Report To The Maritime Safety Committee T C Section: Able of Ontents

E
SUB-COMMITTEE ON HUMAN ELEMENT, HTW 5/16

TRAINING AND WATCHKEEPING 30 August 2018
5th session Original: ENGLISH
Agenda item 16
REPORT TO THE MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section Page
1 GENERAL 3
2 DECISIONS OF OTHER IMO BODIES 3
3 VALIDATED MODEL TRAINING COURSES 4
4 REPORTS ON UNLAWFUL PRACTICES ASSOCIATED WITH 18

CERTIFICATES OF COMPETENCY
5 GUIDANCE FOR STCW CODE, SECTION B-I/2 19
6 COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE 1995 STCW-F CONVENTION 22
7 ROLE OF THE HUMAN ELEMENT 28
8 REVISION OF THE GUIDELINES ON FATIGUE 29
9 REVIEW OF SOLAS CHAPTER II-2 AND ASSOCIATED CODES TO 33

MINIMIZE THE INCIDENCE AND CONSEQUENCES OF FIRES IN
RO-RO SPACES AND SPECIAL CATEGORY SPACES OF NEW AND
EXISTING RO-RO PASSENGER SHIPS
10 AMENDMENTS TO THE IGF CODE AND DEVELOPMENT OF 33

GUIDELINES FOR LOW-FLASHPOINT FUELS
11 REVISED SOLAS REGULATION II-1/3-8 AND ASSOCIATED 33

GUIDELINES (MSC.1/CIRC.1175) AND NEW GUIDELINES FOR SAFE
MOORING OPERATIONS FOR ALL SHIPS
12 MEASURES TO HARMONIZE PORT STATE CONTROL (PSC) 33

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES WORLDWIDE
13 BIENNIAL STATUS REPORT AND PROVISIONAL AGENDA FOR 34

HTW 6
I:\HTW\5\HTW 5-16.docx
HTW 5/16
Page 2
Section Page
14 ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR FOR 2019 35
15 ANY OTHER BUSINESS 35
16 ACTION REQUESTED OF THE COMMITTEES 41
LIST OF ANNEXES
ANNEX 1 REVIEW GROUPS FOR MODEL COURSES PLANNED FOR VALIDATION

BY HTW 6 AND HTW 7
ANNEX 2 DRAFT AMENDMENTS TO THE REVISED GUIDELINES FOR THE

DEVELOPMENT, REVIEW AND VALIDATION OF MODEL COURSES
(MSC-MEPC.2/CIRC.15)
ANNEX 3 HARMONIZED TEXT FOR ENTRY STANDARDS AND STAFF

REQUIREMENTS IN MODEL COURSES
ANNEX 4 TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE COURSE DEVELOPER AND THE

REVIEW GROUP FOR THE REVISION OF MODEL COURSE 1.22 ON
BRIDGE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
ANNEX 5 TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE COURSE DEVELOPER AND THE

REVIEW GROUP FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MODEL COURSE
ON ENGINE-ROOM RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
ANNEX 6 DRAFT MSC CIRCULAR ON GUIDELINES ON FATIGUE
ANNEX 7 BIENNIAL STATUS REPORT OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE FOR

THE 2018-2019 BIENNIUM
ANNEX 8 PROPOSED PROVISIONAL AGENDA FOR HTW 6
ANNEX 9 DRAFT MSC RESOLUTION ON AMENDMENTS TO PART B OF THE

SEAFARERS' TRAINING, CERTIFICATION AND WATCHKEEPING
(STCW) CODE
ANNEX 10 STATEMENTS BY DELEGATIONS AND OBSERVERS
HTW 5/16
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1 GENERAL
1.1 The Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW), chaired
by Ms. M. Medina (United States), held its fifth session from 16 to 20 July 2018. The Vice-Chair,
Ms. F. Fadil (Singapore), was also present.
1.2 The session was attended by delegations from Member States and Associate
Members of IMO; by representatives from a United Nations specialized agency; and by
observers from intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations in
consultative status, as listed in document HTW 5/INF.1.
Secretary-General's opening address
1.3 The Secretary-General welcomed participants and delivered the opening address,
the full text of which can be downloaded from the IMO website at the following link:
http://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneral/Secretary-GeneralsSpeechesToMeetings
Chair's remarks
1.4 In responding, the Chair thanked the Secretary-General for his words of guidance and
encouragement and assured him that his advice and requests would be given every
consideration in the deliberations of the Sub-Committee.
Adoption of the agenda and related matters
1.5 The Sub-Committee adopted the agenda (HTW 5/1) and agreed to be guided in its
work, in general, by the annotations contained in document HTW 5/1/1 (Secretariat) and the
arrangements in document HTW 5/1/2 (Chair).
2 DECISIONS OF OTHER IMO BODIES
General
2.1 The Sub-Committee noted the decisions and comments pertaining to its work made
by NCSR 4, MSC 98, CCC 4, III 4, A 30, NCSR 5 and MSC 99 as reported in documents
HTW 5/2 and HTW 5/2/1 (Secretariat) and took them into account in its deliberations when
dealing with the relevant agenda items.
Outcome of MSC 98
2.2 The Sub-Committee noted, in particular, that MSC 98 had taken the following
decisions with regard to the practical application of the Guidance on drafting of amendments
to the 1974 SOLAS Convention and related mandatory instruments (MSC.1/Circ.1500):
.1 for draft amendments having a long history of development and refinement,

sub-committees should ensure completion of check/monitoring sheets;
.2 for draft amendments to be considered and finalized by sub-committees in

plenary within one session, the Secretariat might be instructed, when
necessary, to complete part III of the check/monitoring sheet and the records
for regulatory development after the session, instead of establishing a
specific working/drafting group;
HTW 5/16
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.3 "minor corrections" (referred to in paragraph 3.2(vi) of document C/ES.27/D)

could be excluded from application of the provisions for completion of the
check/monitoring sheet and the records for regulatory development; and
.4 the application of the Guidance should be expanded to all safety-related IMO

conventions and mandatory instruments under those conventions.
Outcome of CCC 4
2.3 It was further noted by the Sub-Committee that CCC 4 had approved
CCC.1/Circ.2/Rev.1 on Carriage of Bauxite which may liquefy, and that it had requested the
Secretariat to inform the HTW Sub-Committee of the issuance of this circular, with a view to
promoting awareness of the safe carriage of bauxite.
Outcome of MSC 99
2.4 The Sub-Committee also noted that MSC 99 had approved:
.1 MSC-MEPC.1/Circ.5/Rev.1 on Organization and method of work of the

Maritime Safety Committee and the Marine Environment Protection
Committee and their subsidiary bodies as a consequence of the adoption of
the Application of the Strategic Plan of the Organization
(resolution A.1111(30)); and
.2 MSC.1/Circ.1500/Rev.1 on Guidance on drafting of amendments to the 1974

SOLAS Convention and related mandatory instruments and
MSC.1/Circ.1587 on Procedural aspects related to the drafting of
amendments to safety-related IMO conventions, other than the 1974 SOLAS
Convention, and related mandatory instruments.
2.5 In this context, the Sub-Committee considered the application of the Procedural
aspects related to the drafting of amendments to safety-related IMO conventions, other than
the 1974 SOLAS Convention, and related mandatory instruments (MSC.1/Circ.1587) to the
STCW Convention and Code and noted that the above provisions dealt with the drafting of
amendments that were ship-based, in general, including both the check/monitoring sheet for
the processing of amendments and some parts of the record format, as contained in annexes 1
and 2, respectively, whereas the STCW Convention and its application were human-based.
The Sub-Committee concluded that the only provisions that might be applicable to the
STCW Convention and Code would be those related to the amendments' approval and
adoption stages and other general matters such as the drafting group arrangements and/or
the use of tracked changes.
2.6 Consequently, the Sub-Committee invited the Committee to endorse the

Sub-Committee's agreement that only selected provisions of the Procedural aspects would
apply to the STCW Convention and Code.
3 VALIDATED MODEL TRAINING COURSES
GENERAL
3.1 The Sub-Committee recalled that HTW 4 had agreed to revise or develop 14 model
courses and had reaffirmed the need to identify developers and review group coordinators
during the Sub-Committee meeting, rather than after the meeting (HTW 4/16,
paragraphs 3.4.2, 3.7 and 3.40).
HTW 5/16
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Timetables in model courses
3.2 The Sub-Committee recalled further that HTW 4, having noted the concerns raised
by some delegations relating to the inclusion, or not, of timetables in IMO model courses, had
decided to consider the matter further at HTW 5 (HTW 4/16, paragraph 3.55).
3.3 In this context, the Sub-Committee recognized that:
.1 Administrations, training units and instructors were in the best position to

determine the training materials available, as well as the timetables and
training needs; and
.2 IMO model courses were not mandatory and meant to assist with the
development of training programmes, and Administrations were not required
to use them when preparing and approving training courses.
3.4 Following discussion, the Sub-Committee decided:
.1 for model courses that were to be revised or developed from this session
onwards, not to include timetables, but only a range of hours with a
disclaimer that the range of hours provided was not binding; and the factors
to be taken into account when developing timetables, as set out in the
"Timetable" section of model course 2.07 on Engine-room simulator, in order
to avoid significant misalignments in the training provided; and
.2 to instruct a drafting group to prepare a draft amendment to paragraph 1.5 of

the Revised guidelines for the development, review and validation of model
courses (MSC-MEPC.2/Circ.15), as appropriate, to reflect the decision set
out in sub-paragraph .1 above.
Security-related model courses
3.5 The Sub-Committee noted that MSC 99 had agreed that the future review and
validation of all maritime security-related model courses, including shoreside security model
courses, should be undertaken by the HTW Sub-Committee in order to ensure consistency
between ship and port facility security measures, conformity of terminology and coordination
of descriptions of competences, and had instructed the Sub-Committee to take into account
the revised model course 3.24 when revising model courses 3.19, 3.26 and 3.27 relating to
shipside security (MSC 99/22, paragraph 4.6).
VALIDATION OF MODEL COURSES
Report on the model courses programme under the Revised guidelines for the
development, review and validation of model courses (MSC-MEPC.2/Circ.15)
3.6 The Sub-Committee had for its consideration document HTW 5/3 (Secretariat),
providing:
.1 information about the constraints on the Secretariat resources posed by the

new procedure provided in the Revised guidelines;
.2 a report on the model courses that were validated by HTW 4, those that had
been developed and submitted to HTW 5 for validation and the arrangements
for the validation of model courses by HTW 6 and HTW 7;
HTW 5/16
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.3 an overview, in its annex, of the complete set of IMO model courses;
.4 information about the detailed outline of the draft new model course on
Passenger safety, cargo safety and hull integrity training; and
.5 information regarding the development of the new model courses on basic

and advanced training for masters, officers, ratings and other personnel on
ships subject to the IGF Code and the revision of model course 2.03 on
Advanced training in fire fighting.
3.7 The Sub-Committee noted the information provided by the Secretariat on the
challenges that had constrained its resources, in particular:
.1 the large number of model courses to be validated combined with the active
role of the Secretariat in the process;
.2 delays in meeting the deadlines set by the Sub-Committee, which had

shortened the time frames for the Secretariat to conduct its work;
.3 submission by developers of incomplete initial drafts of the model courses,

in particular in terms of the sections and structure provided in annex 3 to the
Revised guidelines;
.4 lack of response by review group coordinators, which added to the

administrative workload of the Secretariat to identify new coordinators;
.5 low participation of review group members, impacting the quality of the draft
model course and increasing the workload of the Secretariat; and
.6 particular cases where developers lacked the necessary expertise to develop

or revise model courses, which impacted the quality of the draft model course
and increased the workload of the Secretariat.
3.8 In this context, the Sub-Committee also noted the following views:
.1 the issue of lack of expertise would be hard to address taking into account
the current volunteering system to develop or revise model courses;
.2 model courses contributed practically to the implementation of the

STCW Convention, therefore the whole process of developing model
courses should be planned sufficiently in advance to meet that purpose;
.3 if the number of model courses combined with the process of developing

them exceeded the capacity available, it would be necessary to assess what
model courses were actually needed and the time frames required to deal
with their revision or development;
.4 the use of the IMO collaborative web-based workspace (IMOSpace) should

be considered as a measure to alleviate the workload of the process; and
.5 acknowledging that the Sub-Committee was still in a learning phase with the
new process, the Secretariat should be invited to submit a document to the
next session raising the challenges faced and potential solutions.
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3.9 In light of the foregoing, the Sub-Committee agreed to:
.1 request the Secretariat to submit a document to the next session providing

information on the challenges faced during the process of developing and
revising model courses together with possible solutions to address those
challenges; and
.2 based on the challenges identified in the document to be prepared by the

Secretariat, invite interested Member States and international organizations
to submit commenting documents with proposals on solutions to address the
identified challenges.
3.10 Furthermore, the Sub-Committee:
.1 having noted that, out of the model courses planned to be validated at this
session, those on basic and advanced training for masters, officers, ratings
and other personnel on ships subject to the IGF Code and advanced training
in fire fighting could not be completed for validation at this session, endorsed
the existing terms of reference for these model courses with a view to
validation by HTW 6;
.2 having considered that the detailed outline of the draft new model course on
Passenger safety, cargo safety and hull integrity training had not been
developed fully in line with the current provisions of SOLAS chapter II-1,
agreed to defer the validation of this draft new model course to HTW 6 and
endorsed the developers' terms of reference with minor regulatory framework
updates (see paragraph 3.73);
.3 having noted the overview of the complete set of IMO model courses
including those that did not fall under the purview of the HTW Sub-Committee
(HTW 5/3, annex), requested the Committees to consider and instruct
relevant IMO bodies to consider whether their model courses might need to
be updated; and
.4 following the agreement of MSC 99 that the Sub-Committee should

undertake the future revision and validation of all maritime security-related
model courses, including shoreside security model courses, noted that the
Secretariat would inform the Sub-Committee, at the next session, of those
shoreside security model courses in need of revision.
3.11 With regard to the actions requested in paragraph 16 of document HTW 5/3 relating
to model courses planned for validation by HTW 6 and HTW 7, the Sub-Committee took action
as outlined in paragraphs 3.48 to 3.58.
Model courses to be validated at this session
3.12 In considering the model courses to be validated at this session, the following general
comments were expressed:
.1 entry standards should be similarly addressed in all model courses; and
.2 even though reference to section A-I/6 of the STCW Code was generally
correct in the section for staff requirements, instructors' teaching skills should
be emphasized in all model courses.
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3.13 Following the discussion, the Sub-Committee decided to align the above sections in
all future model courses and instructed the drafting groups to take the above decision into
account for the alignment of the relevant sections when considering their respective model
courses.
Draft new model course on Electro-technical rating
3.14 The Sub-Committee noted that the draft new model course on Electro-technical rating
had been developed by the Philippines, supported by China and Greece and reviewed by a
review group coordinated by Mr. S. Premanathan of Singapore, and expressed its appreciation
for their hard work.
3.15 In this context, the Sub-Committee had for its consideration the following documents:
.1 HTW 5/3/1 and Corr.1 (Secretariat), containing the report of the review group
relating to the draft new model course; and
.2 HTW 5/3/1/Add.1 (Secretariat), containing the draft new model course.
3.16 Having noted a comment that the contents and times allocated to functions common
to other model courses were not identically addressed, the Sub-Committee referred the draft
new model course on Electro-technical rating, together with the report of the review group, to
a drafting group for consideration with a view to validation.
Draft new model course on Use of leadership and managerial skills
3.17 The Sub-Committee noted that the draft new model course on Use of leadership and
managerial skills had been developed by the Philippines, supported by Argentina and reviewed
by a review group coordinated by Captain S. K. Bugnait of GlobalMET, and expressed its
appreciation for their hard work.
.1 HTW 5/3/2 (Secretariat), containing the report of the review group relating to
the draft new model course; and
3.19 Following initial consideration of these documents, the Sub-Committee referred the
draft new model course on Use of leadership and managerial skills, together with the report of
the review group, to a drafting group for consideration with a view to validation.
Draft new model course on Safety training for personnel providing direct service to
passengers in passenger spaces
3.20 The Sub-Committee noted that the draft new model course on Safety training for
personnel providing direct service to passengers in passenger spaces had been developed by
the Philippines and reviewed by a review group coordinated by Captain Vinayak Mohla of
GlobalMET, and expressed its appreciation for their hard work.
HTW 5/16
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3.22 Having noted a concern that significant work might be necessary to validate this model
course at this session, the Sub-Committee referred the draft new model course on Safety
training for personnel providing direct service to passengers in passenger spaces, together
with the report of the review group, to a drafting group for consideration with a view to
validation.
Draft new model course on Passenger ship crowd management training
3.23 The Sub-Committee noted that the draft new model course on Passenger ship crowd
management training had been developed by the Philippines and reviewed by a review group
coordinated by Captain Vinayak Mohla of GlobalMET, and expressed its appreciation for their
hard work.
draft new model course on Passenger ship crowd management training, together with the
report of the review group, to a drafting group for consideration with a view to validation.
Draft new model course on Crisis management and human behaviour training
3.26 The Sub-Committee noted that the draft new model course on Crisis management
and human behaviour training had been developed by the Philippines and reviewed by a
review group coordinated by Captain Vinayak Mohla of GlobalMET, and expressed its
appreciation for their hard work.
draft new model course on Crisis management and human behaviour training, together with
the report of the review group, to a drafting group for consideration with a view to validation.
Draft new model course on Passenger safety, cargo safety and hull integrity training
3.29 The Sub-Committee recalled that, as reported in document HTW 5/3, the draft new
model course on Passenger safety, cargo safety and hull integrity training had not been
developed fully in line with the current provisions of SOLAS chapter II-1 and, therefore,
documents HTW 5/3/6 and HTW 5/3/6/Add.1 were not considered at this session (see
paragraph 3.10.2).
Draft new model course on Ratings as able seafarer engine in a manned engine-room
or designated to perform duties in a periodically unmanned engine-room
3.30 The Sub-Committee recalled that HTW 4, having noted that the corresponding
drafting group had been unable to finalize the draft new model course on Ratings as able
seafarer engine in a manned engine-room or designated to perform duties in a periodically
HTW 5/16
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unmanned engine-room, had agreed to further develop this new model course under the terms
of reference set out in document HTW 3/WP.6/Add.1, taking into account the views and
comments of the drafting group (HTW 4/WP.7, paragraphs 6 and 7), with a view to validation
by HTW 5.
3.31 In this connection, the Sub-Committee noted that this draft new model course had
been further developed by Germany and Singapore and reviewed by a review group
coordinated by Captain Vinayak Mohla of GlobalMET, and expressed its appreciation for their
hard work.
3.33 In the ensuing discussion, the Sub-Committee noted a comment that this draft new
model course might be excessively lengthy due to the extensive content provided on
maintenance and repair, which might require reduction to a suitable level of competence.
3.34 After the discussion, the Sub-Committee referred the draft new model course on
Ratings as able seafarer engine in a manned engine-room or designated to perform duties in
a periodically unmanned engine-room, together with the report of the review group, to a drafting
group for consideration with a view to validation.
Draft revised model course 2.03 on Advanced training in fire fighting
3.35 The Sub-Committee recalled that, as reported in document HTW 5/3, the revision of
model course 2.03 on Advanced training in fire fighting could not be completed in time for
submission to this session (see paragraph 3.10.1) and, therefore, no documents had been
made available under the symbols HTW 5/3/8 and HTW 5/3/8/Add.1.
Draft revised model course 1.34 on Automatic Identification System (AIS)
3.36 The Sub-Committee noted that model course 1.34 on Automatic Identification
System (AIS) had been revised by Argentina and Malaysia and reviewed by a review group
coordinated by Captain Osman Bin Sam of Singapore, and expressed its appreciation for their
hard work.
the draft revised model course; and
.2 HTW 5/3/9/Add.1 (Secretariat), containing the draft revised model course.
draft revised model course 1.34 on Automatic Identification System (AIS), together with the
report of the review group, to a drafting group for consideration with a view to validation.
HTW 5/16
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Draft revised model course 1.36 on Liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker cargo and ballast
handling simulator
3.39 The Sub-Committee noted that model course 1.36 on Liquefied natural gas (LNG)
tanker cargo and ballast handling simulator had been revised by Malaysia and the International
Maritime Lecturers Association and reviewed by a review group coordinated by
Captain Stephen Cross of the Association, and expressed its appreciation for their hard work.
.1 HTW 5/3/10 (Secretariat), containing the report of the review group relating
to the draft revised model course; and
3.41 Having noted a view that this draft revised model course might not address all the
competences and knowledge, understanding and proficiency (KUP) of table A-V/1-2-2 of the
STCW Code, the Sub-Committee referred the draft revised model course 1.36 on Liquefied
natural gas (LNG) tanker cargo and ballast handling simulator, together with the report of the
review group, to a drafting group for consideration with a view to validation.
Draft revised model course 1.08 on Radar Navigation at Management Level (RADAR,
ARPA, Bridge Teamwork and Search and Rescue)
3.42 The Sub-Committee noted that model course 1.08 on Radar Navigation at
Management Level (RADAR, ARPA, Bridge Teamwork and Search and Rescue) had been
revised by China and reviewed by a review group coordinated by
Captain Mohamad Halim Bin Ahmed of Malaysia, and expressed its appreciation for their hard
work.
draft revised model course 1.08 on Radar Navigation at Management Level (RADAR, ARPA,
Bridge Teamwork and Search and Rescue), together with the report of the review group, to a
drafting group for consideration with a view to validation.
Draft revised model course 1.19 on Proficiency in personal survival techniques
3.45 The Sub-Committee noted that model course 1.19 on Proficiency in personal survival
techniques had been revised by China and reviewed by a review group coordinated by
Captain Vinayak Mohla of GlobalMET, and expressed its appreciation for their hard work.
HTW 5/16
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3.47 Having noted that modules 1, 2, 3 and 4 had been evaluated by the review group as
"needs work", the Sub-Committee referred the draft revised model course 1.19 on Proficiency
in personal survival techniques, together with the report of the review group, to a drafting group
for consideration with a view to validation.
Model courses planned for validation by HTW 6 and HTW 7
3.48 The Sub-Committee endorsed the model courses to be developed or revised for
validation by HTW 6, and the corresponding time frames, as set out in paragraphs 10 and 14
of document HTW 5/3, respectively, with the addition of the draft new model course on
Passenger safety, cargo safety and hull integrity training, planned for validation by HTW 6 (see
paragraph 3.10.2).
3.49 With regard to the model courses planned for validation by HTW 7, the
Sub-Committee considered document HTW 5/3/14 (IMHA):
.1 expressing the opinion that the current medical model courses would need a
holistic approach encompassing the third edition of the joint ILO/IMO/WHO
International Medical Guide for Ships (IMGS) as the training guide, as well
as the handbook helping to manage a situation; furthermore, the document
expressed the view that the model courses should address the equipment
provided to care for people in need of medical assistance, common best
practice, treatment methods and global health changes, taking into
consideration new and more continuous learning methods; and
.2 proposing that the courses' revision be underpinned by learning outcomes

