The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers 1978, as amended in 1995 and again

in 2010, sets those standards, governs the award of certificates and controls watchkeeping arrangements . Its provisions not only apply to seafarers, but also to shipowners, training establishments and national maritime administrations.

In June 2010 significant changes to the STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for seafarers) Convention and Code were agreed at an IMO Diplomatic Conference in Manila in order to bring the Convention and Code up to date with new developments.

These changes, known as The Manila amendments to the STCW Convention and Code are due to enter into force on 1 January 2012 and are the first major revisions since the Convention and Code were updated in 1995.

Improved measures to prevent fraudulent practices associated with certificates of competency and strengthen the evaluation process (monitoring of Parties compliance with the Convention);

Revised requirements on hours of work and rest and new requirements for the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse, as well as updated standards relation to medical fitness standards for seafarers;
New certification requirements for able seafarers

New requirements relating to training in modern technology such as electronic charts and information systems (ECDIS);

New requirements for marine environment awareness training and training in leadership and teamwork;

New training and certification requirements for electro-technical officers;

Updating of competence requirements for personnel serving on board all types of tankers, including new requirements for personnel serving on liquefied gas tankers;

New requirements for security training, as well as provisions to ensure that seafarers are properly trained to cope if their ship comes under attack by pirates;

Introduction of modern training methodology including distance learning and web-based learning;

New training guidance for personnel serving on board ships operating in polar waters; and New training guidance for personnel operating Dynamic Positioning Systems.

One of the main changes to the Code directly affecting shipboard operations concerns the requirements for fitness for duty and hours of as contained in Chapter VIII Standards regarding watchkeeping. These have been harmonized with the requirements of the International Labor Organization Maritime Labor Convention, which is expected to entry into force during the first half of 2013.

At present the fitness for duty requirements contained within the STCW Code 1995 require that:

1. All persons who are assigned duty as officer in charge of a watch or as a rating forming part of a watch shall be provided with a minimum of 10 hours of rest in any 24 hour period. 2. The hours of rest may be divided into no more than two periods, one of which shall be at least 6 hours in length.

3. The requirements for rest periods laid down in paragraphs 1 and 2 need not be maintained in the case of an emergency drill or in other overriding operational conditions.

4. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2, the minimum period of ten hours may be reduced to not less than 6 consecutive hours provided that any such reduction shall not extend beyond two days and not less than 70 hours of rest are provided each seven day period.

A number of changes have been made and additional requirements have been added to the revised fitness for duty regulations in the STCW Code 2010. From 1 January 2012 seafarers will have to comply with the following regulatory requirements:.

1. Administrations shall take account of the danger posed by fatigue of seafarers, especially those whose duties involve the safe and secure operation of a ship.

2. All persons who are assigned duty as officer in charge of a watch or as a rating forming part of a watch and those whose duties involve designated safety, prevention of pollution and security duties shall be provided with a rest period of not less than: .1 A minimum of 10 hours rest in any 24 hour period; and .2 77 hours rest in any 7 day period.

3. The hours of rest may be divided into no more than two periods, one of which shall be at least 6 hours in length, and the intervals between consecutive periods of rest shall not exceed 14 hours.

4. The requirements for rest periods laid down in paragraphs 2 and 3 need not be maintained in the case of an emergency, or in other overriding operational conditions. Musters, fire-fighting and lifeboat drills, and drills prescribed by national laws and regulations and by international instruments, shall be conducted in a manner that minimizes the disturbance of rest periods and does not induce fatigue.

5. Administrations shall require that watch schedules be posted where they are easily accessible. The schedules shall be established in a standardized format in the working language or languages of the ship and in English. 6. When a seafarer is on call, such as when a machinery space is unattended, the seafarer shall have an adequate compensatory rest period if the normal period of rest is disturbed by call-outs to work.

7. Administrations shall require that records of daily hours of rest of seafarers be maintained in a standardized format, in the working language or languages of the ship and in English, to allow monitoring and verification of compliance with the provisions of this section. The seafarers shall receive a copy of the records pertaining to them, which shall be endorsed by the master or by a person authorized by the master and by the seafarers. 8. Parties may allow exceptions from the required hours of rest in paragraphs 2.2 and 3 above provided that the rest period is not less than 70 hours in any 7 day period.

9. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to impair the right of the master of a ship to require a seafarer to perform any hours of work necessary for the immediate safety of the ship, persons on board or cargo, or for the purpose of giving assistance to other ships or persons in distress at sea. Accordingly, the master may suspend the schedule of hours of rest and require a seafarer to perform any hours of work necessary until the normal situation has been restored. As soon as practicable after the normal situation has been restored, the master shall ensure that any seafarers who have performed work in a scheduled rest period are provided with an adequate period of rest.

The master of every ship shall ensure that watchkeeping arrangements are adequate for maintaining a safe navigational watch.

Under the master's general direction, the officers of the navigational watch are responsible for navigating the ship safely during their periods of duty, when they will be particularly concerned with avoiding collision and stranding.

The officer in charge of the navigational watch is the master's representative and is primarily responsible at all times for the safe navigation of the ship and for complying with the requirements in force of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972

(a) maintaining a continuous state of vigilance by sight and hearing as well as by all other available means, with regard to any significant change in the operating environment;

(b) fully appraising the situation and the risk of collision, stranding and other dangers to navigation;

(c) detecting ships or aircraft in distress, shipwrecked persons, wrecks, debris and other hazards to safe navigation

(2) The look-out must be able to give full attention to the keeping of a proper look-out and no other duties shall be undertaken or assigned which could interfere with that task.

(3) The duties of the look-out and helmsperson are separate and the helmsperson shall not be considered to be the look-out while steering, except in small ships where an unobstructed all-round view is provided at the steering position and there is no impairment of night vision or other impediment to the keeping of a proper look-out.

The officer in charge of the navigational watch may be the sole look-out in daylight provided that on each such occasion(a) the situation has been carefully assessed and it has been established without doubt that it is safe to do so;

(b) full account has been taken of all relevant factors, including but not limited to(i) state of weather; (ii) visibility; (iii) traffic density; (iv) proximity of dangers to navigation; and (v) the attention necessary when navigating in or near traffic separation ;

(c) assistance is immediately available to be summoned to the bridge when any change in the situation so requires.

(4) In determining that the composition of the navigational watch is adequate to ensure that a proper look-out can continuously be maintained, the master shall take into account all relevant factors including those described in this Schedule, as well as the following factors-

(a) visibility, state of weather and sea; (b) traffic density, and other activities occurring in the area in which the vessel is navigating; (c) the attention necessary when navigating in or near traffic separation schemes or other routing measures;

(d) the additional workload caused by the nature of the ship's functions, immediate operating requirements and anticipated maneuvers; (e) the fitness for duty of any crew members on call who are assigned as members of the watch; (f) the knowledge of and confidence in the professional competence of the ship's officers and crew

g) the experience of each officer of the navigational watch, and the familiarity of that officer with the ship's equipment, procedures and maneuvering capability; (h) the activities taking place on board the ship at any particular time, including radio communications activities, and the availability of assistance to be summoned immediately to the bridge when necessary;

(i) the operational status of bridge instrumentation and controls, including alarm systems; (j) the rudder and propeller control and ship maneuvering characteristics; (k) the size of the ship and the field of vision available from the conning position;

(l) the configuration of the bridge, to the extent that such configuration might inhibit a member of the watch from detecting by sight or hearing any external development; and (m) any other relevant standard, procedure or guidance relating to watchkeeping arrangements and fitness for duty which has been adopted by the International Maritime Organization

(1) The officer in charge of the navigational watch shall not hand over the watch to the relieving officer if there is reason to believe that the latter is not capable of carrying out the watchkeeping duties effectively, in which case the master shall be notified.

(2) The relieving officer shall ensure that the members of the relieving watch are fully capable of performing their duties, particularly as regards their adjustment to night vision. Relieving officers shall not take over the watch until their vision is fully adjusted to the light conditions.

(3)Prior to taking over the watch, relieving officers shall satisfy themselves as to the ship's estimated or true position and confirm its intended track, course and speed, and unmanned machinery space controls as appropriate and shall note any dangers to navigation expected to be encountered during their watch.

(a) keep the watch on the bridge; (b) in no circumstances leave the bridge until properly relieved; (c) continue to be responsible for the safe navigation of the ship, despite the presence of the master on the bridge, until informed specifically that the master has assumed that responsibility and this is mutually understood; and

(d) notify the master when in any doubt as to what action to take in the interest of safety.

