consulting Thesi
The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, as amended, sets qualification standards for masters, officers and watch personnel on seagoing merchant ships. STCW was adopted in 1978 by conference at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, and entered into force in 1984. The Convention was significantly amended in 1995.
The 1978 STCW Convention was the first to establish basic requirements on training, certification and watchkeeping for seafarers on an international level. Previously the standards of training, certification and watchkeeping of officers and ratings were established by individual governments, usually without reference to practices in other countries. As a result standards and procedures varied widely, even though shipping is the most international of all industries.
The Convention prescribes minimum standards relating to training, certification and watchkeeping for seafarers which countries are obliged to meet or exceed.
The Amendments require that seafarers be provided with "familiarization training" and "basic safety training" which includes basic fire fighting, elementary first aid, personal survival techniques, and personal safety and social responsibility. This training is intended to ensure that seafarers are aware of the hazards of working on a vessel and can respond appropriately in an emergency.
STCW, as amended, will require all training and assessment activities to be "continuously monitored through a quality standards system to ensure achievement of defined objectives, including those concerning the qualifications and experience of instructors and assessors." The 1995 amendments require those responsible for instruction and assessment of the competence of seafarers to be qualified for the type and level of training or assessment involved. Persons performing these roles are expected to have received guidance in instructional techniques and assessment methods
Fishing Safety at Sea
See source @ FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture ...Fishing at sea is among the most dangerous occupations in the world. An ILO (International Labour Organization) estimate of 24 000 fatalities annually in marine fishing could even prove to be conservative, as countries supplying the data on which the extrapolation is based might well have casualty rates lower than the norm.
As the fishing industry has developed, particularly during recent decades, the capacity to catch fish has increased enormously due to technical improvements in vessel design, employment of electronic fish finding and navigational equipment, in the incorporation of modern materials in fishing gear, and the extensive use of refrigeration. Advances in communications and transportation stimulated trade, increasing demand for fish at a rate well ahead of population growth. As stocks reached their maximum capacity to supply, fishers have been driven to compete for dwindling supplies, with increasing desperation. This has meant cutting costs, including safety measures, and taking greater risks in fishing to catch enough fish to cover costs and salaries.
Designing and implementing an appropriate system of fisheries management can reduce pressure on the fishers to harvest fish before others do so. Developing an effective approach to safety at sea involves: prevention, survival and self-rescue, and search and rescue. Training programmes in safety must be designed to adequately meet the needs of fishers and of key officials and aim to enhance familiarity and compliance with established safety procedures
The management of safety aboard yachts is a subject that is generally poorly understood. Different people can perceive a level of "safety" in different ways. What to one person is an absolutely safe operation is often perceived by someone else as being dangerous.
In yachting, with the exception of a few management companies, there is no one person who fulfils the role of Marine/Engine superintendent and, therefore, the establishment of the safety culture on board a yacht generally falls to the captain.
In the absence of any specific safety training or experience, the captain has to rely on his own resources and experience to establish relevant safety levels. He must reach a compromise between safeguards that are too stringent (both in terms of cost and operational impact) and allowing an individual the freedom to act recklessly. Good communication is vital
His crew has to be well trained to face any eventual emergency could arise on board, also concerning with the increase risk dealing with Maritime Piracy.
Four pieces of emergency equipment that every yacht should have and every passenger should be able to locate. Includes and EPIRB or GPIRB, and AED, a VHF-FM radio, and a good first aid kit. The Crew has to be able to manage them!!.
The approach of the ISM Code . of having a system to manage safety . is a new and frightening idea for many. In its simplest form, a Safety Management System can be summarized by these phrases: Say what you do, write down what you say, check that you do what you write down, and prove it.
For many yacht captains, the development of an SMS can be a daunting task. Most yachts already have in place good functional systems (ways of doing things). Therefore, all that is needed is for these to be documented and developed into a system whereby their effectiveness can be monitored. Ultimately, it will be the commitment of the owner, captain, manager, and crew to do the job properly that makes the difference between a good and a poor system.
The ISM Code only applies to yachts over 400 gross tons used for commercial purposes. However, this does not mean that the code should be ignored by other yachts as it sets a minimum framework for the management of safety. Indeed the ISM Code introduces a discipline to the management of safety that many yachts that do not have to comply would find useful to adopt.