based on agreed competences and achieved through tuning processes that
would include all stakeholders; it was further proposed that this approach
should be applied by means of an intersessional working group/experts panel
established by the Sub-Committee before the revision of the existing
curricula were to be undertaken.
3.50 In the ensuing discussion, the following views were expressed:
.1 the medical model courses should reflect the current state-of-the-art

technology and treatment methods;
.2 the current medical model courses should take into account the joint
ILO/IMO/WHO IMGS, which itself was in urgent need of review and update;
.3 learning outcomes constituted a fundamental foundation to conduct any

revisions of the medical training material for seafarers;
.4 the development of learning outcomes by an IMO ad hoc group might

transfer the responsibility for the revision of these medical model courses to
the Organization, which should only validate them; and
.5 the development of learning outcomes would impact the competences and

that would, as a consequence, entail amendments to the STCW Convention
and Code.
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3.51 Subsequently, having recognized the need to revise model courses 1.13 on
Elementary first aid, 1.14 on Medical first aid, and 1.15 on Medical care and the joint
ILO/IMO/WHO IMGS, the Sub-Committee:
.1 agreed that a new output would be needed to address any necessary

amendments to the STCW Convention and the revision of the medical model
courses based on the development of learning outcomes, and invited
interested Member States and international organizations to submit
proposals for a new output to the Committee; and
.2 requested the Secretariat to contact ILO with a view to providing information

on how to proceed with the revision of the joint ILO/IMO/WHO IMGS to the
next session of the Sub-Committee or to the next session of the Committee,
if proposals for a new output were submitted.
3.52 Furthermore, with regard to the revision of model course 1.22 on Ship simulator and
bridge teamwork, the Sub-Committee noted that:
.1 following the 2010 Manila Amendments, KUPs relating to "effective bridge

team work procedures" in table A-II/1 had been replaced with "bridge and
engine-room resource management" in tables A-II/1 and A-III/1, respectively;
and
.2 bridge and engine-room resource management training entailed the use of

simulators, which in turn differed based on the equipment and environment
addressed.
3.53 In light of the foregoing, the Sub-Committee:
.1 endorsed the revision of model course 1.22, renamed as Bridge resource

management, in line with the current provisions of the STCW Code, to be
conducted in accordance with the corresponding time frames, as set out in
paragraph 15 of document HTW 5/3;
.2 agreed to the development of a draft new model course on Engine-room
resource management, to be conducted in accordance with the
corresponding time frames, as set out in paragraph 15 of
document HTW 5/3; and
.3 instructed a drafting group to prepare the corresponding terms of reference
(see paragraph 3.65.3) in accordance with the template set out in annex 3 to
document HTW 4/3,
with a view to validation by HTW 7.

Course developers for model courses planned for validation by HTW 6 and HTW 7
3.54 The Sub-Committee recognized the need to identify subject matter experts willing to
take on the role of course developers for the model courses planned for validation by HTW 6
and HTW 7 (see paragraphs 3.48 and 3.53), as provided in section 4 of the Revised guidelines
(MSC-MEPC.2/Circ.15).
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3.55 In this connection, the Sub-Committee expressed appreciation for the following offers
as course developers for model courses planned for validation by HTW 6:
.1 Norway, having confirmed its willingness to continue the development of the
new model courses on Basic training for masters, officers, ratings and other
personnel on ships subject to the IGF Code and Advanced training for
masters, officers, ratings and other personnel on ships subject to the
IGF Code, which had been planned for validation by HTW 5;
.2 India, having confirmed its willingness to continue the revision of model

course 2.03 on Advanced training in fire fighting, which had been planned for
validation by HTW 5; and
.3 the Philippines, having confirmed its willingness to continue the development

of the new model course on Passenger safety, cargo safety and hull integrity
training, which had been planned for validation by HTW 5.
3.56 The Sub-Committee also expressed appreciation for the following offers as course
developers for model courses planned for validation by HTW 7:
.1 Turkey, having confirmed its willingness to continue the revision of model

course 1.22 on Bridge resource management, following its offer to revise this
model course at STW 43; and
.2 the Philippines for the draft new model course on Engine-room resource
management.
Review groups and coordinators for model courses planned for validation by HTW 6
and HTW 7
3.57 In accordance with section 5 of the Revised guidelines (MSC-MEPC.2/Circ.15), the

Sub-Committee established review groups to work intersessionally by correspondence to
review the model courses planned for validation by HTW 6 and HTW 7 (see paragraphs 3.48
and 3.53); and encouraged interested Member States, international organizations and other
experts to participate as members of the review groups and notify their contact details to
ModelCourses@imo.org within one month from the closure of this session. Review groups and
their members are set out in annex 1.
3.58 Furthermore, the Sub-Committee selected review group coordinators for the
aforementioned model courses as follows:
.1 model courses planned for validation by HTW 6:
.1 Mr. Davis Breyer (United States) for the new model courses on
Basic training for masters, officers, ratings and other personnel on
ships subject to the IGF Code and Advanced training for masters,
officers, ratings and other personnel on ships subject to the
IGF Code;
.2 Mr. Jan-Willem Verhoeff (Netherlands) for revised model

course 2.03 on Advanced training in fire fighting; and
.3 Captain Vinayak Mohla (GlobalMET) for the new model course on

Passenger safety, cargo safety and hull integrity training; and
HTW 5/16
Page 15
.2 model courses planned for validation by HTW 7:
.1 Mr. Mohd Yusrino bin Taib (Malaysia) for revised model

course 1.22 on Bridge resource management; and
.2 Mr. Jan-Willem Verhoeff (Netherlands) for the new model course on

Engine-room resource management.
ACTION VERB TAXONOMY FOR THE DETAILED TEACHING SYLLABUS APPLICABLE TO IMO MODEL
COURSES
3.59 The Sub-Committee considered document HTW 5/3/13 (China), providing an action
verb taxonomy for the detailed teaching syllabus, based on the revised Bloom's taxonomy, for
application to IMO model course development and revision, and expressing the willingness of
China to submit a proposal for a new output, as necessary.
.1 an action verb taxonomy for model courses might simplify the work of
developers, improve model courses and reduce editorial work; and
.2 the revised Bloom's taxonomy with six levels might not perfectly address the
cognitive levels of the KUPs of the STCW Convention and the model
courses, since the Bloom's taxonomy only addressed knowledge and
understanding, whereas KUPs in the Convention also required performance
skills.
3.61 Recognizing the general support for the development of an action verb taxonomy for
model courses, the Sub-Committee invited interested Member States and international
organizations to submit a proposal for a new output to the Committee in accordance with the
Committees' method of work (MSC-MEPC.1/Circ.5/Rev.1).
ESTABLISHMENT OF DRAFTING GROUPS
3.62 Having considered all matters related to the validation of model courses, the
Sub-Committee agreed that three drafting groups on validation of model courses were
necessary to facilitate completion of the work.
Drafting Group 1
3.63 The Sub-Committee established Drafting Group 1 on Validation of Model Courses,

chaired by Captain Vinayak Mohla (India), and instructed it, taking into account the comments
made and decisions taken in plenary, to consider documents HTW 5/3/1 and Corr.1,
HTW 5/3/1/Add.1, HTW 5/3/7 and Add.1, HTW 5/3/10 and Add.1, and HTW 5/3/12 and Add.1,
including the content of the corresponding draft model courses and its alignment with the scope
of the related provisions in the STCW Code, and advise the Sub-Committee accordingly with
a view to validating the draft model courses.
HTW 5/16
Page 16
Drafting Group 2

chaired by Ms. Maryanne Adams (Marshall Islands), and instructed it, taking into account the
comments made and decisions taken in plenary, to:
.1 consider documents HTW 5/3/2 and Add.1, HTW 5/3/3 and Add.1,
HTW 5/3/4 and Add.1, and HTW 5/3/5 and Add.1, including the content of
the corresponding draft model courses and its alignment with the scope of
the related provisions in the STCW Code, and advise the Sub-Committee
accordingly with a view to validating the draft model courses; and
.2 replace reference to resolution MSC.281(85) with resolution MSC.429(98)

on the Revised explanatory notes to the SOLAS chapter II-1 subdivision and
damage stability regulations in the terms of reference for the draft new model
course on Passenger safety, cargo safety and hull integrity training.
Drafting Group 3

chaired by Captain George Edenfield (United States), and instructed it, taking into account the
comments made and decisions taken in plenary, to:
.1 revise the text in paragraph 1.5 of the Revised guidelines

(MSC-MEPC.2/Circ.15) to reflect the decision made in plenary with regard to
the inclusion of timetables in model courses;
.2 consider documents HTW 5/3/9 and Add.1, and HTW 5/3/11 and Add.1,
including the content of the corresponding draft model courses and its
alignment with the scope of the related provisions in the STCW Code, and
advise the Sub-Committee accordingly with a view to validating the draft
model courses; and
.3 prepare draft terms of reference for the:
.1 revision of model course 1.22 on Bridge resource management; and
.2 development of the draft new model course on Engine-room

resource management,
taking into account the templates contained in annex 3 to document HTW 4/3
and annex 2 to the Revised guidelines (MSC-MEPC.2/Circ.15), and the time
frames for the revision of these model courses, as set out in
document HTW 5/3.
REPORTS OF DRAFTING GROUPS
3.66 Having approved the reports of the three Drafting Groups on Validation of Model
Courses (HTW 5/WP.5, HTW 5/WP.6 and HTW 5/WP.7) in general, the Sub-Committee took
action as outlined in the following paragraphs.
HTW 5/16
Page 17
Action relating to the Revised guidelines (MSC-MEPC.2/Circ.15)
General
3.67 The Sub-Committee noted:
.1 the recommendation to permit the course developer to be more specific in

the section for entry standards in part B (General Outline) of model courses,
and that this could be reviewed when the guidelines were to be revised;
.2 the view that the term "Detailed Outline" did not accurately reflect the content
of that section and that this could be reviewed when the guidelines were to
be revised; and
.3 the recommendation that courses' allocation of time could be indicated in

hours or days and that this could be reviewed when the guidelines were to
be revised.
Guidelines for timetables in model courses
3.68 Taking into account the decision made with regard to the inclusion of timetables in
model courses (see paragraph 3.4), the Sub-Committee endorsed the draft amendments to
the Revised guidelines (MSC-MEPC.2/Circ.15) to be issued as MSC-MEPC.2/Circ.15/Rev.1,
as set out in annex 2, which were already applied to the model courses validated at this
session, with a view to approval by MSC 100 and MEPC 73.
3.69 In this connection, the Sub-Committee noted that, for model courses that had more
than one function in accordance with the STCW Code, Drafting Group 1 had included the total
number of hours for each function, which should not be in conflict with the previous decision
of the Sub-Committee.
Harmonized text for entry standards and staff requirements in model courses
3.70 Taking into account the decision made with regard to the entry standards and staff
requirements in model courses (see paragraphs 3.12 and 3.13 above), the Sub-Committee
endorsed the harmonized text prepared with the agreement of all three drafting groups for
these sections, as set out in annex 3, which should be used in all model courses to be validated
at this session and in the future.
Validation of model courses
3.71 The Sub-Committee validated the following new model courses:
.1 Electro-technical rating;
.2 Ratings as able seafarer engine in a manned engine-room or designated to

perform duties in a periodically unmanned engine-room;
.3 Use of leadership and managerial skills;
.4 Safety training for personnel providing direct service to passengers in

passenger spaces;
.5 Passenger ship crowd management training; and
.6 Crisis management and human behaviour training.
HTW 5/16
Page 18
3.72 The Sub-Committee also validated the following revised model courses:
.1 1.36 on Liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker cargo and ballast handling
simulator;
.2 1.19 on Proficiency in personal survival techniques;
.3 1.34 on Automatic Identification Systems (AIS); and
.4 1.08 on Radar Navigation at Management Level (RADAR, ARPA, Bridge

Teamwork and Search and Rescue).
Terms of reference for developers and review groups
3.73 Following the decisions made with regard to the terms of reference of model courses
planned for validation by HTW 6 (see paragraphs 3.10.1 and 3.10.2), the Sub-Committee
endorsed the amendment to the terms of reference for the draft new model course on
Passenger safety, cargo safety and hull integrity training, set out in annex 9 of HTW 4/WP.6,
under the Conventions and Codes section, where reference to resolution MSC.281(85) was
replaced with resolution MSC.429(98) on the Revised explanatory notes to the SOLAS
chapter II-1 subdivision and damage stability regulations.
3.74 The Sub-Committee approved the terms of reference for the course developers and
review groups for the revision or development of the following model courses:
.1 model course 1.22 on Bridge resource management, as set out in annex 4;

and
.2 new model course on Engine-room resource management, as set out in

annex 5.
4 REPORTS ON UNLAWFUL PRACTICES ASSOCIATED WITH CERTIFICATES OF

COMPETENCY
General
4.1 The Sub-Committee recalled that, following the proposals of STW 30, MSC 71 had
decided to include an agenda item on unlawful practices associated with certificates of
competency in the Sub-Committee's agenda.
4.2 It was also recalled by the Sub-Committee that, having considered, with great
concern, reports from Member States on the proliferation of fraudulent certificates of
competency and endorsements, MSC 71 approved a circular on Fraudulent certificates of
competency (MSC/Circ.900) and A 21 adopted a resolution on Unlawful practices associated
with certificates of competency and endorsements (resolution A.892(21)).
4.3 The Sub-Committee recalled further that, in accordance with STCW regulation I/5
(National provisions), Parties shall take and enforce appropriate measures to prevent fraud
and other unlawful practices involving certificates and endorsements issued.
HTW 5/16
Page 19
Reports on fraudulent certificates
4.4 The Sub-Committee noted the information contained in document HTW 5/INF.7
(Secretariat), relating to the reports received by the Secretariat on fraudulent certificates
detected during 2016 and 2017.
4.5 The Sub-Committee also had for its consideration the following documents:
.1 HTW 5/4 (Ukraine), informing that the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine,

acting as the Maritime Administration of Ukraine, had ceased issuing
certificates of competency or seafarers' identity documents in the
Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. The document
called upon Member States and international organizations to refrain from
accepting any documents, either certificates of competency or seafarers'
identity documents, issued after 15 July 2014 by the authorities of the
Russian Federation in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of
Sevastopol; and
.2 HTW 5/4/1 (Russian Federation), reassuring the Sub-Committee that

certificates and qualification documents issued by the Russian Federation
for crew members of seagoing ships fully complied with the relevant
international and national requirements and stating that other allegations in
document HTW 5/4 were irrelevant to the competence and work of IMO.
4.6 In this regard, the Sub-Committee noted a statement by the delegation of Germany,
supported by the delegations of France, Spain and Sweden and the observer from the
European Commission, as set out in annex 10.
Certificate verification facility
4.7 The Sub-Committee noted that the certification verification facility of the IMO website
had been used 14,962 times during the year 2017.
4.8 In this regard, the Sub-Committee invited Member States to provide the Secretariat
with updated information, which would be included in the certificate verification facility, in order
to facilitate and respond in a timely manner to requests for verification of certificates.
5 GUIDANCE FOR STCW CODE, SECTION B-I/2
General
5.1 The Sub-Committee recalled that MSC 98 had agreed to replace the existing
description of this output, i.e. Guidance for the implementation of the 2010 Manila
Amendments, with Guidance for STCW Code, section B-I/2, with a view to completing the
addressing of issues identified during the implementation of the 2010 Manila Amendments and
providing better guidance to Parties, Administrations, port State control authorities, recognized
organizations and other relevant parties.
HTW 5/16
Page 20
Proposed amendments to section B-I/2
5.2 The Sub-Committee had for its consideration the following documents:
.1 HTW 5/5 (China), proposing to amend table B-I/2 in order to include:
.1 dispensations issued under article VIII of the STCW Convention, as

they should be considered as documentary evidence;
.2 the required endorsement of existing certificates of competency or

proficiency for ratings on oil, chemical or liquefied gas tankers;
.3 a clarification that the training on ships operating in polar waters

applied to deck officers only and not to all officers;
.4 refresher requirements for training on passenger ships;
.5 the seafarers' capacity to which certificates related to STCW

chapter VI applied; and
.6 the qualification levels of security within the certificates of

proficiency,
and proposing consequential amendments to table B-I/2, as set out in the

annex to appendix 11 to the Procedures for port State control, 2017
(resolution A.1119(30));
.2 HTW 5/5/1 (Singapore), proposing amendments to table B-I/2, consisting of

the addition of two new columns, one specifying the possible limitations
imposed on the certificates and the other emphasizing the responsibilities of
the holders; and also inviting the Sub-Committee to make the decision that
there was no need for any certificate or documentary evidence to contain
references to a specific IMO model training course;
.3 HTW 5/5/2 (India), proposing that:
.1 revalidation should be reflected in table B-I/2 only for personal

survival techniques and fire prevention and fire fighting, in line with
paragraph 3 of section A-VI/1 of the STCW Code, but not for
elementary first aid and personal safety and social responsibilities;
and
.2 consequential amendments be introduced in table B-I/2, as set out

in the annex to appendix 11 to the Procedures for port State
control, 2017 (resolution A.1119 (30)); and
.4 HTW 5/5/3 (Russian Federation), commenting on document HTW 5/5/1 and

proposing an additional amendment to note .1 in table B-I/2, as contained in
the annex to document HTW 5/5/1, intended to provide additional clarity and
guidance that the endorsements attesting recognition should be issued on
the basis of an evaluation carried out by the Party that issued the
endorsement to the Party that had issued the certificate, as a condition for
the recognition, as well as that a relevant undertaking was agreed between
those Parties.
HTW 5/16
Page 21
.1 dispensations issued in accordance with article VIII of the STCW Convention

should not be considered as documentary evidence, as proposed in
document HTW 5/5, as those entailed the exceptional acceptance of
seafarers serving in a position for which they did not meet the qualifications
required, whereas the purpose of documentary evidence was to establish
that relevant requirements had been met;
.2 dispensations might be addressed in the table in a proper manner, e.g. by

means of a note;
.3 the structure of the table should be guided by the purpose of its users,
e.g. implementation of the provisions of the Convention by Parties or
inspections conducted in the context of port State control (PSC) regimes;
.4 the proposal to split the basic training certificate of proficiency in four subjects
based on the requirements to provide evidence of having maintained the
required standard of competence, as contained in document HTW 5/5/2,
might be misinterpreted as a requirement for four different certificates;
.5 revalidation was required for all aspects relating to basic training, but the
conditions to provide the necessary evidence were different;
.6 the revision of table B-I/2 was triggered by the need to provide an overview
of certificates required by PSC regimes;
.7 the intent of table B-I/2 should also be to assist with the recognition of
certificates in accordance with STCW regulation I/10;
.8 addressing limitations of competencies in table B-I/2, as proposed in

document HTW 5/5/1, would be a challenging task due to the substantial
number of limitations contained in the Convention combined with the fact that
Parties applied limitations that might differ from those of the Convention; and
.9 information on limitations of competencies in table B-I/2 might entail that

