STCW Course

Lesson 1 • Structure of the STCW Code

Breaks down the Convention articles, Annex chapters, and the compulsory and recommendatory parts of the Code. Connects regulatory text to practical shipboard application.

Lesson 2 • Hours of Work and Rest Regulations

Covers compulsory rest hour limits, record-keeping obligations, and exceptions under STCW. Demonstrates how fatigue management rules protect both seafarers and vessel safety.

Lesson 3 • Flag State and Port State Control

Explains the roles of flag states in issuing certificates and port states in conducting inspections. Seafarers understand how compliance is verified and enforced internationally.

Lesson 4 • Certification and Endorsement Requirements

Details the certificates, endorsements, and revalidation cycles required under STCW. Connects documentation requirements to career progression and vessel trading areas.

Lesson 1 • Social Responsibilities and Teamwork

Covers professional conduct, cultural awareness, and the duty to report unsafe conditions. Links positive social behaviour to effective team performance and accident prevention.

Lesson 2 • Emergency Duties and Muster Procedures

Explains muster lists, emergency station duties, and the actions required at each alarm signal. Prepares seafarers to respond correctly before formal survival training is completed.

Lesson 3 • Personal Safety Awareness Onboard

Introduces hazard recognition, safe working practices, and personal protective equipment use. Establishes the individual responsibility each seafarer holds for their own safety.

Lesson 1 • Primary Survey and Life Threats

Teaches the ABCDE assessment approach to identify and manage immediate life-threatening conditions. Forms the foundation for all subsequent first aid decision-making onboard.

Lesson 2 • Wound Care and Haemorrhage Control

Addresses wound classification, cleaning, dressing application, and tourniquet use for severe bleeding. Directly applicable to common shipboard injuries from machinery and deck work.

Lesson 3 • Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Techniques

Covers adult CPR, rescue breathing ratios, and AED operation in a maritime environment. Builds the physical skill and confidence to sustain resuscitation until relief arrives.

Lesson 4 • Burns, Fractures, and Shock Management

Explains first aid for thermal and chemical burns, suspected fractures, and hypovolaemic shock. Prepares seafarers for injuries common in engine rooms and cargo operations.

Lesson 1 • Fire Theory and Shipboard Hazards

Explains combustion chemistry, the fire triangle, and the specific ignition sources found on vessels. Provides the theoretical basis for all prevention and suppression decisions.

Lesson 2 • Portable Firefighting Equipment

Teaches selection, inspection, and operation of portable extinguishers and fire hoses. Builds hands-on proficiency with the equipment most likely used in initial attack.

Lesson 3 • Breathing Apparatus and Protective Gear

Covers donning, doffing, and operational use of self-contained breathing apparatus in fire conditions. Ensures seafarers can safely enter smoke-filled spaces as part of a fire team.

Lesson 4 • Firefighting Procedures and Team Roles

Explains the shipboard firefighting organisation, boundary cooling, and search-and-rescue roles. Prepares seafarers to function within a coordinated team response.

Lesson 1 • Lifejackets and Immersion Suits

Covers the types, donning procedures, and limitations of lifejackets and immersion suits. Directly prepares seafarers for the critical minutes following vessel abandonment.

Lesson 2 • Water Survival and Rescue Coordination

Teaches swimming techniques, HELP and huddle positions, and actions to assist rescue operations. Completes survival training by addressing in-water survival and helicopter rescue.

Lesson 3 • Lifeboat and Rescue Boat Operations

Explains launching, boarding, and manoeuvring lifeboats and rescue boats in emergency conditions. Builds operational competency with the primary means of vessel abandonment.

Lesson 4 • Survival Psychology and Decision-Making

Addresses the psychological responses to maritime emergencies and strategies to maintain effective action. Establishes the mental framework that underpins all physical survival skills.

Lesson 1 • Maritime Security Threats and Awareness

Identifies current maritime security threats including piracy, stowaways, and terrorism. Establishes the threat landscape that all subsequent security procedures are designed to address.

Lesson 2 • Access Control and Restricted Areas

Covers procedures for controlling access to the vessel and monitoring restricted spaces. Builds practical skills for the most frequent security duty performed by seafarers.

Lesson 3 • Security Searches and Surveillance

Teaches systematic search techniques for persons, baggage, cargo, and vessel spaces. Prepares seafarers to detect concealed weapons, contraband, and unauthorised persons.

Lesson 4 • Reporting and Responding to Security Incidents

Explains incident reporting chains, evidence preservation, and immediate response actions. Ensures seafarers can escalate security events correctly and support post-incident investigation.

Lesson 1 • Tactical Firefighting in Enclosed Spaces

Covers entry procedures, ventilation control, and suppression tactics for fires in confined shipboard spaces. Addresses the highest-risk firefighting scenarios encountered at sea.

Lesson 2 • Engine Room and Cargo Space Fires

Addresses the specific hazards, fixed system activation, and tactical approaches for machinery and cargo fires. Builds scenario-specific competency for the most common serious fire locations.

Lesson 3 • Casualty Rescue and Rehabilitation

Teaches techniques for locating, extracting, and providing initial care to fire casualties. Integrates first aid skills with firefighting operations to complete the emergency response cycle.

Lesson 4 • Post-Fire Investigation and Reporting

Covers fire scene preservation, cause investigation methods, and formal reporting requirements. Enables fire team leaders to contribute to lessons-learned processes and prevent recurrence.

Lesson 1 • Advanced Medical Assessment Onboard

Covers systematic patient history-taking, physical examination, and use of the ship's medical guide. Builds the diagnostic reasoning needed to manage illness without immediate shore support.

Lesson 2 • Medication Administration and Medical Equipment

Explains safe administration of shipboard medications, injection techniques, and medical equipment operation. Prepares designated medical officers to provide treatment within their authorised scope.

Lesson 3 • Managing Serious Illness and Trauma

Addresses management of chest injuries, abdominal emergencies, and serious infections at sea. Extends first aid knowledge to sustained medical care over extended periods without evacuation.

Lesson 4 • Crisis Resource Management Principles

Teaches situational awareness, task allocation, and decision-making under pressure during shipboard crises. Provides the leadership framework that integrates all emergency response competencies.