routes, when oral communication
is impractical;
.3 the language in which emergency
announcements may be broadcast during an emergency or drill to convey critical
guidance to passengers and to facilitate crew members in assisting passengers. |
Assessment of evidence
obtained from approved training, exercises and practical demonstration. |
Information from
all available sources is obtained, evaluated and confirmed as quickly as
possible and reviewed throughout the emergency.
Information given to individuals,
emergency response teams and passengers is accurate, relevant and timely.
Information keeps passengers
informed as to the nature of the emergency and the actions required of
them. |
|
|
|
|
3 The following new Section A-V/3 is added
after existing Section A-V/2:
"Section A-V/3
Mandatory minimum requirements for the training
and qualifications of masters, officers, ratings and other personnel on
passenger ships other than ro-ro passenger ships
Crowd management training
1 The crowd management training required by
Regulation V/3, paragraph 4 for personnel designated on muster lists to
assist passengers in emergency situations shall include, but not necessarily
be limited to:
.1 awareness of life-saving appliance and
control plans, including:
.1.1 knowledge of muster lists and emergency
instructions,
.1.2 knowledge of the emergency exits, and
.1.3 restrictions on the use of elevators;
.2 the ability to assist passengers en route
to muster and embarkation stations, including:
.2.1 the ability to give clear reassuring
orders,
.2.2 the control of passengers in corridors,
staircase and passage ways,
.2.3 maintaining escape routes clear of obstructions,
.2.4 methods available for evacuation of disabled
persons and persons needing special assistance, and
.2.5 search of accommodation spaces;
.3 mustering procedures, including:
.3.1 the importance of keeping order,
.3.2 the ability to use procedures for reducing
and avoiding panic,
.3.3 the ability to use, where appropriate,
passenger lists for evacuation counts, and
.3.4 the ability to ensure that the passengers
are suitably clothed and have donned their life-jackets correctly.
Familiarization training
2 The familiarization training required by
Regulation V/3, paragraph 5 shall at least ensure attainment of the abilities
that are appropriate to the capacity to be filled and the duties and responsibilities
to be taken up, as follows:
Design and operational limitations
.1 Ability to properly understand and observe
any operational limitations imposed on the ship and to understand and apply
performance restrictions, including speed limitations in adverse weather,
which are intended to maintain the safety of life and the ship.
Safety training for personnel providing direct
service to passengers in passenger spaces
3 The additional safety training required
by Regulation V/3, paragraph 6, shall at least ensure attainment of the
abilities, as follows:
Communication
.1 Ability to communicate with passengers
during an emergency, taking into account:
.1.1 the language or languages appropriate
to the principal nationalities of passengers carried on the particular
route:
.1.2 the likelihood that an ability to use
an elementary English vocabulary for basic instructions can provide a means
of communication with a passenger in need of assistance whether or not
the passenger and crew member share a common language;
.1.3 the possible need to communicate during
an emergency by some other means such as by demonstration, or hand signals,
or calling attention to the location of instructions, muster stations,
life-saving devices or evacuation routes, when oral communication is impractical;
.1.4 the extent to which complete safety instructions
have been provided to passengers in their native language or languages;
and
.1.5 the languages in which emergency announcements
may be broadcast during an emergency or drill to convey critical guidance
to passengers and to facilitate crew members in assisting passengers.
Life-saving appliances
.2 Ability to demonstrate to passengers the
use of personal life-saving appliances.
Passenger safety
4 The passenger safety training required by
Regulation V/3, paragraph 7, for masters, chief mates and persons assigned
immediate responsibility for embarking and disembarking passengers shall
at least ensure attainment of the ability appropriate to their duties and
responsibilities to embark and disembark passengers with special attention
to disabled persons and persons needing assistance.
Crisis management and human behaviour training
5 Masters, chief mates, chief engineer officers,
second engineer officers and any person having responsibility for the safety
of passengers in emergency situations shall:
.1 have successfully completed the approved
crisis management and human behaviour training, required by Regulation
V/3, paragraph 8, in accordance with their capacity, duties and responsibilities
as set out in table A-V/2; and
.2 be required to provide evidence that the
required standard of competence has been achieved in accordance with the
methods and the criteria for evaluating competence tabulated in columns
3 and 4 of table A-V/2."
[1]
Adopted by IMO Maritime Safety Committee pursuant to Resolution MSC.67(68). |