PSC officers go beyond their assigned functions.
5.4 After a lengthy discussion, the Sub-Committee agreed that:
.1 the ultimate purpose of table B-I/2 should be to list the certificates or

documentary evidence required under the STCW Convention, regardless of
the end users;
.2 the current general structure of table B-I/2 should be maintained; and
.3 taking into account the comments made and decisions taken at this session,
a correspondence group could finalize the draft amendments to table B-I/2.
5.5 Furthermore, the Sub-Committee noted the positive effect that the Guidance for
Parties, Administrations, port State control authorities, recognized organizations and other
relevant parties on the requirements of the STCW Convention, 1978, as amended
(STCW.7/Circ.24/Rev.1) had provided in the context of mistaken requests during inspections
for certificates or documentary evidence to contain references to specific IMO model training
courses.
HTW 5/16
Page 22
Establishment of a correspondence group
5.6 The Sub-Committee established a Correspondence Group on Amendments to

Table B-I/2 of the STCW Code, under the coordination of India,1 and instructed it, taking into
account the comments made and decisions taken at HTW 5, as well as documents HTW 5/5,
HTW 5/5/2 and HTW 5/5/3, to:
.1 finalize draft amendments to table B-I/2; and
.2 submit a report to HTW 6.
Extension of the target completion year
5.7 In light of the above decisions, the Sub-Committee invited the Committee to extend
the target completion year for this output to 2019.
6 COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE 1995 STCW-F CONVENTION
General
6.1 The Sub-Committee recalled that:
.1 HTW 3 had prepared the principles and provisional scope of the

comprehensive review of the 1995 STCW-F Convention, which had been
approved by MSC 96 (MSC 96/25, paragraph 12.3);
.2 HTW 4 had agreed that, in the absence of other proposals or comments on

chapter I, part A of the proposed STCW-F Code, further discussions should
be deferred pending the submission of relevant proposals for consideration
at HTW 5 (HTW 4/16, paragraph 6.21); and
.3 the working group established at HTW 4 had been unable, owing to time
constraints, to continue discussions beyond STCW-F regulation II/2 and
proposed section A-II/2 of the STCW-F Code and had deferred consideration
of proposals that had not been fully discussed to HTW 5 (HTW 4/16,
paragraphs 6.23 and 6.25), i.e. documents HTW 4/6/1
and HTW 4/INF.6 (New Zealand), HTW 4/6/4 (China), HTW 4/6/5 (Iceland),
HTW 4/6/6 (China) and HTW 4/6/7 (FAO).
6.2 It was also recalled by the Sub-Committee that HTW 4 had established a
correspondence group, with terms of reference set out in paragraph 6.24 of document
HTW 4/16, and had instructed the group to submit a report to this session.
1
Coordinator:
Mr. Achintya Bikash Dutta
Engineer/Ship Surveyor
Directorate General of Shipping
9th floor, Beta Building
i-Think techno campus,
Kanjurmarg (E), Mumbai
Email: achingemini@yahoo.co.in
HTW 5/16
Page 23
Outcome of III 4 and MSC 99
6.3 The Sub-Committee noted that MSC 99, having noted the request of III 4 (III 4/15,
paragraph 15.11.18) to consider the inclusion of the 1995 STCW-F Convention in the scope
of the III Code to an extent similar to the 1978 STCW Convention (refer to paragraph 7.2.2 of
part I of the annex to resolution A.1067(28) on Framework and procedures for the IMO Member
State Audit Scheme) in the future, had invited interested Member States to raise the matter in
the context of the output on the "Comprehensive review of the 1995 STCW-F Convention",
currently on the agenda of the HTW Sub-Committee, taking into account the need to keep
the III Code unchanged over a given seven-year cycle (MSC 99/22, paragraph 9.26).
6.4 In this regard, recognizing that the inclusion of the 1995 STCW-F Convention in the
scope of the III Code would require the introduction of mandatory requirements in both
the III Code and the 1995 STCW-F Convention, the Sub-Committee agreed that it would be
appropriate to prepare them once amendments to the 1995 STCW-F Convention relating to
the verification of compliance were agreed.
6.5 The Sub-Committee also noted that MSC 99, having noted the request of III 4 (III 4/15,
paragraphs 15.2.11.20 and 15.2.11.22) to initiate a review of the FAO/ILO/IMO Document for
Guidance on Training and Certification of Fishing Vessel Personnel, which referred to
the 1995 STCW-F Convention, had invited interested delegations to consider proposing a new
output, in accordance with the Committees' method of work (MSC-MEPC.1/Circ.5/Rev.1),
once the review of the 1995 STCW-F Convention had been completed by the
HTW Sub-Committee (MSC 99/22, paragraph 9.27).
Report of the Correspondence Group and related documents
6.6 The Sub-Committee considered the report of the Correspondence Group on the
Comprehensive Review of the 1995 STCW-F Convention (HTW 5/6), submitted by Japan and,
in particular, noted the progress made on the development of:
.1 chapter I (General provisions) regarding definitions and use of simulators,

excluding definitions of "limited waters" and "unlimited waters"; and
regulation I/2 on application, pending discussion on equivalencies of gross
tonnage and length; and
.2 chapter II (Certification of skippers, officers, engineer officers and radio

operators), in particular regulations II/1 and II/2, and sections A-II/1, A-II/2
and A-II/5.
6.7 In this context, the Sub-Committee also considered the following documents:
.1 HTW 5/6/1 (Philippines), proposing to:
.1 amend the provisions of regulations 1, 2, 3 and 4 of chapter II

adjusting the periods of substitution of "seagoing service on fishing
vessels" for "seagoing service in the deck department of seagoing
ships" covered by the 1978 STCW Convention, as amended,
ensuring the attainment of competence peculiar to the work on
board fishing vessels;
HTW 5/16
Page 24
.2 amend regulation 5 of chapter II to allow substitution of seagoing

service on board fishing vessels also for the certification of engineer
officers based on the fact that their competency requirements
should be the same regardless of the type of ship; and
.3 align the basic training requirements with the basic training

requirements under chapter VI of the 1978 STCW Convention, as
amended;
.2 HTW 5/6/2 (New Zealand), providing a proposal, as a follow-up to documents

HTW 4/6/1 and HTW 4/INF.6, for an optional set of minimum certification
criteria for fishing deckhands intended to enhance safety standards on
fishing vessels and increase the international transferability of fishing
deckhand certificates; New Zealand also proposed that the competency
framework provided in document HTW 4/INF.6 might be used as a starting
point for developing a non-mandatory competency code for such an
"Advanced fishing deckhand" qualification;
.3 HTW 5/6/3 (Canada), proposing the removal of "celestial navigation" from

the standard of competence for skippers and officers in charge of a
navigational watch on fishing vessels of 24 metres in length and over,
operating in unlimited waters, in draft sections A-II/1 and A-II/2 in the revised
STCW-F Convention proposed by the Correspondence Group in document
HTW 5/6, with a view to modernizing the minimum standards of competence
in line with the reality of fishing vessels; and
.4 HTW 5/6/4 (Japan), proposing amendments to regulation II/2 (Mandatory

minimum requirements for certification of officers in charge of a navigational
watch on fishing vessels of 24 metres in length and over operating in
unlimited waters) to introduce an equivalency for seagoing service by means
of fishing training vessels; Japan also proposed the introduction of the
corresponding definition of fishing training vessel in regulation I/1.
6.8 In considering the report of the Correspondence Group and the above documents,
the Sub-Committee noted the following general comments:
.1 the comprehensive review of the 1995 STCW-F Convention should not go

beyond the principles and the provisional scope approved by MSC 96;
.2 the lack of an international regulatory safety framework for fishing vessels

made it difficult to review the Convention consistently;
.3 it seemed incoherent that in-depth amendments proposed by non-Parties to

the Convention would only have to be complied with by Parties;
.4 the technical level and industry status of fishing vessel personnel in

developing countries should be fully taken into account in the Convention
review process; and
.5 a proper alignment of the STCW-F with the STCW Convention should be

carried out to the extent possible, taking into account the peculiarities of the
fishing industry.
HTW 5/16
Page 25
6.9 The Sub-Committee further noted statements made by the delegations of China and
Spain, as set out in annex 10.
6.10 Having recognized the need for a working group to be established at this session, the
Sub-Committee approved the report of the Correspondence Group, in general, and took action
as indicated below.
6.11 The Sub-Committee noted that, since work on the review of the STCW-F Convention
was just starting and that additional work needed to be done, the plenary should only discuss
policy issues that were necessary for the work of the working group.
6.12 The Sub-Committee considered whether an optional set of minimum certification

criteria for fishing deckhands, as proposed by New Zealand in document HTW 5/6/2, was
necessary, as well as the regulatory options for its inclusion, and noted the following views
expressed:
.1 an optional set of minimum certification criteria for fishing deckhands should

enhance safety on fishing vessels and increase the international
transferability of fishing deckhand certificates, and also would provide better
career opportunities;
.2 taking into account that the casualty rates of the fishing industry exceeded
those of any other field in the maritime industry, minimum provisions for basic
training of fishing deckhands would improve the level of safety and
performance of fishing vessel personnel;
.3 it was questionable whether the introduction of training provisions on fishing

deckhands, beyond the minimum provisions included in resolution 4 adopted
by the Conference on the 1995 STCW-F Convention, would improve safety,
due to their non-mandatory nature;
.4 certification criteria for fishing deckhands should not be developed in the

context of the Convention, as this matter should be regulated at a national
level;
.5 certification for fishing deckhands should be an optional qualification for

Administrations to use if they so decided; and
.6 inclusion of the certification criteria for fishing deckhands should be

accompanied by a transitional period for compliance to avoid introducing an
obstacle to companies.
6.13 After the discussion, the Sub-Committee agreed that the working group to be
established should be instructed to develop minimum certification criteria for fishing
deckhands, taking into account that resolution 4 adopted by the Conference on
the 1995 STCW-F Convention contained a recommendation on minimum requirements for
training of deckhands working on board fishing vessels of 24 metres in length and over.
HTW 5/16
Page 26
Establishment of the Working Group on the Comprehensive Review of the 1995 STCW-F
Convention
6.14 Having considered the above matters, the Sub-Committee established a Working
Group on the Comprehensive Review of the 1995 STCW-F Convention and instructed it, taking
into account the comments made and decisions taken in plenary, to:
.1 further develop regulations of STCW-F chapter I, including the definitions of

"limited waters" and "unlimited waters", as well as regulation I/2 (Application),
based on the annex to document HTW 5/6, taking into account documents
HTW 4/6/5 and HTW 5/6/4;
.2 consider draft regulations II/1, II/2, II/3 and II/4, as well as sections A-II/1
and A-II/2 of the draft STCW-F Code, based on the annex to document
HTW 5/6, taking into account documents HTW 4/6/5, HTW 4/6/6, HTW 4/6/7,
HTW 5/6/1, HTW 5/6/3 and HTW 5/6/4, and advise the Sub-Committee
accordingly;
.3 consider draft regulation II/5 and section A-II/5, taking into account
documents HTW 4/6/4, HTW 4/6/5, HTW 4/6/6, HTW 4/6/7, HTW 5/6 and
HTW 5/6/1, and advise the Sub-Committee accordingly;
.4 develop minimum certification criteria for fishing deckhands, including

consideration of regulatory options to address them, taking into account
documents HTW 4/6/1, HTW 5/6/2, HTW 4/INF.6 and resolution 4 adopted
by the Conference on the 1995 STCW-F Convention;
.5 consider the remaining parts in chapters II, III and IV and advise the
Sub-Committee accordingly; and
.6 consider whether it was necessary to re-establish a correspondence group

and, if so, prepare terms of reference for consideration by the
Sub-Committee.
Report of the Working Group
6.15 Having considered the report of the Working Group on the Comprehensive Review of
the 1995 STCW-F Convention (HTW 5/WP.4), the Sub-Committee approved it in general and
took action as outlined in the following paragraphs.
Chapter I (General provisions)
6.16 The Sub-Committee noted, with a view to further consideration at HTW 6, the
preliminary revised draft text of chapter I of the STCW-F Convention and, in particular, that the
Group had agreed to retain the original text regarding the requirement on the use of the English
language set out in regulation I/2.
Chapter II (Certification of skippers, officers, engineer officers and radio operators)
6.17 The Sub-Committee noted, with a view to further consideration at HTW 6, the
preliminary revised draft text of chapter II, in particular that the Group had agreed to:
.1 retain the original text in regulation II/1 concerning the acceptance of

seagoing service on seagoing ships addressed by the 1978 STCW
Convention, as amended; and
HTW 5/16
Page 27
.2 include a KUP on basic working knowledge of relevant international

instruments concerning the responsible conservation, management and
development of living aquatic resources, as well as key international
instruments related to the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated
fishing, under competence 13: Monitor compliance with legislative
requirements.
6.18 The Sub-Committee agreed with the Group's invitation to consider at HTW 6 whether
or not training requirements on celestial navigation should be retained in section A-II of the
draft STCW-F Code and invited interested Member States and international organizations to
submit proposals to HTW 6.
6.19 The Sub-Committee noted that the Group had been unable to continue discussions
beyond regulation II/2 of the STCW-F Convention and section A-II/2 of the draft STCW-F Code,
owing to time constraints.
Fishing deckhand
6.20 The Sub-Committee noted the discussions of the Group on fishing deckhand and
invited Member States and international organizations to submit proposals to HTW 6.
Definition of "limited waters"
6.21 The Sub-Committee requested the Secretariat, in particular the Legal Affairs and
External Relations Division, to submit to HTW 6 legal advice in relation to the definition of
"limited waters" in the context of the STCW-F Convention.
Alignment with the 1978 STCW Convention, as amended
6.22 The Sub-Committee endorsed the opinion of the Group on the need to work towards
the alignment of the STCW-F Convention with the 1978 STCW Convention, as amended,
including the 2010 Manila Amendments.
Re-establishment of the Correspondence Group on the Comprehensive Review of

the 1995 STCW-F Convention
6.23 Having considered the above matters and in order to progress the work
intersessionally, the Sub-Committee re-established the Correspondence Group on the
Comprehensive Review of the 1995 STCW-F Convention, under the coordination of Japan,2
and instructed it, taking into account the report by the Working Group on the Comprehensive
Review of the 1995 STCW-F Convention at HTW 5 and the Sub-Committee's decisions thereof,
as well as the principles and provisional scope for the comprehensive review of the 1995
STCW-F Convention, as approved by MSC 96, using annex 1 to document HTW 5/WP.4, to:
.1 continue work on regulation II/3 and on section A-II/3, taking into

consideration only those proposals found within documents HTW 4/6/1,
HTW 4/6/2, HTW 4/6/5, HTW 4/6/7 and HTW 5/6/1 that were relevant to
regulation II/3 or section A-II/3, taking into consideration the existing
definition of limited waters;
2
Capt. Masashi Sugomori
Senior Coordinator
International Affairs Division, Knowledge Capital Department
Japan Agency of Maritime Education and Training for Seafarers
Phone: +81452120005
Email: sugomori-m2u0@jmets.ac.jp
HTW 5/16
Page 28
.2 continue work on regulation II/4 and on section A-II/4, taking into

consideration only those proposals found within documents HTW 4/6/1,
HTW 4/6/4, HTW 4/6/5 and HTW 5/6/1 that were relevant to regulation II/4
or section A-II/4, taking into consideration the existing definition of limited
waters;
.3 reconcile the various elements across the competence tables to, among
others, remove duplication; and
.4 submit a report to HTW 6.
Extension of the target completion year
6.24 In light of the above decisions, the Sub-Committee invited the Committee to extend
the target completion year for this output to 2019.
7 ROLE OF THE HUMAN ELEMENT
Application of casualty cases and lessons learned to seafarers' training and education
7.1 The Sub-Committee recalled that MSC 96 had instructed HTW 4, under the existing
agenda item "Role of the human element", to consider document MSC 96/9/2 (China and
IMLA) and, in particular, the development of a methodology on how to utilize lessons learned
for seafarers' training and education, including the development of further guidance in the
relevant model course in this respect; and the way in which they should be received, so that
the information could be used more effectively (MSC 96/25, paragraph 9.17.2).
7.2 It was also recalled by the Sub-Committee that HTW 4 had agreed to await the
outcome of the work undertaken by the III Sub-Committee, while agreeing that lessons learned
from marine casualties would be beneficial for training of seafarers (HTW 4/16,
paragraph 7.12).
7.3 In this context, the Sub-Committee noted that, following the release of marine safety
investigation reports to the public, by default, in the module on Marine Casualties and
Incidents (MCI) of the Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS), MSC 99 had
concurred with III 4's invitation to the HTW Sub-Committee to advise Member States on the
release and the availability of these reports for the benefit of seafarers' training and education
(MSC 99/22, paragraph 9.2).
7.4 In this connection, the Sub-Committee had for its consideration document
HTW 5/7 (China) proposing that, following consideration by the HTW and III Sub-Committees,
the Sub-Committee might consider the following relevant elements and develop guidance on
the application of marine casualty cases and lessons learned to seafarers' training and
education, in cooperation with the III Sub-Committee, as necessary:
.1 select suitable casualty cases and lessons learned for maritime academies;
.2 use human factors of any casualties in different teaching sessions of the

