NOTICE TO OWNERS, MANAGERS, MASTERS, DECK AND ENGINEER OFFICERS, RATINGS AND TRAINING ESTABLISHMENTS

1. This Merchant Shipping Notice gives guidance regarding the application of Chapter V and Chapter V1 of Merchant Shipping (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) Rules, 1998, to facilitate implementation of requirements under above Chapters of the International Convention in Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping, as amended in 1995 (STCW 95), in India.

2. Officers and ratings serving or intending to serve on special ships such as Tankers, Ro-Ro Passenger Ships, Passenger Ships, must also comply with requirements of Chapter V of STCW 95.

3. Basis for this guidance is mandatory familiarisation and basic safety training for all seafarers and further safety training requirements for masters, officers and other crew members of merchant ships assigned with safety and/or pollution prevention duties.

4. Before being assigned to any shipboard work, all persons on board other than passengers, must be given approved familiarisation and basic safety training to enable them to make useful contribution to personal safety and to shipboard safety culture. Minimum requirements are laid down in Chapter A-VI/I, paragraph 1 of the STCW Code.

5. In addition to the above, all seafarers employed or engaged in any capacity on board ship, as part of the ship's complement with designated safety or pollution prevention duties in the operation of the ship, shall, before being assigned to any shipboard duties, receive appropriate basic safety training. This provision, therefore, applies to all officers and ratings. The said training must be by means of approved competency based training programme at least equal to the standards laid down in Chapter A-VI/1, paragraph 2 of the STCW Code.
6. Basic safety training leading to an appropriate certificate is required to cover following courses:-

                (i) Personal Survival Technique
                (ii) Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting (Basic Fire Fighting)
                (iii)Elementary First Aid and
                (iv)Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities.

7. Attention is drawn to the fact that, in addition to the above, all candidates for certificates of competency are required to undergo at least following approved modular training programmes. Each of these will lead to an appropriate course-specific certificate authorised by D.G. Shipping:

(i) Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats
(ii)Advanced Fire Fighting
(iii)Medical First Aid
(iv)Medical Care (only Masters and Chief Mates).]

8. Training establishments applying for approval of training as required above should make application to D.G. Shipping giving information on, at least, the following:

(a)Title of the course
(b)Scope
(c)Objectives
(d)Entry standards
(e)Training outcome/objectives
(f)Class size
(g)Trainer requirements
(h)Facilities for training and demonstration
(i)Conduct and structure of training
(j)Assessment and Certification;  and
(k)Quality assurance

Sd/-
(Capt. M. M. Saggi)
Deputy Nautical Adviser to the Government of India (I/c)