What is the Personal Survival Techniques course?

The STCW Personal Survival Techniques course (often referred to as Sea Survival training) covers all the essentials for dealing with a survival situation at sea. It is a core part of the STCW Basic Safety Training course and is one of the 2 modules that require STCW2010 Update training every 5 years.

Course Content

• • Types of emergency situations such as collision, fire, sinking
  • Types of life-saving appliances normally carried on ships
  • Equipment in survival craft
  • Location of personal life-saving appliances
  • Principles concerning survival

Practical instruction will include

• • Donning a life jacket
  • Donning and use an immersion suit
  • Safely entering the water from a height
  • Righting an inverted life raft while wearing a life jacket and immersion suit
  • Swimming while wearing a life jacket
  • Keeping afloat
  • Boarding a life raft from ship and water while wearing a life jacket
  • Taking initial actions on boarding a life raft to enhance chance of survival
  • Streaming a drogue or sea anchor
  • Operating location devices, including radio equipment

Duration: 1 Day

Prerequisites: None

Certificate validity: 5 years

Certification: Personal Survival Techniques STCW A-VI/1

Course content

Designed for novice seafarers, this STCW Personal Safety and Social Responsibility (PSSR) course provides a foundational understanding of safety and shipboard life.

Through classroom-based theory, you’ll learn vital safety procedures, accident prevention techniques, and gain familiarity with employment and working conditions at sea. This training ensures you’re prepared to work safely and understand the expectations of life on board.

Subjects covered in this course will include:

• Human relationships on-board vessel.
• Vessel crew organisational structure and employment terms.
• Understanding orders and how to be understood in relation to duties on your vessel.
• Awareness of and compliance with various emergency procedures.
• Safe working practices.
• Precautions to prevent pollution of the marine environment.
• Social responsibilities on a vessel.

Duration: 4 Hours

Certificate validity: This certificate has no expiry date (although we highly recommend refreshing your first aid skills at regular intervals)

Certification: Upon successful completion you will receive a certificate in STCW Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities approved by the Maritime Coastguard Agency as laid down in STCW 95 Regulation VI/1 paragraph 2.1.4 of Section A-VI/1 of the STCW Code.

Course content

The Proficiency in Designated Security Duties is aimed to cover all the essential details, practices and regulations required by a crew member undertaking a designated security duty whilst onboard a vessel.

The one day course covers all the basics, such as why security on a vessel is so important, the roles and responsibilities of those onboard in different security roles, what risks, threats and vulnerabilities there are to a ship, and the extents and limitations of security practices.

Duration: 8 Hours

Certificate validity: This certificate has no expiry date (although we highly recommend refreshing your first aid skills at regular intervals)

Certification: Upon successful completion you will be awarded a certificate in Proficiency in Designated security Duties.