training courses;
.3 identify the happening process and root causes of applicable casualties;
.4 train seafarers at management level, operational level or support level in

different ways and using different key points accordingly; and
HTW 5/16
Page 29
.5 differentiate requirements of maritime education for academic students and

training for seafarers with work experience on board ships.
7.5 During the ensuing discussion, the following views were expressed:
.1 the application of suitable casualty cases and lessons learned to maritime

education and training of seafarers would reduce risks related to the human
element;
.2 case studies constituted a powerful training tool;
.3 from a procedural point of view, this matter should be considered in a more

systematic and structured way, and the final output should be clarified;
.4 this work might be conducted in coordination with the III Sub-Committee;
.5 the relevant elements contained in document HTW 5/7 might be more

specific and addressed by means of new guidance;
.6 the role of IMO on this matter should be limited to developing general

principles for the application of suitable casualty cases and lessons learned
to maritime education and training of seafarers and model courses should
address their application by administrations, training institutions and
instructors; and
.7 as a first step, Member States should be invited to submit relevant casualty
cases and lessons learned to the next session.
7.6 Following the discussion, the Sub-Committee invited Member States and international
organizations to submit proposals to develop guidance on the application of maritime casualty
cases and lessons learned to seafarers' training and education under this agenda item to
HTW 6.
Other human element matters
7.7 The Sub-Committee noted information provided on:
.1 a study on monocular vision in the transportation industry (HTW 5/INF.2);
.2 the application of massive open online courses (MOOCs) in maritime

education and training (HTW 5/INF.3);
.3 the quality of onboard training and the first certificate of competency (HTW
5/INF.5); and
.4 a research report on safety culture in the maritime industry (HTW 5/INF.6).
8 REVISION OF THE GUIDELINES ON FATIGUE
General
8.1 The Sub-Committee recalled that HTW 3 had agreed that there was general support
for the principles in document HTW 3/8/2 (ICS) for the revision of the Guidance on fatigue
mitigation and management (MSC/Circ.1014), namely, the guidelines should be practical, non-
academic and user-friendly, and be drafted using simple, non-mandatory language.
HTW 5/16
Page 30
8.2 The Sub-Committee also recalled that, based on the progress made and having
recalled the general outline, including the principles that should be followed during the revision
of the Guidance on fatigue mitigation and management (MSC/Circ.1014), HTW 4 had invited
Member States and international organizations to submit relevant proposals to this session for
consideration and agreed to consider the outcome of that session (HTW 4/WP.3) as the basis
for further work.
8.3 In this context, the Sub-Committee noted that, following consideration by HTW 4,
MSC 98 had agreed that general references to the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006,
could be made in the body of the revised Guidelines on fatigue; however, the interpretation of,
and guidance on, any standards of the MLC, 2006, referenced in the revised Guidelines should
be avoided (MSC 98/23, paragraphs 9.8 to 9.11).
Revised Guidelines on fatigue
8.4 The Sub-Committee had for its consideration the following documents:
.1 HTW 5/8 (Australia et al.), proposing amendments to current appendix 1

(Fatigue Risk Management System) to the draft guidelines (HTW 4/WP.3,
annex) to:
.1 emphasize that managing the risks of fatigue should form part of the
company's safety management system, which aligned with the
objectives of the ISM Code; and
.2 remove any ambiguity surrounding the idea that a separate system

was required for managing fatigue risk,
with the aim of providing a consistent safety management approach that

could be adopted by the industry;
.2 HTW 5/8/1 (United States), providing an alternative proposal for the foreword
and new modules 1 to 6 of the draft guidelines in line with the principles
agreed by HTW 3, as well as the direction provided by the Committee to take
into account the full range of factors affecting fatigue, including manning,
(MSC 95/22, paragraph 9.18), with a view to only modifying these guidelines
to account for new information in this area and changes to shipboard
operations;
.3 HTW 5/8/2 (IMarEST), proposing:
.1 amendments to the text of module 5 (Ship design), in order to

address ships' design for fatigue mitigation; and
.2 minor text alterations to the introduction and module 2 (Fatigue and

the Company), in order to highlight that design should be
addressed, and module 5 should be taken into consideration, at an
early stage,
in the draft guidelines (HTW 4/WP.3, annex); and
HTW 5/16
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.4 HTW 5/8/3 (China), proposing amendments to module 2 (Fatigue and the

Company) of the draft guidelines (HTW 4/WP.3, annex) in order to provide
that companies should be familiar not only with modules 1, 3, 4 and 5,3 as
currently provided, but also with module 6 (Fatigue, the Administration and
port State Authorities). It was also proposed to remove discrepancies in the
weekly work hours between the draft guidelines and mandatory instruments
(1978 STCW Convention, as amended, and MLC, 2006, as amended).
8.5 The Sub-Committee further noted the information contained in document
HTW 5/INF.9 (Republic of Korea), relating to cumulative fatigue and stress of seafarers,
measured by evaluating autonomic nervous functions through analysis of heart rate variability
and the relationship between such measurement results and the results of survey studies
conducted using questionnaires.
.1 managing the risks of fatigue as part of the company's safety management
system, as proposed in document HTW 5/8, would allow for better control of
such risks;
.2 the revised Guidelines should not deviate from the principles agreed by
HTW 3 (see paragraph 8.1 above);
.3 the direction of the work carried out so far was not heading towards timely
accomplishment of the revision, nor did it facilitate proper implementation;
.4 appendices to the revised Guidelines would be a useful toolbox for fatigue
management on all ships; and
.5 a work plan should be developed to expedite the finalization of this output.
8.7 In considering the alternative proposal for the foreword and new modules 1 to 6 of the
draft guidelines (HTW 4/WP.3, annex), as contained in document HTW 5/8/1, the
Sub-Committee agreed that it should be used as the basis for discussions, integrating also:
.1 the text of the appendices contained in the draft guidelines set out in
document HTW 4/WP.3; and
.2 where necessary, the text from agreements by the Working Group

established at HTW 4, as set out in document HTW 4/WP.3,
taking into account that repetition of discussions on issues already decided upon should be
avoided.
Establishment of the Working Group on the Guidelines on fatigue
8.8 Following the above decisions, the Sub-Committee established the Working Group
on the Guidelines on fatigue and instructed it, following the principles in paragraph 8.7.2 of
document HTW 3/19 and taking into account the comments made and decisions taken in
plenary, to:
.1 finalize the draft guidelines based on the proposal contained in document

HTW 5/8/1, integrating:
3
Module 1: Fatigue – Causes and consequences;
Module 3: Fatigue and the seafarer;
Module 4: Fatigue awareness and training; and
Module 5: Fatigue and ship design.
HTW 5/16
Page 32
.1 the text of the appendices contained in the draft guidelines set out
in document HTW 4/WP.3; and
.2 where necessary, the text from agreed decisions by the Working

Group established at HTW 4, as set out in document HTW 4/WP.3,
i.e. introduction, module 1 and relevant parts of modules 2 and 6,
taking into account documents HTW 5/8, HTW 5/8/2, HTW 5/8/3 and the
principles in document HTW 3/8/2; and
.2 if necessary, prepare a work plan for the finalization of the draft guidelines.
Report of the Working Group
8.9 Having considered the report of the Working Group on the Guidelines on fatigue
(HTW 5/WP.3), the Sub-Committee approved it in general and took action as outlined in the
following paragraphs.
8.10 Having noted that appendices containing tools and recommendations to manage the
risk of fatigue had been deleted, the Sub-Committee noted the following views:
.1 fatigue risk management tools should be included as appendices to the

guidelines as they constituted a practical mechanism to assess and manage
the risk of fatigue;
.2 these tools had been developed based on scientific research, which provided
an opportunity to make the maritime industry safer beyond the regulatory
limits on hours of rest;
.3 any tools to be included in the guidelines should be relevant to the maritime

sector, practical, useful for seafarers and consistent with IMO instruments,
evidence of which had not been proved; and
.4 the inclusion of these tools should not delay the approval of the guidelines.
.1 agreed to the draft Guidelines on fatigue and the associated draft MSC
circular, as set out in annex 6, for submission to MSC 100 for approval;
.2 having recognized that fatigue risk management tools should be relevant to

the maritime sector, practical, useful for seafarers and consistent with IMO
instruments, agreed that any proposals to include these tools as appendices
to the Guidelines could be considered under the agenda item on the "Role of
the human element" at future sessions and invited MSC 100 to endorse this
agreement; and
.3 agreed to consider at HTW 6 the need to update any model courses

containing information on fatigue as a result of the approval of the Guidelines
on fatigue.
HTW 5/16
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9 REVIEW OF SOLAS CHAPTER II-2 AND ASSOCIATED CODES TO MINIMIZE THE

INCIDENCE AND CONSEQUENCES OF FIRES IN RO-RO SPACES AND SPECIAL
CATEGORY SPACES OF NEW AND EXISTING RO-RO PASSENGER SHIPS
9.1 The Sub-Committee recalled that the HTW Sub-Committee was assigned as an
associated organ with respect to the output "Review SOLAS chapter II-2 and associated codes
to minimize the incidence and consequences of fires in ro-ro spaces and special category
spaces of new and existing ro-ro passenger ships".
9.2 Having noted that no work had been requested of the Sub-Committee by
the SSE Sub-Committee, it being the coordinating organ for this output, the Sub-Committee
agreed that:
.1 this agenda item did not need to be considered at this session; and
.2 any outputs where the Sub-Committee was assigned as an associated organ

should only be included in the provisional agenda of the Sub-Committee when
work had been requested by the corresponding parent or coordinating organ.
10 AMENDMENTS TO THE IGF CODE AND DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES FOR

LOW-FLASHPOINT FUELS
associated organ with respect to the output "Amendments to the IGF Code and development
of guidelines for low-flashpoint fuels".
the CCC Sub-Committee, it being the coordinating organ for this output, it was agreed that this
agenda item did not need to be considered at this session.
11 REVISED SOLAS REGULATION II-1/3-8 AND ASSOCIATED GUIDELINES

(MSC.1/CIRC.1175) AND NEW GUIDELINES FOR SAFE MOORING OPERATIONS
FOR ALL SHIPS
associated organ with respect to the output "Revised SOLAS regulation II-1/3-8 and associated
guidelines (MSC.1/Circ.1175) and new guidelines for safe mooring operations for all ships".
the SDC Sub-Committee, it being the coordinating organ for this output, it was agreed that this
12 MEASURES TO HARMONIZE PORT STATE CONTROL (PSC) ACTIVITIES AND

PROCEDURES WORLDWIDE
associated organ with respect to the output "Measures to harmonize port State control (PSC)
activities and procedures worldwide".
the III Sub-Committee, it being the coordinating organ for this output, it was agreed that this
HTW 5/16
Page 34
13 BIENNIAL STATUS REPORT AND PROVISIONAL AGENDA FOR HTW 6
General
13.1 The Sub-Committee noted that A 30 had adopted the Strategic Plan for the
Organization for the six-year period 2018-2023 (resolution A.1110(30)) and the Application of
the Strategic Plan of the Organization (resolution A.1111(30)), and had requested:
.1 all IMO organs to ensure full observance of resolution A.1111(30), which

provided a uniform basis for the application of the Strategic Plan throughout
the Organization, and for the strengthening of existing working practices
through the provision of enhanced planning and management procedures
that were simple, manageable, proportional, transparent and balanced; and
.2 the Council and the committees to review and revise, during the 2018-2019
biennium, the documents on the organization and method of their work,
taking into account resolution A.1111(30), as appropriate.
Biennial status report for the 2018-2019 biennium
13.2 Taking into account the progress made at the session, the Sub-Committee agreed to
the biennial status report for the 2018-2019 biennium, as set out in annex 7, for consideration
by MSC 100.
Proposed provisional agenda for HTW 6
13.3 Taking into account the progress made at the session, the Sub-Committee agreed to
the proposed provisional agenda for HTW 6, as set out in annex 8, for consideration by
MSC 100, with a view to approval.
Correspondence groups established at the session
13.4 The Sub-Committee established correspondence groups on the following subjects, due
to report to HTW 6:
.1 amendments to table B-I/2 of the STCW Code (see paragraph 5.6); and
.2 comprehensive review of the 1995 STCW-F Convention (see
paragraph 6.23).
Arrangements for the next session
13.5 The Sub-Committee agreed to establish, at its next session, working and drafting
groups on the following subjects:
.1 validated model training courses (agenda item 3);4

.2 guidance for the STCW Code, section B-I/2 (agenda item 5);4
.3 comprehensive review of the 1995 STCW-F Convention (agenda item 6);4
and
.4 role of the human element (agenda item 7).4
4
Refer to annex 8.
HTW 5/16
Page 35
Date of the next session
13.6 The Sub-Committee noted that the sixth session of the Sub-Committee had been
tentatively scheduled to take place from 29 April to 3 May 2019.
14 ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR FOR 2019
In accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the Maritime Safety Committee, the
Sub-Committee unanimously re-elected Ms. Mayte Medina (United States) as Chair and
Ms. Farrah Fadil (Singapore) as Vice-Chair, both for 2019.
15 ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Update on the STCW GISIS module
15.1 The Sub-Committee recalled that, following endorsement by HTW 4 of the framework
for the GISIS module related to reporting and information communication requirements under
the 1978 STCW Convention, as amended (HTW 4/16, paragraph 5.33 and annex 2), MSC 98
had approved it and instructed the Secretariat to develop the module.
15.2 The Sub-Committee noted that the GISIS module was under development with a view
to being ready for testing by the end of 2018, and that it was expected to address not only
information requirements of the Convention but also the information provided by Parties on
simulators (STCW regulation I/12 (Use of simulators) and the Information on simulators
available for use in maritime training (MSC.1/Circ.1209)), the list of competent persons
(paragraph 7 of section A-I/7 of the STCW Code and the corresponding revisions of
MSC.1/Circ.797 on the list of competent persons)), and information on fraudulent certificates
in line with the decisions made by MSC 71 and A 21.
15.3 It was also noted by the Sub-Committee that:
.1 HTW 4 had been advised that officers (STCW focal points) authorized to
enter information or have access to restricted information in the new GISIS
module should be those persons/national bodies listed in the circular issued
in 2003 on National authorities maintaining registers of STCW Convention
certificates and endorsements (STCW.8/Circ.1/Rev.1) (HTW 4/5,
paragraph 7); and
.2 in order to provide the new module with the most recent information, a new
section for STCW focal points would be included in the current GISIS module
for contact points.
15.4 In this context, the Sub-Committee encouraged Parties to provide updated

information on STCW focal points by the end of October 2018 to htw@imo.org
Transitional arrangements for future amendments of the STCW Convention and Code
15.5 The Sub-Committee had for its consideration document HTW 5/15 (China), proposing
that, in order to avoid the problems faced during the implementation of the 2010 Manila
Amendments, such as the application of the provisions of STCW regulation VI/6 or cases
where seafarers did not carry certificates and endorsements based on the amendments, full
consideration should be given in the next comprehensive revision of the Convention to all
factors affecting the effective implementation of the Convention, with a view to setting
reasonable transitional arrangements for the implementation of the amendments, as well as
guidance for such arrangements to assist Parties and stakeholders in promoting the full,
effective and uniform implementation of the Convention.
HTW 5/16
Page 36
.1 adequate transitional arrangements would be essential for future

amendments to the STCW Convention and Code;
.2 the length of transitional periods should be set based on the content of the
amendment and the situation at that time;
.3 implementation of amendments to the STCW Convention was particularly

complicated as it involved not only setting up appropriate legislation, but also
issues such as the provision of training, assessment of competence,
certification and endorsement, which should be taken into account when
establishing transitional periods; and
.4 PSC regimes should take into account the transitional periods in the course
of their inspections.
15.7 Following the discussion, the Sub-Committee agreed that:
.1 full consideration should be given to all factors affecting the effective

implementation of the Convention when setting transitional arrangements for
the implementation of future amendments; and
.2 guidance for the transitional arrangements should be developed to assist

Member States and stakeholders in promoting the full, effective and uniform
implementation of future amendments to the Convention.
Limitation of propulsion power for officer in charge of an engineering watch on

near-coastal voyages
15.8 The Sub-Committee had for its consideration document HTW 5/15/2 (India),
proposing removing the wording "of less than 3,000 kW propulsion power" and replacing it by
"with limited propulsion power" in paragraph 10 of section A-III/1 of the Code in order not to
set a power limit for power of the main propulsion machinery applicable to vary the level of
knowledge, understanding and proficiency (KUP) required in table A-III/1 for the case of
near-coastal voyages (NCVs).
.1 the significant higher performance required for engineer officers compared

to deck officers serving on NCVs made it inappropriate to remove the main
propulsion machinery power limit to vary the level of KUPs;
.2 the provisions for NCVs in section A-III/1 and A-III/2 regarding propulsion
machinery power limits to vary the level of KUPs should be aligned;
.3 this proposal would require the adoption of amendments to part A of the

STCW Code and there was no current output for this purpose; and
.4 NCV provisions had been subject to significant consideration during the last
comprehensive review of the Convention.
HTW 5/16
Page 37
15.10 Subsequently, having recognized that there was no current output to amend the
STCW Code, the Sub-Committee agreed that the deletion of the figure provided as the limit of
power of the main propulsion machinery applicable to vary the level of KUPs required in
table A-III/1 for the case of NCVs was not appropriate.
Proposal for amendments to the Guidelines on the medical examination of seafarers

(STCW.7/Circ.19)
15.11 The Sub-Committee considered document HTW 5/15/3 (Democratic People's