(2) During the watch the course steered, position and speed shall be checked at sufficiently frequent intervals, using any available navigational aids necessary, to ensure that the ship follows the planned course. (3) The officer in charge of the navigational watch shall have full knowledge of the location and operation of all safety and navigational equipment on board the ship and shall be aware and take account of the operating limitations of such equipment

(4) The officer in charge of the navigational watch shall not be assigned or undertake any duties which would interfere with the safe navigation of the ship. (5) Officers of the navigational watch shall make the most effective use of all navigational equipment at their disposal.

6) When using radar, the officer in charge of the navigational watch shall bear in mind the necessity to comply at all times with the requirements in force on the use of radar contained in the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972.

(7) In cases of need, the officer in charge of the navigational watch shall not hesitate to use the helm, engines and sound signaling apparatus. However, timely notice of intended variations of engine speed shall be given where possible or effective use made of unmanned machinery space engine controls provided on the bridge in accordance with the applicable procedures

8) Officers of the navigational watch shall know the handling characteristics of their ship, including its stopping distances, and should appreciate that other ships may have different handling characteristics. (9) A proper record shall be kept during the watch of the movements and activities relating to the navigation of the ship.

(10) It is of special importance that at all times the officer in charge of the navigational watch ensures that a proper look-out is maintained. In a ship with a separate chartroom the officer in charge of the navigational watch may visit the chartroom, when essential, for a short period for the necessary performance of navigational duties, but shall first ensure that it is safe to do so and that a proper look-out is maintained.

(11) Operational tests of shipboard navigational equipment shall be carried out at sea as frequently as practicable and as circumstances permit, in particular before hazardous conditions affecting navigation are expected. Whenever appropriate, such tests shall be recorded. Such tests shall also be carried out prior to port arrival and departure.

(12) The officer in charge of the navigational watch shall make regular checks to ensure that
(a) the person steering the ship or the automatic pilot is steering the correct course; (b) the standard compass error is determined at least once a watch and, when possible, after any major alteration of course; the standard and gyro compasses are frequently compared and repeaters are synchronized with their master compass; (c) the automatic pilot is tested manually at least once a watch; (d) the navigation and signal lights and other navigational equipment are functioning properly; (e) the radio equipment is functioning properly in accordance with section 3 of Schedule 3; and (f) the unmanned machinery space controls, alarms and indicators are functioning properly.

(13) The officer in charge of the navigational watch shall bear in mind the necessity to comply at all times with the requirements in force of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974. The officer in charge of the navigational watch shall take into account-

(a) the need to station a person to steer the ship and to put the steering into manual control in good time to allow any potentially hazardous situation to be dealt with in a safe manner; and (b) that with a ship under automatic steering it is highly dangerous to allow a situation to develop to the point where the officer in charge of the navigational watch is without assistance and has to break the continuity of the look-out in order to take emergency action

(14) Officers of the navigational watch shall be thoroughly familiar with the use of all electronic navigational aids carried, including their capabilities and limitations, and shall use each of these aids when appropriate and shall bear in mind that the echo-sounder is a valuable navigational aid. (15) The officer in charge of the navigational watch shall use radar whenever restricted visibility is encountered or expected, and at all times in congested waters, having due regard to its limitations.

(16) The officer in charge of the navigational watch shall ensure that range scales employed are changed at sufficiently frequent intervals so that echoes are detected as early as possible. It shall be borne in mind that small or poor echoes may escape detection. (17) Whenever radar is in use, the officer in charge of the navigational watch shall select an appropriate range scale and observe the display carefully, and shall ensure that plotting or systematic analysis is commenced in ample time.

(18) The officer in charge of the navigational watch shall notify the master immediately(a) if restricted visibility is encountered or expected; (b) if the traffic conditions or the movements of other ships are causing concern; (c) if difficulty is experienced in maintaining course; (d) on failure to sight land, a navigation mark or to obtain soundings by the expected time; e) if, unexpectedly, land or a navigation mark is sighted or a change in soundings occurs;

(f) on breakdown of the engines, propulsion machinery remote control, steering gear or any essential navigational equipment, alarm or indicator; (g) if the radio equipment malfunctions; (h) in heavy weather, if in any doubt about the possibility of weather damage; (i) if the ship meets any hazard to navigation, such as ice or a derelict; (j) in any other emergency or if in any doubt

(19) Despite the requirement to notify the master immediately in the circumstances referred to in subsection , the officer in charge of the navigational watch shall in addition not hesitate to take immediate action for the safety of the ship, where circumstances so require. (20) The officer in charge of the navigational watch shall give watchkeeping personnel all appropriate instructions and information which will ensure the keeping of a safe watch, including a proper lookout.

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