Republic of Korea), proposing amendments to the Guidelines on the medical examination of
seafarers (STCW.7/Circ.19) in order to eliminate the incorrect references to "section IX" of the
Guidelines relating to the appeals procedure, as well as the addition of appropriate guidance
for the above-mentioned appeals procedure. The document also highlighted that the
Guidelines did not contain either the appeals procedure or any guidance, as referred to in the
Guidelines' provisions themselves.
15.12 In this context, the Sub-Committee noted that:
.1 the incorrect reference to "section IX" stemmed from the fact that the original
version of the "Guidelines on the medical examinations of seafarers", which
were originally developed by a joint IMO/ILO working group, contained
sections using roman numerals as opposed to the Guidelines approved by
IMO by means of STCW.7/Circ.19;
.2 the original Guidelines contained section IX on "Appeals procedures" and,

taking into account that these Guidelines should support medical
requirements for both the MLC and STCW Conventions, any substantial
amendments should be jointly agreed by ILO and IMO; and
.3 in line with the reports on the preparation of the Guidelines by the joint
ILO/IMO working group, ILO had confirmed to the Secretariat that the current
content of the appeals procedure in the Guidelines had been intentionally
included.
.1 agreed that it was not necessary to amend the guidance to further address
the appeals procedure as this would fall within the remit of the
administrations; and
.2 requested the Secretariat to issue a revised version of the Guidelines

approved by the Maritime Safety Committee to align section titles and
numbering with the original document produced by the joint ILO/IMO working
group.
Minor editorial correction of footnotes in section B of the STCW Code
15.14 The Sub-Committee had for its consideration document HTW 5/15/4 (Japan),
proposing a minor editorial correction to delete the reference to "B V/g" in the footnote:
"Note there are no corresponding regulations in the Convention or sections in part A

of the Code for sections B-V/a, B-V/b, B-V/c, B-V/d, B-V/e, B-V/f and B-V/g.",
referred to in existing section B-V/g, which dealt with training on ships operating in polar
waters, as well as in sections B-V/a, B-V/b, B-V/c, B V/d, B-V/e and B-V/f of the STCW Code.
Japan stated that this correction was consequential to the adoption of amendments to the 1978
HTW 5/16
Page 38
STCW Convention, as amended, and the STCW Code by resolutions MSC.416(97) and
MSC.417(97), respectively, relating to the International Code for ships operating in polar
waters (Polar Code).
15.15 In the context of the adoption and entry into force of the Polar Code and related
training provisions, the Sub-Committee noted the following:
.1 footnote "Refer to IMO Assembly resolution A.1024(26) on Guidelines for

ships operating in polar waters" referred to in part B-V/g of the Code could
not be deleted in view of the following requirement of SOLAS
regulation XIV/2.2 (Application):
"Ships constructed before 1 January 2017 shall meet the relevant

requirements of the Polar Code by the first intermediate or renewal
survey, whichever occurs first, after 1 January 2018."
.2 as STCW regulation I/1.42 incorporated a definition of "Polar Code", it was

not necessary to include a footnote under part B-V/g of the Code referring to
resolutions MSC.385(94) and MEPC.264(68) on the Polar Code;
.3 "section B-V/g" of the STCW Code should be renamed as "section B-V/4",

and moved after current section B-V/3 in line with new STCW regulation V/4
and section A-V/4 of the STCW Code;
.4 footnote "Note there are no corresponding regulations in the Convention or

sections in part A of the Code for sections B-V/a, B-V/b, B-V/c, B-V/d, B-V/e,
B-V/f and B-V/g." under current section B-V/g should be deleted; and
.5 footnote "Refer to section B-V/g of the STCW Code" under

STCW regulation V/4 should be replaced with "Refer to section B-V/4 of
the STCW Code".
15.16 The Sub-Committee agreed that, as the aforementioned amendments were

consequential to the adoption of resolutions MSC.416(97) and MSC.417(97), they could be
dealt with as minor corrections/issues by the committees (C/ES.27/D, paragraph 3.2(vi)).
15.17 In this context, the Sub-Committee noted information provided by the Secretariat that
amendments to part B of the STCW Code should be adopted by means of resolutions instead
of STCW.6 circulars, the origin of which could be found in a footnote included in
STCW.6/Circ.1. The Sub-Committee further noted that, based on advice from the Legal Affairs
and External Relations Division:
.1 resolutions were widely used at IMO to adopt both mandatory and

non-mandatory instruments and, therefore, the practice with regard to the
adoption of amendments to a non-mandatory part of the STCW Code should
be aligned with the other instruments developed by the Committees; and
.2 in the case of other codes, e.g. ISPS or Polar Code, the certified true copies
contained both mandatory and non-mandatory parts; in this regard, all
amendments to codes, both to mandatory and non-mandatory parts, should
be certified and available on IMODOCS.
HTW 5/16
Page 39
15.18 In light of the foregoing and having recognized the need to introduce the identified
consequential amendments, the Sub-Committee agreed to:
.1 invite the Committee to agree that, in the future, amendments to part B of the
STCW Code be adopted by means of resolutions instead of STCW.6
circulars;
.2 rename "section B-V/g" of the STCW Code as "section B-V/4" and move it
after current section B-V/3 in line with new STCW regulation V/4 and
section A-V/4 of the STCW Code;
.3 replace footnote "Refer to section B-V/g of the STCW Code" with "Refer to
section B-V/4 of the STCW Code" under STCW regulation V/4;
.4 delete reference to "B-V/g" in the footnotes under sections B-V/a, B-V/b,

B-V/c, B-V/d, B-V/e and B-V/f of the STCW Code;
.5 delete footnote "Note there are no corresponding regulations in the

Convention or sections in part A of the Code for sections B-V/a, B-V/b, B-V/c,
B-V/d, B-V/e, B-V/f and B-V/g." under current section B-V/g; and
.6 request the Secretariat to issue the corresponding corrigendum to

STCW regulation V/4 and prepare draft amendments to sections B-V/a,
B-V/b, B-V/c, B-V/d, B-V/e, B-V/f and current B-V/g of the STCW Code,
together with the associated draft MSC resolution, as set out in annex 9, with
a view to adoption at MSC 100.
Draft unified interpretation of regulation I/2 of the STCW Convention
15.19 The Sub-Committee considered document HTW 5/15/5 (Belarus and Russian
Federation) proposing a draft unified interpretation of STCW regulation I/2 intended to clarify
the meaning of the term "original form" for seafarers' certificates, as referred to in that
regulation, in light of the developments in the field of electronic documentation and existing
practice.
.1 electronic certificates should be accepted as original certificates; however,

means to verify authenticity should be identified and made available;
.2 clarification of the term "original form" should be addressed in part B of the

STCW Code rather than by means of a unified interpretation;
.3 differing views were expressed regarding the application of the Guidelines

for the use of electronic certificates (FAL.5/Circ.39/Rev.2) to
STCW certification;
.4 this proposal was in line with STCW regulation I/2.16, which required Parties
to set electronic means for verification of the authenticity and validity of
certificates, provided acceptable solutions to carry electronic certificates and
was consistent with technological development;
HTW 5/16
Page 40
.5 the use of electronic certificates might require other changes to the

Convention and raised issues such as seafarers' privacy, security or the
physical location of the electronic certificate; and
.6 any work related to the use of seafarers' electronic certificates should involve
the FAL Committee.
.1 recognized that there was a need to address the use of electronic certificates
and the issues raised; and
.2 invited interested Member States and international organizations to note the

comments made and submit a proposal for a new output in accordance with
the Committees' method of work (MSC-MEPC.1/Circ.5/Rev.1).
Draft unified interpretation on the use of a consolidated form of certificates pursuant to

the STCW Convention and Code
15.22 The Sub-Committee had for its consideration document HTW 5/15/6 (Russian
Federation) proposing a draft unified interpretation of paragraph 10 of STCW regulation I/2,
clarifying that certificates of competency (CoCs), certificates of proficiency (CoPs),
documentary evidence and endorsements, as required, might be issued in a consolidated
form, provided that all applicable requirements of the STCW Convention and Code were met.
15.23 The Sub-Committee, having noted that the Convention already provided the flexibility
to consolidate in one form the certificates required by it, agreed to take no action.
Proposal for limitation on certificates for training in high-voltage requirement
15.24 The Sub-Committee had for its consideration document HTW 5/15/7 (India),
proposing to amend the relevant sections of tables A-III/1 and A-III/2 of the STCW Code by
adding exemptions of training and assessment in high-voltage installations for those serving
exclusively on ships not equipped with electrical power plants of more than 1,000 V.
15.25 In the ensuing discussion, the following comments were made:
.1 this was a proposal to amend the STCW Code and there was currently no
output for that purpose;
.2 the current provisions of the STCW Code in this regard were considered and
agreed during the negotiations of the 2010 Manila Amendments;
.3 confusion and misunderstanding in this context had been created by the

absence of a definition of "high-voltage" and the fact that electro-technical
officers did not appear in the definition of "operational level" in section A-I/1
of the STCW Code;
.4 a high-voltage limitation on the CoCs of engineer officers was not permitted

under the STCW Convention and should not be introduced;
.5 high-voltage limitations could lead to the creation of two tiers of engineers,

which might impact the labour market for international shipping and the
mobility of engineer officers; and
HTW 5/16
Page 41
.6 setting high-voltage limitations would go against the increase in the number

and types of ships with high-voltage equipment, systems or installations and
might have an impact on existing CoCs.
15.26 Having noted the comments made, the Sub-Committee agreed to take no action.
Report on dispensations issued under article VIII of the STCW Convention
15.27 The Sub-Committee noted information provided in document

HTW 5/INF.4 (Secretariat), relating to the reports on dispensations granted in 2016 and 2017,
which had been submitted by STCW Parties in accordance with article VIII of the Convention.
Virtual reality-based training
15.28 The Sub-Committee noted information provided in documents HTW 5/INF.8 and
HTW 5/INF.10 (Republic of Korea) relating to virtual reality-based training, its effectiveness in
seafarers' training and an analysis of basic functional requirements for virtual reality simulators.
Expressions of appreciation
15.29 The Sub-Committee expressed appreciation to those delegates who had recently
relinquished their duties, retired or been transferred to other duties, or were about to do so, in
particular Mr. John Murray (ICS) (on retirement) and Mr. Amaury Meullenaere (France) (on
new duties), for their invaluable contribution to its work and wished them a long and happy
retirement or, as the case might be, every success in their new duties.
16 ACTION REQUESTED OF THE COMMITTEES
16.1 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its one hundredth session, is invited to:
.1 endorse the Sub-Committee's agreement that only selected provisions of the

Procedural aspects related to the drafting of amendments to safety-related
IMO conventions, other than the 1974 SOLAS Convention, and related
mandatory instruments (MSC.1/Circ.1587) apply to the STCW Convention
and Code (paragraphs 2.5 and 2.6);
.2 consider and instruct relevant IMO bodies to consider whether their

respective model courses might need to be updated (paragraph 3.10.3);
.3 approve the draft amendments to the Revised guidelines for the

development, review and validation of model courses
(MSC-MEPC.2/Circ.15), to be issued as MSC-MEPC.2/Circ.15/Rev.1
(paragraph 3.68 and annex 2);
.4 approve the draft Guidelines on fatigue and the associated draft MSC circular
(paragraph 8.11.1 and annex 6);
.5 endorse the agreement of the Sub-Committee that any proposals to include

fatigue risk management tools as appendices to the Guidelines on fatigue
could be considered under the agenda item on the "Role of the human
element" at future sessions (paragraph 8.11.2);
.6 note the biennial status report of the Sub-Committee for the 2018-2019
biennium (paragraph 13.2 and annex 7);
HTW 5/16
Page 42
.7 approve the proposed provisional agenda for HTW 6 (paragraph 13.3 and
annex 8);
.8 agree that, in the future, amendments to part B of the STCW Code be

adopted by means of resolutions instead of STCW.6 circulars
(paragraph 15.18.1);
.9 adopt the draft amendments to sections B-V/a, B-V/b, B-V/c, B-V/d, B-V/e,
B-V/f and current B-V/g of the STCW Code together with the associated draft
MSC resolution (paragraph 15.18.6 and annex 9); and
.10 approve the report in general.
16.2 The Marine Environment Protection Committee, at its seventy-third session, is

invited to:
.1 consider and instruct relevant IMO bodies to consider whether their

respective model courses might need to be updated (paragraph 3.10.3); and
.2 approve the draft amendments to the Revised guidelines for the

development, review and validation of model courses
(MSC-MEPC.2/Circ.15) to be issued as MSC-MEPC.2/Circ.15/Rev.1
(paragraph 3.68 and annex 2).
***
HTW 5/16
Annex 1, page 1
ANNEX 1
REVIEW GROUPS FOR MODEL COURSES PLANNED FOR VALIDATION

BY HTW 6 AND HTW 7
APPENDIX 1
REVIEW GROUP ON NEW MODEL COURSE ON BASIC TRAINING FOR MASTERS,

OFFICERS, RATINGS AND OTHER PERSONNEL ON SHIPS
SUBJECT TO THE IGF CODE
Course Developer: Norway

Mr. David Breyer (United States)
Coordinator of Review Group:
Davis.J.Breyer@uscg.mil
Members of Review Group
No. Name Email
Mr. Anthony Menezes

1 Anthony.menezes@amsa.gov.au
(Australia)
Mr. Orlando Carlos Souza da Rocha
2 orlandorocharocha@hotmail.com
(Brazil)
Mr. João Paulo Purificação Alves
3 jpaulo.nautica@gmail.com
(Brazil)
Capt. Yoshifumi Ichikawa
4 (Japan) ichikawa-y5gd@jmets.ac.jp
Prof. Kazuyoshi Sumi
5 (Japan) sumi-k2rc@jmets.ac.jp
Mr. Zaful Rullah Hakiem bin Zaini

6 zaful.rullah@alam.edu.my
(Malaysia)
Capt. Mohd Yusrino Bin Taib myusrino.taib@alam.edu.my
7
(Malaysia) taibmohdyusrino@yahoo.com
Mr. Jan-Willem Verhoeff
8 verhoeff@kvnr.nl
(Netherlands)
Capt. S S Virdi
9 SSVirdi@sp.edu.sg
(Singapore)
Mr. Antonio Lista Martin
10 antoniolm@centrojovellanos.es
(Spain)
Mr. Jaime Bleye Vicario
11 jbleye@gmail.com
(Spain)
Mr. Johan Eliasson
12 johan.eliasson@chalmers.se
(Sweden)
HTW 5/16
Annex 1, page 2
APPENDIX 2
REVIEW GROUP ON NEW MODEL COURSE ON ADVANCED TRAINING FOR

MASTERS, OFFICERS, RATINGS AND OTHER PERSONNEL ON SHIPS
SUBJECT TO THE IGF CODE
Course Developer: Norway

Mr. David Breyer (United States)
No. Name Email
Mr. Anthony Menezes

(Australia)
Mr. Orlando Carlos Souza da Rocha
2 orlandorocharocha@hotmail.com
(Brazil)
Mr. João Paulo Purificação Alves
3 jpaulo.nautica@gmail.com
(Brazil)
Capt. Yoshifumi Ichikawa
4 (Japan) ichikawa-y5gd@jmets.ac.jp
Prof. Kazuyoshi Sumi
5 (Japan) sumi-k2rc@jmets.ac.jp
Mr. Zaful Rullah Hakiem bin Zaini

6 zaful.rullah@alam.edu.my
(Malaysia)
Capt. Mohd Yusrino Bin Taib myusrino.taib@alam.edu.my
7 taibmohdyusrino@yahoo.com
(Malaysia)
Mr. Jan-Willem Verhoeff
8 Netherlands) verhoeff@kvnr.nl
Capt. S. S. Virdi
9 SSVirdi@sp.edu.sg
(Singapore)
(Spain)
11 jbleye@gmail.com
(Spain)
Mr. Johan Eliasson
12 johan.eliasson@chalmers.se
(Sweden)
HTW 5/16
Annex 1, page 3
APPENDIX 3
REVIEW GROUP ON REVISED MODEL COURSE 2.03 ON

ADVANCED TRAINING IN FIRE FIGHTING
Course Developer: India

Mr. Jan-Willem Verhoeff (Netherlands)
verhoeff@kvnr.nl
No. Name Email
Mr. Anthony Menezes

(Australia)
Mr. Marcelo Costa Alves
2 marcalves2@gmail.com
(Brazil)
Mr. Roberto Alves de Andrade
3 roberto.ofnaut@gmail.com
(Brazil)
Capt Mohd Yusrino Bin Taib myusrino.taib@alam.edu.my
4 taibmohdyusrino@yahoo.com
(Malaysia)
Mr. Burhanudin Bin Abdullah burhanuddin@marine.gov.my
5
(Malaysia) ecimulti@gmail.com
Mr. Sheikh Alif Ali
6 sheikh_alif@reti.edu.my
(Malaysia)
Engr. Ekwere Williams
7 williamsekwere@gmail.com
(Nigeria)
Mr. S. Premanathan
8 Premanathan_S@sp.edu.sg
(Singapore)
Capt. Osman Sam
9 Osman_SAM@sp.edu.sg
(Singapore)
(Spain)
11 jbleye@gmail.com
(Spain)
Mr. Davis J. Breyer
12 Davis.J.Breyer@uscg.mil
(United States)
HTW 5/16
Annex 1, page 4
APPENDIX 4
REVIEW GROUP ON NEW MODEL COURSE ON PASSENGER SAFETY,

CARGO SAFETY AND HULL INTEGRITY TRAINING
Course Developer: Philippines

Capt. Vinayak Mohla (GlobalMET)
mohlav@angloeastern.com
No. Name Email
Mr. Henrique Vaicberg

1 hvaicberg@uol.com.br
(Brazil)
Capt. Mohd Fadil
2 Mohd_Fadil_YUNOS@sp.edu.sg
(Singapore)
Mr. Davis J. Breyer
(United States)
HTW 5/16
Annex 1, page 5
APPENDIX 5
REVIEW GROUP ON REVISED MODEL COURSE 1.22 ON

Course Developer: Turkey

Mr. Mohd Yusrino bin Taib (Malaysia)
myusrino.taib@alam.edu.my
No. Name Email
1 Ms. Christina Weston

Christina.Weston@amsa.gov.au
(Australia)
2 Capt. (Ret) Evandro Carlos Alves Santos
evandro@marinha.mar.mil.br
(Brazil)
3 Mr. Rommel Gomes E. Gomes
djrommel@globo.com
(Brazil)
4 Ms. Simone Wilde
simone.wilde@bsh.de
(Germany)
5 Mr. Burhanudin Bin Abdullah burhanuddin@marine.gov.my
(Malaysia) ecimulti@gmail.com
6 Mr. Jan-Willem Verhoeff
verhoeff@kvnr.nl
(Netherlands)
7 Mr. S. Premanathan
Premanathan_S@sp.edu.sg
(Singapore)
8 Capt. Frederick Francis
Frederick_James_Francis@sp.edu.sg
(Singapore)
9 Mr. Antonio Lista Martin
antoniolm@centrojovellanos.es
(Spain)
10 Mr. Jaime Bleye Vicario
jbleye@gmail.com
(Spain)
11 Mr. Lars Axvi
Lars.axvi@chalmers.se
(Sweden)
12 Mr. Davis J. Breyer
(United States)
HTW 5/16
Annex 1, page 6
APPENDIX 6
REVIEW GROUP ON NEW MODEL COURSE ON ENGINE-ROOM

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Course Developer: Philippines

Mr. Jan-Willem Verhoeff (Netherlands)
verhoeff@kvnr.nl
No. Name Email
Ms. Christina Weston

1 Christina.Weston@amsa.gov.au
(Australia)
Mr. Vítor Hugo Chaves de Lemos
2 hugochaves97@hotmail.com
(Brazil)
Mr. Antonio Cordeiro
3 acordeiro78@hotmail.com
(Brazil)
Ms. Simone Wilde
4 simone.wilde@bsh.de
(Germany)
Capt. Mohd Yusrino bin Taib myusrino.taib@alam.edu.my
5
(Malaysia) taibmohdyusrino@yahoo.com
Mr. Zaful Rullah Hakiem Zaini zaful.rullah@alam.edu.my
6
(Malaysia) zafulzaini@gmail.com
Mr. S. Premanathan
7 Premanathan_S@sp.edu.sg
(Singapore)
Mr. Davis J. Breyer
(United States)
***
HTW 5/16
Annex 2, page 1
ANNEX 2
DRAFT AMENDMENTS TO THE REVISED GUIDELINES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT,

REVIEW AND VALIDATION OF MODEL COURSES (MSC-MEPC.2/CIRC.15)
1 Paragraph 1.5 is replaced with the following:
"1.5 Regarding any inclusions of a timetable, the following statement should be

included in all draft model courses:
'Timetable
This model course has been developed providing a recommended range in

duration of ___ to ___ [hours] [days] for lectures, demonstrations, laboratories
or simulator exercises and assessment. No formal timetable is included in this
model course.
Instructors must develop their own timetable depending on:
.1 the level of skills of trainees;
.2 the numbers to be trained;
.3 the number of instructors; and
.4 simulator facilities and equipment available,
and normal practices at the training establishment.'"
2 A new paragraph 1.6 is added after paragraph 1.5 as follows:
"1.6 While IMO model courses may assist with the development of training
programmes, they are not mandatory, and Administrations are not required to use
them when preparing and approving training courses to meet the objectives of the
STCW Code, as amended."
3 Paragraph 4.1.4 of annex 3 is replaced with the following:
"4.1.4 Notation for suggested education and training duration
*Care should be taken when indicating the range of duration for the model
course taking into account the entering candidates' knowledge and skills, the
class size and the resources available to each training provider."
***
HTW 5/16
Annex 3, page 1
ANNEX 3
HARMONIZED TEXT FOR ENTRY STANDARDS AND

STAFF REQUIREMENTS IN MODEL COURSES
Part A (Course Framework)
Entry standards
1 The following text on "Entry standards" is to be included in part A of all model courses:
"Entry standards
Entry standards should be in accordance with the STCW Convention or other

applicable IMO instruments, where such requirements are specified. If such
requirements are not specified, it is left to the Administration to decide entry standards
in accordance with national regulations and system of education."
Staff requirements
2 The following text on "Staff requirements" is to be included in part A of all model

courses:
"Staff requirements
Instructors, supervisors and assessors are to be appropriately qualified in accordance

with the STCW Convention or other applicable IMO instruments for the particular
types and levels of training or assessment of competence of the trainees. It is left to
the Administration to decide staff requirements in accordance with their national
regulations."
Part B (General Outline)
Timetable
3 The following section on "Timetable" is to be included in part B of all model courses:
"Timetable
This model course has been developed providing a recommended range in duration
of ___ to ___ hours for lectures, demonstrations, laboratories, or simulation exercises
and assessment. No formal timetable is included in this model course.
Instructors must develop their own timetable depending on:
.1 the level of skills of trainees;
.2 the numbers to be trained;
.3 the number of instructors; and
.4 simulator facilities and equipment available,
and normal practices at the training establishment."
***
HTW 5/16
Annex 4, page 1
ANNEX 4
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE COURSE DEVELOPER AND THE REVIEW GROUP
FOR THE REVISION OF MODEL COURSE 1.22 ON BRIDGE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Introduction
1 The Organization, as part of the 2010 Manila Amendments, developed standards for
training, watchkeeping and certification for BRIDGE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.
Objectives
2 The revision of model course 1.22 on BRIDGE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

(previously SHIP SIMULATOR AND BRIDGE TEAMWORK) should address all competencies
to maintain a safe navigational watch and related Knowledge, Understanding and Proficiency
(KUP) requirements of Bridge resource management in table A-II/1 and chapter VIII of the
STCW Code, taking into account the guidance of section B-VIII of the STCW Code. The model
course should not exceed the competencies and KUP of the STCW Code but needs to consider
and incorporate the latest technological developments and best practices of the industry. The
model course development should support competency-based outcomes in line with column 4
of table A-II/1 of the STCW Code. The course should also consider the wide range of different
ship types and their propulsion and cargo systems and the challenges faced by seafarers when
operating in different regions of the world.
Activities
3 The course developer will revise the current IMO model course 1.22 on SHIP
SIMULATOR AND BRIDGE TEAMWORK based on regulation II/1 and chapter VIII of the
STCW Convention, and table A- II/1 and chapter VIII of the STCW Code, taking into account
the Model course development guidance for course developers in annex 3 to the Revised
guidelines for the development, review and validation of model courses (MSC-MEPC.2/Circ.15).
The references and bibliography should make citations using the Harvard Style of Referencing
while the common abbreviations for IMO model courses in part C – Detailed Outline should be
retained, e.g. R1 for SOLAS 1974, as amended.
4 The course developer will submit the initial draft to the Head, Maritime Training and
Human Element, who is the designated representative of IMO for review and development of
model courses. The course developer will then prepare a revised draft, taking into account any
suggested changes by the IMO designated representative, and forward it again to the IMO
Secretariat.
5 The IMO Secretariat will forward the draft model course to its review group, which will
then provide any comments and guidance to the course developer for inclusion as appropriate
in the third draft, which will then be returned by the course developer to the review group for
final evaluation and comments if any. The course developer will finalize the draft model course
and submit it to the Head, Maritime Training and Human Element of IMO for submission to the
relevant session of the Sub-Committee for consideration and validation.
HTW 5/16
Annex 4, page 2
Reporting
6 The model course should be drafted in English, and IMO should be provided with an
electronic version compatible with Microsoft Word, to be submitted to the Head, Maritime
Training and Human Element with the deadlines for submission for the first and final draft as
outlined in the timeframe below. All parties to the development and review process are
encouraged to exchange comments and information and seek feedback at any appropriate
time. The suggested dates should not serve as limitation for exchange of information.
Time frame for model courses to be submitted to HTW 7 for validation

Deadline Action to be taken
The model course developer submits the initial draft
12 July 2019 of the model course to the designated representative
of the IMO Secretariat.
The IMO Secretariat, following its review of the first
draft of the model course for adequacy and
2 August 2019 consistency with instructions, returns the first draft of
the model course to the model course developer with
suggested changes, as necessary.
The model course developer submits the second
30 August 2019 draft to the IMO Secretariat to forward it to the review
group for comments.
The review group returns any additional comments
20 September 2019 and guidance to the model course developer for
additional edits and development, as appropriate.
The model course developer and the review group
coordinator submit, respectively, the final draft of the
4 October 2019 model course and a report including the evaluation
questionnaire to the IMO Secretariat, as set out in
annex 4 to the Revised guidelines.
7 All material shall be prepared in accordance with intellectual property rights and the
copyright remain within IMO.
HTW 5/16
Annex 4, page 3
COURSE DEVELOPER
SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS/TERMS OF REFERENCE
Course developer specific instructions/terms of reference

Model Course 1.22
1) The overall goal of this model course is to provide guidance for the training and assessment
of seafarer competence in BRIDGE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT at the operational level
in accordance with table A-II/1 and chapter VIII of the STCW Code, taking into account
the guidance of section B-VIII of the STCW Code. IMO model courses are intended for
a global audience and must be adaptable to a wide variety of candidates and teaching
resources.
2) This model course will be validated by the Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training
and Watchkeeping (HTW) at its seventh session (HTW 7). The final revised draft of the
model course should be submitted to the Head, Maritime Training and Human Element
(ModelCourses@imo.org) no later than 4 October 2019 with the following subject line:
Model Course 1.22 BRIDGE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT for submission to HTW 7
3) The following nations, organizations and subject matter experts (SME) have indicated their
availability to work with you on this project. Their contact information is listed below. You
are also encouraged to use other resources as may also be available to you.
Nation, Organization, SME Contact information
4) This model course has some common and equal education and training requirements as
are found in the model courses listed below. The education and training requirements must
use similar vernacular and be based on the same information. However, alterations to
reflect individual shipboard departmental requirements are expected.
Model course Education and training requirement
7.03 Officer in charge of a navigational watch STCW Code, table A-II/1 – Bridge resource
(2014 Edition) management
7.04 Officer in charge of an engineering watch STCW Code, table A-III/1 – Engine-room
(2014 Edition) resource management
1.39 Leadership and teamwork STCW Code, table A-II/1 Application of

leadership and teamworking skills
X.XX Engine-room resource management STCW Code, table A-III/1 – Engine-room

resource management
5) This model course has some common, but lower level, education and training requirements
than those found in the model courses listed below. The education and training
requirements must use simpler taxonomy or topics to reflect their prerequisite nature.
HTW 5/16
Annex 4, page 4

Model Course 1.22
7.01 Master and chief mate STCW Code, table A-II/2 – Use of leadership
and managerial skills
1.08 Radar at management level STCW Code, table A-II/2 – Maintain a safe
navigational watch
X.XX Use of leadership and managerial skills STCW Code, table A-II/2 – Use of leadership
6) This model course has some education and training requirements in common with the
model courses listed below, though of a higher level. The education and training
requirements must use more advanced taxonomy or topics to reflect the advanced nature
of the material presented.
N/A N/A
7) This model course is to be included within these other model courses.
7.03 Officer in charge of a navigational watch STCW Code, table A-II/1 – Application of
(2014 Edition) leadership and teamworking skills and bridge
resource management
8) This model course is to include these other model courses.
N/A N/A
9) This model course is to include education and training requirements from other IMO
instruments.
Convention and codes Education and training requirement
STCW Convention and Code (section A-II/1) Maintain a safe navigational watch
Application of leadership and teamworking skills
STCW Convention and Code (chapter VIII) Standards regarding watchkeeping
These specific instructions are to provide the course developer with guidelines to use during the
development of a model course. They are as inclusive as possible. However, the course
developer may, at their discretion and in consultation w i t h and w i t h t h e agreement of the
IMO Secretariat, adapt these instructions to meet the intent and goals of the Committee/Sub-
Committee.
***
HTW 5/16
Annex 5, page 1
ANNEX 5
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE COURSE DEVELOPER AND THE REVIEW GROUP
FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MODEL COURSE ON ENGINE-ROOM RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT
Introduction
1 The Organization, as part of the 2010 Manila Amendments, developed standards for
training, watchkeeping and certification for ENGINE-ROOM RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.
Objectives
2 The development of the new model course X.XX on ENGINE-ROOM RESOURCE

MANAGEMENT should address all competencies to maintain a safe engineering watch and
related knowledge, understanding and proficiency (KUP) requirements of Engine-room
resource management, table A-III/1 and chapter VIII of the STCW Code, taking into account
the guidance of section B-VIII of the STCW Code. The model course should not exceed the
competencies and KUP of the STCW Code but needs to consider and incorporate the latest
technological developments and best practices of the industry. The model course development
should support competency-based outcomes in line with column 4 of table A-III/1 of the
STCW Code. The course should also consider the wide range of different ship types and their
propulsion and cargo systems and the challenges faced by seafarers when operating in different
regions of the world.
Activities
3 The course developer will develop the new IMO model course X.XX on
ENGINE-ROOM RESOURCE MANAGEMENT based on regulation III/1 and chapter VIII of the
STCW Convention, and section A-III/1, table A- III/1 and chapter VIII of the STCW Code, taking
into account the Model course development guidance for course developers in annex 3 to the
Revised guidelines for the development, review and validation of model courses
(MSC-MEPC.2/Circ.15). The references and bibliography should make citations using the
Harvard Style of Referencing while the common abbreviations for IMO model courses in
part C – Detailed Outline should be retained, e.g. R1 for SOLAS 1974, as amended.
4 The course developer will submit the initial draft to the Head, Maritime Training and
Human Element, who is the designated representative of IMO for review and development of
model courses. The course developer will then prepare a revised draft taking into account any
suggested changes by the IMO designated representative and forward it again to the IMO
Secretariat.
5 The IMO Secretariat will forward the draft model course to its review group, which will
then provide any comments and guidance to the course developer for inclusion as appropriate
in the third draft, which will then be returned by the course developer to the review group for
final evaluation and comments if any. The course developer will finalize the draft model course
and submit it to the Head, Maritime Training and Human Element of IMO for submission to the
relevant session of the Sub-Committee for consideration and validation.
HTW 5/16
Annex 5, page 2
Reporting
6 The model course should be drafted in English, and IMO should be provided with an
electronic version compatible with Microsoft Word, to be submitted to the Head, Maritime
Training and Human Element with the deadlines for submission for the first and final draft as
outlined in the timeframe below. All parties to the development and review process are
encouraged to exchange comments and information and seek feedback at any appropriate
time. The suggested dates should not serve as limitation for exchange of information.
Time frame for model courses to be submitted to HTW 7 for validation

Deadline Action to be taken
The model course developer submits the initial draft
12 July 2019 of the model course to the designated representative
of the IMO Secretariat.
The IMO Secretariat, following its review of the first
draft of the model course for adequacy and
2 August 2019 consistency with instructions, returns the first draft of
the model course to the model course developer with
suggested changes, as necessary.
The model course developer submits the second
30 August 2019 draft to the IMO Secretariat to forward it to the review
group for comments.
The review group returns any additional comments
20 September 2019 and guidance to the model course developer for
additional edits and development, as appropriate.
The model course developer and the review group
coordinator submit, respectively, the final draft of the
4 October 2019 model course and a report including the evaluation
questionnaire to the IMO Secretariat, as set out in
annex 4 to the Revised guidelines.
7 All material shall be prepared in accordance with intellectual property rights and the
copyright remain within IMO.
HTW 5/16
Annex 5, page 3
COURSE DEVELOPER
SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS/TERMS OF REFERENCE

ENGINE-ROOM RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Model Course X.XX
1) The overall goal of this model course is to provide guidance for the training and assessment
of seafarer competence in ENGINE-ROOM RESOURCE MANAGEMENT at the
operational level in accordance with table A-III/1 and chapter VIII of the STCW Code,
taking into account the guidance of section B-VIII of the STCW Code. IMO model
courses are intended for a global audience and must be adaptable to a wide variety of
candidates and teaching resources.
2) This model course will be validated by the Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training
and Watchkeeping (HTW) at its seventh session (HTW 7). The final revised draft of the
model course should be submitted to the Head, Maritime Training and Human Element
(ModelCourses@imo.org) no later than 4 October 2019 with the following subject line:
Model Course X.XX ENGINE-ROOM RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

for submission to HTW 7
3) The following nations, organizations and subject matter experts (SME) have indicated their
availability to work with you on this project. Their contact information is listed below. You are
also encouraged to use other resources as may also be available to you.
Nation, Organization, SME Contact information
4) This model course has some common and equal education and training requirements as
are found in the model courses listed below. The education and training requirements must
use similar vernacular and be based upon the same information. However, alterations to
reflect individual shipboard departmental requirements are expected.
7.04 Officer in charge of an engineering watch STCW Code, table A-III/1 – Engine-room
(2014 edition) resource management
7.03 Officer in charge of a navigational watch STCW Code, table A-II/1 – Bridge resource
(2014 Edition) management
1.39 Leadership and teamwork STCW Code, table A-III/1 – Application of
leadership and teamworking skills
7.08 Electro-technical officer STCW Code, table A-III/6 – Application of
(2014 Edition) leadership and teamworking skills
1.22 Bridge resource management STCW Code, table A-II/1 – Bridge resource
(20XX edition) management
2.07 Engine-room simulator STCW Code, table A-III/1 – Maintain a safe
engineering watch
HTW 5/16
Annex 5, page 4

ENGINE-ROOM RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Model Course X.XX
5) This model course has some common, but lower-level, education and training requirements
than those found in the model courses listed below. These education and training
requirements must use simpler taxonomy or topics to reflect their prerequisite nature.
7.02 Chief engineer and second engineer STCW Code, table A-III/2 – Use of leadership
X.XX Use of leadership and managerial skills STCW Code, table A-III/2 – Use of leadership
6) This model course has some common, but higher-level, education and training
requirements than those found in the model courses listed below. The education and
training requirements must use a more advanced taxonomy or topics to reflect the advanced
nature of the material presented.
N/A N/A
7) This model course is to be included within these other model courses.
7.04 Officer in charge of an engineering watch STCW Code, table A-III/1 – Application of
(2014 Edition) leadership and teamworking skills and
engine-room resource management
8) This model course is to include these other model courses.

N/A N/A
9) This model course is to include education and training requirements from other IMO
instruments.
Convention and codes Education and training requirement
STCW Convention and Code (section A-III/1) Maintain a safe engineering watch
Application of leadership and teamworking
skills
STCW Convention and Code (chapter VIII) Standards regarding watchkeeping
These specific instructions are to provide the course developer with guidelines to use during the
development of a model course. They are as inclusive as possible. However, the course developer
may, at their discretion and in consultation with and with the agreement of the IMO Secretariat,
adapt these instructions to meet the intent and goals of the Committee/Sub-Committee.
***
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Annex 6, page 1
ANNEX 6
DRAFT MSC CIRCULAR
GUIDELINES ON FATIGUE
1 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its seventy-first session (19 to 28 May 1999),
considered the issue of human fatigue and agreed to develop practical guidance to provide
appropriate information on fatigue to all parties concerned.
2 Consequently, at its seventy-fourth session (30 May to 8 June 2001), the Committee
approved MSC/Circ.1014 on Guidance on fatigue mitigation and management.
3 The Committee, at its ninety-fourth session (17 to 21 November 2014), agreed to

undertake a revision of the Guidance on fatigue mitigation and management and instructed
the Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW) to conduct the
review.
4 Accordingly, the Committee, at its [100th session (…)], approved the annexed
Guidelines on fatigue, finalized by the HTW Sub-Committee, at its fifth session
(16 to 20 July 2018).
5 Member States are invited to:
.1 bring the Guidelines to the attention of their maritime Administrations and all
stakeholders, including seafarers, companies, naval architects/ship
designers and training providers;
.2 use the Guidelines as a basis for disseminating information on fatigue (for

example by means of pamphlets, video training modules, seminars and
workshops); and
.3 take the Guidelines into consideration when determining minimum safe

manning.
6 Companies are strongly urged to take the issue of fatigue into account when
developing, implementing and improving safety management systems under the ISM Code.
7 This circular supersedes MSC/Circ.1014 on Guidance on fatigue mitigation and

management, approved on 12 June 2001.
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Annex 6, page 2
ANNEX
DRAFT GUIDELINES ON FATIGUE
INTRODUCTION
1 For the purpose of the Guidelines, the following definition is used for fatigue:
"A state of physical and/or mental impairment resulting from factors such as
inadequate sleep, extended wakefulness, work/rest requirements out of sync with
circadian rhythms and physical, mental or emotional exertion that can impair
alertness and the ability to safely operate a ship or perform safety-related duties."
2 Fatigue is a hazard because it may affect a seafarer's ability to do their job effectively
and safely. Importantly, fatigue affects everyone regardless of skill, knowledge and training.
The effects of fatigue can be particularly dangerous in the transportation sector, including the
shipping industry. All stakeholders should be alert to the factors which may contribute to
fatigue, and make efforts to mitigate and manage the risks posed by fatigue.
3 Effectively dealing with fatigue in the maritime environment requires a comprehensive

and holistic approach that recognizes ship design, and the roles and responsibilities of all
stakeholders in the mitigation and management of fatigue. An effective fatigue management
strategy begins with determining operational workload requirements and matching onboard
manning levels and onshore support resources, combined with efficient management of
workload and hours of work and rest on board the ship. There is no one-system approach to
addressing fatigue, but there are certain principles that should be addressed in order to gain
the knowledge and the understanding to manage this human element issue.
Objective
4 The Organization has developed these Guidelines to assist all stakeholders in better
understanding their roles and responsibilities in mitigating and managing the risk of fatigue.
5 The Guidelines provide information on the causes and consequences of fatigue, and
the risks it poses to the safety and health of seafarers, operational safety, security and
protection of the marine environment. It has been prepared to assist all stakeholders in
contributing to the mitigation and management of fatigue.
Organization
6 The Guidelines are composed of modules each devoted to an interested party. The
modules are as follows:
.1 Module 1 Fatigue
.2 Module 2 Fatigue and the company
.3 Module 3 Fatigue and the seafarer
.4 Module 4 Fatigue, awareness and training
.5 Module 5 Fatigue and ship design
.6 Module 6 Fatigue, the Administration and port State Authorities
.7 Appendix 1 Examples of sleep and fatigue monitoring tools
.8 Appendix 2 Example of a fatigue event report information
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Annex 6, page 3
How to use these modules
7 The modules are all interrelated; it is recommended that all parties become familiar
with module 1, which contains general information on fatigue. It may be beneficial if the reader
(interested party) becomes familiar with modules other than the immediately applicable one.
8 These guidelines should be taken into consideration when:
.1 developing, implementing and maintaining safety management systems

under the ISM Code;
.2 promoting fatigue mitigation and management;
.3 promoting awareness of the causes and consequences of fatigue and

developing and delivering training programmes and courses;
.4 conducting casualty or accident/incident investigations; and
.5 preparing applications for minimum safe manning documents or when

determining minimum safe manning levels for ships.
Future work
9 These Guidelines are a living document; they should be updated periodically as

research reveals new information and new methods are uncovered to deal with the issue of
fatigue.
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Annex 6, page 4
MODULE 1
FATIGUE
Introduction
1 Fatigue is a hazard that affects safety, health and well-being. It presents a

considerable risk to safety of life, property, health, security and protection of the marine
environment.
2 This module provides a general overview of fatigue and its causes and consequences.
This knowledge is important for developing strategies to reduce the risk of fatigue and related
incidents.
3 It is recommended that all parties become familiar with module 1 prior to using
modules 2 to 6.
Fatigue and life on a ship
4 There is a common misconception that fatigue "comes with the job"; while not
particular to the maritime industry, it is certainly pervasive within it. Fatigue is a hazard and
needs to be addressed.
5 Fatigue is a problem for all 24-hour-a-day transportation modes and industries,

including the maritime industry. However, operational aspects associated with the maritime
industry are also more complex than those associated with other industries. For example,
variety of ship-types, the pattern and length of sea passage, the number of port visits and port
rotations, and the length of time a ship remains in port, all present unique combinations of
potential causes of fatigue.
6 The demanding nature of shipping means that:
.1 seafarers may be required to work long and irregular hours;
.2 seafarers may spend an extended period of time working and living away
from home, on a ship that is subject to unpredictable environmental factors
(i.e. changing weather conditions);
.3 the ship is both a seafarer's workplace and their home while on board; and
.4 while serving on board the vessel, there may not be a clear separation
between work and recreation, which can influence their mental and emotional
well-being.
7 Technology is sometimes seen as a way to improve the efficiency of work systems.

However, technology changes the nature of work and alters workload, therefore it is important
to evaluate the impact of technological changes on crew workload and consequently fatigue.
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Annex 6, page 5
Causes of fatigue
8 Fatigue is caused by a range of factors, but is primarily affected by:
.1 lack of sleep, i.e. inadequate restorative sleep;
.2 poor quality of sleep and rest;
.3 work/sleep at inappropriate times of the body clock (circadian rhythm);
.4 staying awake for long periods;

.5 stress; and
.6 excessive workload (prolonged mental and/or physical exertion).
9 There are many ways to categorize the causes of fatigue. To ensure thoroughness
and to provide good coverage of most causes, they have been categorized into five general
factors:
.1 Seafarer-specific factors
.2 Management factors (ashore and aboard ship)
.3 Ship-specific factors
.4 Environmental factors
.5 Operational factors
Seafarer-specific factors
10 The seafarer-specific factors are related to lifestyle behaviour, personal habits and
individual attributes. Fatigue varies from one person to another and its effects are often
dependent on the particular activity being performed.
11 The seafarer-specific factors include the following:
.1 Sleep and rest
.1 Quantity, quality and continuity of sleep
.2 Sleep disorders/disturbances
.3 Recovery rest/breaks
.2 Body clock/Circadian rhythms
.3 Psychological and emotional factors
.1 Fear
.2 Monotony and boredom
.3 Loneliness
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Annex 6, page 6
.4 Health and well-being
.1 Diet/Nutrition/Hydration
.2 Exercise and fitness
.3 Illness and onset of illness
.5 Stress
.1 Skill, knowledge and training as it relates to the job
.2 Personal issues of concern in personal life
.3 Interpersonal relationships at work or at home
.6 Medication and substance use
.1 Alcohol
.2 Drugs (prescription and non-prescription)
.3 Supplements
.4 Caffeine and other stimulants
.7 Age
.8 Shift work and work schedules
.9 Workload (mental/physical)
.10 Jet lag
Management factors (ashore and aboard ship)
12 Management factors relate to how ships are managed and operated. These factors
can potentially cause stress and an increased workload, ultimately resulting in fatigue. These
factors include:
.1 Organizational factors
.1 Manning policies, levels, and retention
.2 Role of riders and shore personnel
.3 Administrative work/reporting/inspection requirements
.4 Economics
.5 Duty schedule-shift, overtime, breaks
.6 Company procedures, culture and management style
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Annex 6, page 7
.7 Shore-based support
.8 Rules and regulations
.9 Other resources
.10 Maintenance and repair of the ship
.11 Drill schedules and training of crew
.2 Voyage and scheduling factors
.1 Frequency and duration of port calls
.2 Time between ports
.3 Routeing
.4 Weather and sea condition on route
.5 Traffic density on route
.6 Nature of duties/workload while in port and at sea
.7 Availability of shore leave
13 Module 2 provides recommended strategies for identifying, mitigating and controlling

fatigue risks due to management factors.
Ship-specific factors
14 These factors include some ship features that can affect and contribute to fatigue.
Some ship design features affect workload (i.e. automation, equipment design and reliability),
some affect the crew's ability to sleep, and others affect the level of physical stress on the crew
(i.e. noise, vibration, accommodation spaces, etc.). The following list details some influential
ship-specific factors:
.1 Ship design
.2 Level and complexity of automation
.3 Level of redundancy
.4 Equipment design and reliability
.5 Inspection and maintenance
.6 Condition of the ship
.7 Physical comfort in work spaces
.8 Location of quarters
.9 Ship motion
.10 Physical comfort of accommodation spaces
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Annex 6, page 8
15 Module 5 provides recommended strategies for identifying, mitigating and controlling

fatigue risks due to ship-specific factors.
Environmental factors
16 Environmental factors within areas in which seafarers live and work (both inside and
outside the ship) may contribute to the onset of fatigue, and impact both sleep quantity and
quality. Environmental factors to consider include noise and vibration, light, ship motion,
temperature and humidity, and ventilation/air exchange. Long-term exposure to some of the
following may impact a person's health:
.1 Noise: (such as main engines, switchboards, TV and conversations) affects

the ability to fall asleep, causing sleep loss, or it can alter one's sleep stage
or depth of sleep.
.2 Vibration: may affect sleep and fatigue. For example, alterations in vibration
pattern may keep people awake, keep them from advancing into deeper
sleep, or wake them up.
.3 Light: (such as colour, intensity and exposure timing) is a complicated

environmental factor. In addition, the use of electronic displays that emit blue
light (such as computer screens, flat-screen televisions and smartphones)
can also influence the body clock and can delay the onset of sleep, especially
when used prior to bedtime.
.4 Ship motion: depending on the weather and sea conditions, ship motion
may interfere with sleep, cause motion-induced fatigue (fatigue caused by
the extra energy expended to maintain balance while moving, especially
during harsh sea conditions) and seasickness.
.5 Temperature and humidity: all excessively hot and cold conditions will
make an individual feel less alert and generally more fatigued. It is important
that the shipboard temperature and humidity is controllable as this affects
sleep and alertness. For example, the body sleeps best when the
environment temperature is between 18ºC and 24ºC.
.6 Ventilation/air exchange: in addition to controlling temperature and

humidity, air quality (e.g. noxious odours or stale air) and design/placement
of the ventilation system may interfere with sleep.
Operational factors
17 While seafarers, companies, Administrations and port State authorities are the
primary actors, many other stakeholders may also have an impact on shipboard operations
and workload. Aspects to consider include inspections, surveys, audits, visits, reporting,
security measures and any other additional tasks to be performed on board. Therefore, other
stakeholders should contribute to the mitigation of fatigue by considering the impacts of their
actions on shipboard operations.
18 Opportunities to mitigate the effects of these factors vary and will be discussed further
in subsequent modules.
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Annex 6, page 9
Important basic concepts in understanding fatigue
19 This section highlights some of the important concepts that provide an overall
understanding about fatigue. The most significant aspects of fatigue are:
.1 sleep;
.2 body clock and the circadian rhythm;
.3 time awake;
.4 jet lag;
.5 workload;
.6 stress;
.7 health; and
.8 individual differences.
Sleep
20 Not all sleep has the same quality or provides the same recuperative benefits. In order
to satisfy the needs of the human body, sleep must have three characteristics to be most
effective:
.1 Quantity: it is generally recommended that a person obtain, on average,

seven to eight hours of good quality sleep per 24-hour period. To perform
adequately and effectively, a person needs the amount of sleep that
produces the feeling of being refreshed and alert. Alertness and performance
are directly related to sleep. Insufficient sleep will impair alertness. Only
sleep can maintain or restore performance levels.
.2 Quality: sleep is a highly organized sequence of events that follows a regular

pattern of cycles between light and deep sleep. People need deep sleep.
Deep sleep is a very restorative phase of sleep.
.3 Continuity: sleep quality is dependent upon unbroken cycles of sleep,

meaning sleep needs to be uninterrupted in order to retain its restorative
value. Six 1-hour naps do not have the same benefit as one 6-hour period of
sleep. The more fragmented the sleep cycle, the less restorative sleep
becomes. This results in continued feelings of tiredness and often impacts
performance and decision-making. If the time of sleep is out of
synchronization with a person's body clock, it is difficult to sleep properly. It
should be noted that the proportion of time spent in deep sleep decreases
as we get older. Sleep also becomes more fragmented as we get older.
21 Many factors contribute to sleep disruption and poor sleep quality; some are within
our control while others are not:
.1 environmental factors;
.2 food;
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Annex 6, page 10
.3 medication and substance use;
.4 psychological factors;
.5 sleep disorders; and
.6 operational factors.
22 Sleep debt is "insufficient accumulated sleep over multiple consecutive 24-hour

periods". For example, if an individual needs eight hours of sleep per 24-hour period and only
obtains six hours, they have accumulated a sleep debt. Sleep debt will affect an individual's
level of alertness and performance. Long-term sleep debt may also lead to health problems.
Over time, sleep-deprived individuals may become less aware of just how fatigued they are
and become unable to judge their own level of performance.
23 When someone is woken up suddenly, the brain can have difficulty transitioning out
of deep sleep. This is known as sleep inertia. Sleep inertia causes feelings of grogginess and
disorientation, with impaired short-term memory and decision-making, and can last longer
than 30 minutes. Sleep inertia can also occur following lighter sleep, but it tends to be longer
and more disorienting when someone is woken abruptly out of deeper sleep.
Body clock and the circadian rhythm
24 The time of day in which work takes place is a key risk factor in determining fatigue.
This is because, independent of prior sleep and wakefulness, humans are biologically
programmed to be active during the day and to sleep at night.
25 Each individual has a body clock, and this clock regulates the body's circadian rhythm.
Our bodies move through various physical processes and states within a 24-hour period, such
as sleeping/waking, and cyclical changes in body temperature, hormone levels, sensitivity to
drugs, etc. This cycle represents the circadian rhythm. The body clock is synchronized to the
traditional pattern of daytime wakefulness and night-time sleep.
26 The body clock makes a person sleepy or alert on a regular schedule whether they
are working or not. In normal conditions, the sleep/wake cycle follows a 24-hour rhythm;
however, the cycle is not the same for everyone.
27 Independent of other factors, fatigue is most likely, and when present, most severe,
in the early hours of the morning, coinciding with the strongest drive for sleep. This period
typically occurs between the hours of 3 and 5 a.m. and is commonly referred to as the window
of circadian low (WOCL).
28 In general, seafarers working through the night may be at a higher risk of fatigue and
have to make additional effort to maintain alertness and performance. This is supported by
maritime studies and investigations in which fatigue was found to be a contributing cause in
incidents that mainly occurred between midnight and 6 a.m. This indicates that from a maritime
perspective high risk times may fall between these hours.
29 Apart from the WOCL, another distinct dip occurs between 3 and 5 p.m. (best known
as the post-lunch dip).
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Annex 6, page 11
30 The states of sleep/wakefulness and circadian rhythms interact in several ways:
.1 The two can work against each other and thereby weaken or negate each
other's effect. For example, a well-rested person is still affected by a
circadian low point; conversely, a person who is sleep-deprived may feel a
momentary increase in alertness due to a peak in circadian rhythm.
.2 The two can also work in the same direction, thereby intensifying the effect
they each have on a person's level of alertness. For example, when someone
is sleep-deprived, a circadian low point will further exacerbate the feeling of
sleepiness.
31 For many seafarers, working patterns conflict with their body clock. Irregular
schedules caused by shifting rotations, crossing time zones, etc. cause the circadian rhythms
to be out of synchronization. As circadian adjustment to a particular pattern of work and rest is
a relatively slow process (only adjust by an hour or two each day), constant changes impair
sleep. Work that requires seafarers to be awake and working at night or early morning or to
work for extended periods can cause disruptions to the body clock resulting in increased
fatigue.
32 Even though the body clock can be reset over time, such as when changing times
zones for an extended period, research shows that it cannot be permanently adjusted to a
reversed cycle of work and sleep. Because the body clock may not adapt fully to altered
sleep/wake patterns:
.1 seafarers who work through the night can be expected to be sleepy and
have to make additional effort to maintain alertness and performance; and
.2 some seafarers may be fatigued at the start of their work period, as they
adapt to their sleep routine.
Time awake
33 How long an individual is awake affects sleepiness and consequently fatigue levels.
The longer an individual has been awake, the poorer their performance. In general, the longer
a seafarer remains awake, the stronger the drive for sleep, and the higher the levels of fatigue.
During the first hours awake, the urge to sleep may go unnoticed, but as the amount of
continuous wakefulness approaches 16 hours, awareness of the pressure to sleep is highly
likely. This occurs sooner if the seafarer is already suffering from sleep debt.
34 Alertness and performance levels begin to decrease after a number of hours awake,
with long duty periods associated with higher levels of fatigue than shorter duty periods due to
extended wakefulness and demands on attention. In addition, the longer an individual has
continuously been on a task without a break, the more likely they will be fatigued. Accident
rates rise exponentially after 12 hours of consecutive work, particularly when working at night.
35 Long work hours are associated with poor performance, higher injury rates, and
poorer safety and/or health outcomes (both mental and physical). Another important aspect to
consider are work commutes. Many seafarers may be required to travel or drive long distances
to the ship and then have to work.
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Annex 6, page 12
Jet lag
36 Jet lag occurs following long flights through several time zones. Seafarers crossing
time zones to join their ship are exposed to a sudden change in the day/night cycle causing
circadian disruption. It is a condition that causes fatigue in addition to sleep deprivation and
irritability. The body clock will eventually adapt to a new time zone; however, depending on the
new schedule, it takes several days to adjust. During the period of adaptation to the new time
zone, common symptoms include wanting to eat and sleep at times that are out of step with
the local routine, problems with digestion, degraded performance on mental and physical
tasks, and mood changes. It is easier to adjust while crossing from east to west than from west
to east.
Workload
37 Workload refers to the type and intensity of tasks performed. Fatigue can occur when
workload is either very high or very low. High and low workload may be present in a shipboard
work environment, and are likely to induce fatigue. Fatigue resulting from workload becomes
an increasing concern when combined with long periods of wakefulness and long duty hours.
.1 High workload: both high physical workload and high mental workload (such
as tasks with excessive demands on attention) may lead to fatigue.
Examples of high workload routinely experienced on board ships include, but
are not limited to, navigating in congested and dangerous waters; frequent
port calls; navigating in conditions of poor visibility and/or bad weather;
entering and exiting a port/harbour; having to complete multiple tasks; and
tank cleaning and cargo operations.
.2 Low workload: monotonous tasks, such as monitoring (of engine-room

displays for example) can result in loss of interest and boredom, which also
increases the effects of fatigue. This can be a particular problem when
conducting bridge or engine monitoring and vigilance tasks across long
periods of time. This can be readily seen when a person is required to
maintain a period of concentrated and sustained attention, especially during
the night (night duty, for example). People are generally not good at long
duration vigilance tasks. Performance and alertness is further impacted if
vigilance and monitoring tasks need to be carried out during the night-time
hours, specifically between midnight and 5 a.m.
Stress
38 Stress occurs when a person is confronted with an environment or situation that poses
a threat or demand, and the individual becomes aware of his or her inability to cope or difficulty
in coping with the environment (a feeling of being overwhelmed). This can result in reduced
work performance and health problems. Stress is influenced by many characteristics of the
work environment or issues with or changes to personal, family, or home environment. Stress
can be caused by a number of factors, including:
.1 environmental factors (e.g. constant or irregular noise, vibration,

temperatures, weather, ice conditions);
.2 personal circumstances (e.g. family problems, home sickness, isolation);
.3 inadequate restorative sleep;
.4 broken or interrupted sleep or rest periods;
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Annex 6, page 13
.5 excessive working hours;
.6 intense mental and/or physical workload; and
.7 onboard interpersonal relationships.
39 These stressors, and others, can impact the extent to which a seafarer is able to
acquire sufficient sleep and consequently lead to fatigue. For example, family aspects that
require attention but are beyond the seafarer's control may lead to short sleep duration and
extended wakefulness. Seafarers may be away from home for extended periods of time.
Loneliness, isolation, family conflict and concern about family members may provide enough
stress to be considered risk factors.
Health
40 Healthy lifestyle choices such as good physical fitness and a healthy diet have been
reported to reduce fatigue and improve alertness and performance. Conversely, unhealthy
lifestyle choices can negatively impact sleep and therefore contribute to fatigue.
.1 Nutrition: a poor diet that does not include fresh fruit and vegetables can
contribute to fatigue by adversely affecting a seafarer's health. In addition,
irregular meal times can adversely affect digestion, which also follows the
circadian rhythm. Digestion is programmed to be most efficient during the
day and much less so at night. Food eaten at night is digested at a slower
rate. This can often lead to feeling bloated or constipated and can cause
heartburn and indigestion. Gastrointestinal upsets are very common in
people who eat outside of traditional meal times. These upsets can be made
worse by drinking tea, coffee or alcohol. Additionally, when lying down right
after eating a large meal, acid reflux may occur. Night workers are 5 times
more likely to get peptic ulcers than day workers.
.2 Hydration: dehydration is also a factor that contributes to fatigue. When the

body is low on water, it tries to conserve what it has left. It does this by
reducing activity and making the body relax and slow down. When relaxed,
people have a higher chance of falling asleep. Being dehydrated can also
make people feel light-headed and cause headaches. In addition to
maintaining cognitive function and alertness, drinking adequate water helps
keep the digestive and circulatory systems operating properly. Water brings
healthy nutrients to cells and carries away toxins.
.3 Exercise and fitness: poor physical fitness adversely affects overall health
and causes people to tire easily. Exercise speeds up metabolism and
increases blood flow, which helps to keep a person awake. Exercise also
helps the body cope with stress and can help individuals suffering from
depression, a condition that can be characterized by fatigue. Physical
exercise can also help reduce a person's susceptibility to certain diseases
and infections. The inability to exercise is considered a risk factor because it
is a circumstance that takes away a crew member's ability to increase
physical fitness, enhance sleep, think clearly and manage stress.
.4 Caffeine and other stimulants: caffeine can be found in beverages such as

coffee, tea and some soft drinks. Caffeine can improve alertness and
concentration in moderate doses, but it is not a substitute for adequate sleep
and rest. Too much caffeine can have harmful effects such as increased
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Annex 6, page 14
heart rate and blood pressure, and can cause fatigue in some people. It takes
caffeine about 15 to 30 minutes to enter the body's system, and its
physiological effects peak about an hour after the drug reaches the
bloodstream. The effects of caffeine can vary highly from individual to
individual and depend on physical condition, age, level of sleep debt,
frequency of use and time of day. Generally, caffeine levels drop by half
every five or six hours. Its effects can last long after consumption and may
interfere with needed sleep. Caffeine shortens total sleep time by preventing
sleep. Caffeine consumption can also cause dehydration.
.5 Alcohol: although alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, it can

impair the quality of sleep. Alcohol can lead to increased sleepiness and
reduced alertness, even after the alcohol is no longer detectable. There are
also serious health consequences related to the long-term abuse of alcohol.
Many shipping companies have "zero alcohol tolerance."
.6 Nicotine: nicotine is highly addictive and the dangers to health are well
documented. Nicotine users generally have more disturbed sleep, typically
taking longer to fall asleep and experiencing more wake time during a sleep
period.
.7 Drugs: it is important for seafarers to be aware of how drugs and

supplements may affect their health and their sleep-wake cycles. Drug
effects vary not only from person to person, they can also vary for the same
person depending on time of day, mood, tiredness and the amount of food
eaten. In addition, there are other drugs prescribed for specific ailments that
can have sedating side effects. Some prescription drugs can affect people's
ability to operate machinery (induce sleepiness). They may also interact with
existing fatigue levels and other drugs (including alcohol) and supplements,
further affecting performance. Some over-the-counter drugs used for pain
relief or colds and flu may increase drowsiness and fatigue-related
symptoms.
.8 Supplements: there are now a number of nutritional supplements, natural

products and energy drinks that are available on the market that directly
influence sleep/wake states. Just because they are sold over the counter
does not mean they are safe or appropriate for everyone. These products
may interact with prescription or over-the-counter drugs to further affect
performance. Individuals should proactively seek advice and guidance from
their healthcare providers before using these products to learn about their
appropriate use.
.9 Sleep disorders: other health-related aspects are the wide variety of sleep
disorders, which are known to disrupt the quality of sleep and make
restorative sleep impossible, even when individuals spend enough time
trying to sleep. The most common sleep disorders are obstructive sleep
apnoea, insomnia, restless legs syndrome, shift work sleep disorder and
narcolepsy. Undiagnosed or untreated sleep disorders can cause sleepiness
problems. Sleep disorders pose a particular risk for seafarers, especially as
maritime operations already expose seafarers to restricted sleep. Large
numbers of individuals suffering from sleep disorders are unaware of and
have not been diagnosed or treated for their disorder.
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.1 Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) results in breathing being

interrupted during sleep. Repetitive episodes of non-effective
breathing, very shallow breaths or inadequate breaths lead to
frequent partial arousals from sleep, resulting in ineffective sleep
and sleep debt. OSA is a potentially serious sleep disorder resulting
in excessive daytime sleepiness and can lead to cardiovascular
problems. Sleep apnoea, which may be indicated by loud snoring
with pauses of silence, often goes undiagnosed and untreated and
has been known to be a contributing factor to incidents in all modes
of transportation. Some risk factors include excessive weight, high
body mass index (BMI), high blood pressure, smoking and diabetes.
.2 Insomnia is the most prevalent sleep disorder and is characterized

by an inability to fall asleep and/or by waking up during the night and
having difficulty going back to sleep. Long-term insomnia is more
common in women than men and tends to increase with age.
Short-term insomnia may be caused by emotional or physical
discomfort, stress, environmental noise, extreme temperatures or
jet lag, or may be the side effect of medication. Secondary insomnia
may result from a combination of physical or mental disorders,
undiagnosed or uncontrolled sleep disorders and effects of
prescription or non-prescription medications.
.3 Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a movement disorder that is often

associated with a sleep complaint. People with RLS have
unpleasant leg sensations and an almost irresistible urge to move
their legs. Symptoms are worse during inactivity and often interfere
with sleep. Sitting still for long periods becomes difficult; symptoms
are usually worse in the evening and night and less severe in the
morning.
.4 Shift work sleep disorder is characterized by insomnia and

excessive sleepiness affecting people whose work hours overlap
with the typical sleep period. There are numerous shift work
schedules (permanent, intermittent or rotating); consequently, the
manifestations of this disorder are quite variable. Those with shift
work disorder complain more of mood problems such as impatience
and depression, as well as more self-reported health complaints
such as ulcers and substance use.
.5 Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder that usually becomes evident

during adolescence or young adulthood. The main characteristic of
narcolepsy is excessive and overwhelming daytime sleepiness
(even after adequate night-time sleep). A person with narcolepsy is
likely to become drowsy or to fall asleep at inappropriate times and
places, and in extreme cases during periods of activity. Daytime
sleep attacks may occur without warning and may be irresistible. In
addition, night-time sleep may also be fragmented.
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Individual differences
41 Individuals respond to fatigue differently and may become fatigued at different times,
and to different degrees of severity, under the same circumstances. There are also individual
characteristics related to circadian rhythms. People can be characterized as morning or
evening types depending on the period of the day when they perform at their best.
Effects of fatigue
42 When a person is affected by fatigue, performance on the job can be significantly

impaired. Impairment will occur in every aspect of human performance (physically, emotionally,
and mentally) such as in decision-making, response time, judgement, hand-eye coordination
and countless other skills. When impairment due to fatigue, such as impaired memory or poor
communication, coincides with other risks in the environment, incidents can result. This is
evidenced in a number of maritime casualties in which fatigue was a contributory factor.
Maritime studies have also confirmed the association between fatigue and poor performance.
43 People are poor judges of their own level of fatigue, performance and
decision-making. The following is a sample of fatigue's known effect on performance:
.1 Fatigued individuals become more susceptible to errors of attention and

memory (for example, it is not uncommon for fatigued individuals to omit
steps in a sequence).
.2 Fatigued individuals will often select strategies that have a high degree of
risk on the basis that they require less effort to execute.
.3 Fatigue can negatively affect an individual's ability to identify and respond to

stimuli.
.4 Fatigue can also negatively affect problem-solving, which is an integral part

of handling new or challenging tasks.
44 Particularly dangerous situations at sea arising from sleep debt are brief, uncontrolled
and spontaneous sleep episodes while working, termed microsleeps. During a microsleep, the
brain disengages from the environment (it stops processing visual information and sounds).
Sleep deprivation, which is caused by cumulative sleep debt, can make people more
susceptible to microsleeps. The likelihood of microsleeps is even greater if the individual is on
duty during a circadian low.
45 The range of effects and signs of fatigue can typically be grouped into three
categories: cognitive (e.g. loss of vigilance), physical (e.g. yawning, micro-sleeps) and
behavioural (e.g. irritability, mood). The table below outlines some of the major symptoms
under each category; however, it is not inclusive. Additionally, many of these symptoms may
be subtle.
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Table 1: Effects of fatigue
COGNITIVE
PERFORMANCE
IMPAIRMENT SIGNS/SYMPTOMS
Inability to concentrate  Unable to organize a series of activities
 Preoccupied with a single task
 Focuses on a trivial problem, neglecting more important
ones
 Reverts to old but ineffective habits
 Less vigilant than usual
 Decline in ability to solve complex problems
 Lapses of attention
 Difficulty in multitasking
Diminished decision-making  Misjudges distance, speed, time, etc.
ability
 Fails to appreciate the gravity of the situation
 Overlooks items that should be included
 Chooses risky options
 Greater indecisiveness
Poor memory  Fails to remember the sequence of task or task elements
 Difficulty remembering events or procedures
 Forgets to complete a task or part of a task
 Memory lapses
Slowing of cognitive  Responds slowly (if at all) to normal, abnormal or
processes emergency situations
PHYSICAL
PERFORMANCE SIGNS/SYMPTOMS
IMPAIRMENT
Involuntary need to sleep  Slow eyelid closures
 Droopy eyelids
 Itchy eye
 Nodding off
 Inability to stay awake
Loss of control of bodily  Affected speech, e.g. it may be slurred, slowed or
movements garbled, or hard to find the right words
 Feeling heaviness in the arms and legs
 Clumsiness, such as increased frequency of dropping
objects like tools or parts
 Difficulty with hand-eye coordination skills (such as switch
selection)
 Tremors
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Health Issues  Headaches

 Giddiness
 Rapid breathing
 Digestion problems
 Leg pains or cramps
 Insomnia
 Sudden sweating fits
 Heart palpitations / irregular heart beats
 Loss of appetite (and sometimes an increase in unhealthy
eating habits)
BEHAVIOURAL
PERFORMANCE SIGNS/SYMPTOMS
IMPAIRMENT
Mood change  Quieter, less talkative than usual
 Unusually irritable
 Decreased tolerance and anti-social behaviour
 Depression
Attitude change  Fails to anticipate danger
 Fails to observe and obey warning signs
 Seems unaware of own poor performance
 More willing to take risks
 Ignores normal checks and procedures
 Displays a "don't care" attitude
 Less desire to socialize
 Increasing omissions and carelessness
 Low motivation
46 Sleep debt, over long periods of time (more than two weeks), has long-term effects
on health and clinical illnesses, increasing the risks of pain, stress, obesity, coronary heart
disease, gastrointestinal disorders and diabetes. Long-term effects also point to mental health
problems such as negative mood states and depression.
47 Fatigue is known to affect performance and reduce individual and crew effectiveness
and efficiency, decrease productivity, lower standards of work, and may lead to errors. The
instances of injuries and incidents reportedly related to fatigue within maritime operations have
resulted in great economic, environmental and human cost. Thus, addressing the risks of
fatigue and its causes is essential.
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ILO and IMO instruments related to fatigue
48 The following IMO instruments contain guidance on fatigue-related aspects:
.1 International Convention on Standards of Training Certification and

Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, as amended
.1 Regulation VIII/1 (Fitness for duty) states that "each Administration

shall, for the purpose of preventing fatigue:
.1 establish and enforce rest periods for watchkeeping

personnel and those whose duties involve designated
safety, security and prevention of pollution duties in
accordance with the provisions of section A-VIII/1 of the
STCW Code; and
.2 require that watch systems are so arranged that the

efficiency of all watchkeeping personnel is not impaired by
fatigue and that duties are so organized that the first watch
at the commencement of a voyage and subsequent relieving
watches are sufficiently rested and otherwise fit for duty."
.2 Regulation VIII/2 (Watchkeeping arrangements and principles to be

observed) states that "Administrations shall direct the attention of
companies, masters, chief engineer officers and all watchkeeping
personnel to the requirements, principles and guidance set out in
the STCW Code which shall be observed to ensure that a safe
continuous watch or watches appropriate to the prevailing
circumstances and conditions are maintained on all seagoing ships
at all times."
.3 In addition, part A of the STCW Code sets minimum periods and

frequencies of rest and requires that watch schedules be posted
where they are easily accessible.
.2 International Safety Management (ISM) Code: This Code introduces

safety management requirements on ship companies to assess all identified
risks (both ashore and afloat) that affect safety (to ship and personnel) and
environment and establish appropriate safeguards. The fatigue-related
requirements include the requirement for the company to:
.1 develop, implement and maintain a safety management system

(section 1.4);
.2 ensure that each ship is manned with qualified, certificated and

medically fit seafarers in accordance with national and international
requirements and is appropriately manned in order to encompass
all aspects of maintaining safe operations on board (paragraph 6.2);
.3 ensure necessary shipboard support is provided so that the

master's duties can be safely performed (paragraph 6.1.3); and
.4 provide familiarization and training for shipboard personnel

(paragraphs 6.3, 6.4 and 6.5).
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.3 Principles of minimum safe manning (resolution A.1047(27)): This

resolution provides guidelines for determining minimum safe manning. In
particular in ensuring "fitness for duty", paragraph 1.4.2 of annex 2 states
that "in determining the minimum safe manning of a ship, consideration
should also be given to ... the capability of the master and the ship's
complement to coordinate the activities necessary for the safe operation and
for the security of the ship and for the protection of the marine environment."
.4 Fatigue factors in manning and safety (resolution A.772(18)): This

resolution provides a general description of fatigue and identifies the factors
of ship operations which may contribute to fatigue.
49 The following ILO instruments contain guidance on fatigue-related aspects:
.1 Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006. Relevant aspects of the MLC

include, but are not limited to:
.1 Regulation 2.3: To ensure that seafarers have regulated hours of

work or hours of rest.
.2 Regulation 2.4: To ensure that seafarers have adequate leave.
.3 Regulation 2.7: To ensure that seafarers work on board ships with

sufficient personnel for the safe, efficient and secure operation of
the ship.
.4 Regulation 3.1: To ensure that seafarers have decent

accommodation and recreational facilities on board.
.5 Regulation 3.2: To ensure that seafarers have access to good

quality food and drinking water provided under regulated hygienic
conditions.
.6 Regulation 4.3: To ensure that seafarers' work environment on

board ships promotes occupational safety and health.
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2 Allen, P., Wellens, B. T., McNamara, R., and Smith, A. (2005). It's not all plain sailing.
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Disorders. 3rd ed. ICSD-3. Winchester, IL: AASM.
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5 Carotenuto, A., Molino, I., Fasanaro, A. M., and Amenta, F., (2012). Psychological
stress in seafarers: A review. International Maritime Health, 63(4): p. 188-94.
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R. R., Sauter, S. L., and Vila, B., (2006). Long Working Hours, Safety, and Health:
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C., and Pack, A. I., (1997). Cumulative sleepiness, mood disturbance, and
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11 Folkard, S., (2008). Do permanent night workers show circadian adjustment? A

review based on the endogenous melatonin rhythm. Chronobiol Int, 25: p. 215-224.
12 Grech, M. R., Horberry, T., and Koester, T., (2008). Human Factors in the Maritime
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13 Härmä, M., (2006). Workhours in relation to work stress, recovery and health. Scand
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14 Härmä, M., Partinen, M., Repo, R., Sorsa, M., and Siivonen, P., (2008). Effects of 6/6
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15 Houtman, I., Miedema, M., Jettinghoff, K., Starren, A., Heinrich, J., Gort, J., Wulder,
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MAIB.
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20 April]. Available from: http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/how-sleep-
works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need
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19 Oldenburg, M., Hogan, B., and Jensen, H. J., (2013). Systematic review of maritime
field studies about stress and strain in seafaring. International archives of
occupational environmental health, 86(1): p. 1-15.
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transport., in Fatigue in Transport Report II, Institute of Transport Economics (TØI).
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in Norway: literature and expert opinion, in Fatigue in Transport Report III, Institute of
Transport Economics: Oslo.
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a meta-analysis. Sleep, 19(4): p. 318-26.
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Editors. Ashgate Publishing Ltd.: Surrey.
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and Dawson, D., (2008). Preventing and managing fatigue in the Shipping industry,
TNO: Hoofddorp.
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A Guide to Maritime Operations, Marine Safety and Environmental Protection:
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(2008). Patterns of fatigue among seafarers during a tour of duty. American Journal
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J. L., (2009). The link between fatigue and safety. Accident analysis and Prevention,
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MODULE 2
FATIGUE AND THE COMPANY
1 Module 2 contains guidance for the company in assessing, mitigating and managing
the risk of fatigue in operational environments.
Is fatigue an important issue in shipboard operations?
2 Fatigue has been recognized as an important occupational health and safety issue
for seafarers. Fatigue has the potential to greatly increase the risk of incidents and injuries in
the work place. It disrupts circadian rhythms and results in digestive problems, confusion,
lethargy, respiratory problems, depression and irritability. Fatigue adversely affects seafarer
performance. It diminishes attentiveness and concentration, slows physical and mental
reflexes and impairs rational decision-making capability.
3 Research has established a clear link between fatigue and accidents at sea. Clearly,
addressing the issue of fatigue should have a positive effect on personnel safety and has the
potential to cut costs for the company by reducing injury and physical damage to high-value
assets and the environment.
4 Fatigue poses a risk to any position on board, but especially those that have critical
safety and security responsibilities. Should an individual fail to carry out an allotted task due to
fatigue, the crew runs the risk of a safety or security incident. Any risk management strategy
must focus on mitigating the potential for such hazards to arise by addressing the causes of
fatigue. Systems and work procedures should be critically examined to engineer out design
deficiencies that could contribute to fatigue. The company should provide an adequate level of
support for managing the risks of fatigue at both the organizational and operational levels.
What elements of fatigue can the company influence?
5 While it is not possible for the company to regulate and oversee the sleeping habits
of every seafarer on every ship, it is within its capability to mitigate the risks of fatigue through
ship design, operational and manning policies. The Principles of minimum safe manning
(resolution A.1047(27)) provides for an assessment of the tasks, duties and responsibilities of
the ship's complement to ensure that manning levels are adequate at all times to meet all
conditions and requirements including meeting peak workload situations and emergency
conditions. Hours of rest are presently controlled by a prescriptive formula set out in
chapter VIII of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and
Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) 1978, as amended. Managers should be aware (when
applying these hours of rest) that considering the effects of circadian rhythm and sleep debt is
important for ensuring that rest periods are of high quality. It also cannot be too highly stressed
that rest means rest, not substituting a different form of work. This should be supported by
appropriate manning, resources, processes and policies, so that fatigue risks can be managed
in a way that supports safe, compliant and productive operations. Importantly, fatigue risk
control measures forming part of the company support should:
.1 identify and assess fatigue risks;
.2 assess operational workload requirements in accordance with the Principles

of minimum safe manning (resolution A.1047(27));
.3 ensure that manning and resources are adequate and available for assessed
workload requirements and to conduct all ship operations safely;
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.4 ensure company-wide awareness of the risk of fatigue; and
.5 ensure a healthy shipboard environment.
6 Figure 1 below provides a framework to assess the hazards associated with fatigue
and different strategies to mitigate the risk of fatigue.
Risk-Based Approach
Figure 1: Framework to mitigate the risk of fatigue
7 Companies' records of hours of work and rest are generally assessed against
regulatory requirements. Planning tools are available that take into account the circadian
rhythm. The use of such planning tools may assist companies in doing the following:
.1 Analyse planned work routines to ascertain the risk of fatigue.
.2 Monitor work hours on board the ship to determine whether or not the risk of
fatigue is increasing as a result of the work arrangements or from any
variations that may have occurred.
.3 Analyse and compare information related to hours of work to determine the

effectiveness of employed routines, compared to other alternatives.
8 It is important that companies adopt a fatigue mitigation and control strategy that is
tailored to the individual operational requirements.
How can the company ensure that fatigue prevention is practised on board?
9 The company should consider the following:
.1 ISM Code requirements for clear, concise guidance on operational

procedures on board;
.2 ensure adequate resources, including manning levels;
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.3 promote a safety reporting culture with open communication and no fear of

reprisal;
.4 the need for joining seafarers to be adequately rested before assuming

duties;
.5 schedule time for proper handover on crew change;
.6 voyage length, time in port, length of service and leave ratios;
.7 multicultural issues; language barriers, social, cultural and religious

isolation;
.8 interpersonal relationships, stress, loneliness, boredom, social deprivation

and increased workload as a result of small crew numbers;
.9 provision for shore leave and onboard recreation, family communication;
.10 watchkeeping arrangements;
.11 job rotation, if practicable;
.12 adequate sleeping berths and accommodation;
.13 adequate quality and quantity of food for proper nutrition;
.14 read other modules of these guidelines for additional potential managerial
mitigation tools; and
.15 modification of present ship design or future designs, if necessary.
10 Fatigue training and awareness are essential components. The company should
ensure all personnel have appropriate training. This includes shore-based personnel whose
decisions may impact on the management of fatigue (such as those involved in resource
planning, including ship manning levels, and duty scheduling decisions) and fatigue-related
processes. This is important, as their decisions potentially affect fatigue levels of seafarers and
consequently shipboard safety.
11 Initial fatigue-related training should establish a common level of understanding

among seafarers and shore-based personnel about the dynamics of sleep loss and recovery,
the effects of the body clock on circadian rhythms, the influence of workload, and the ways in
which these factors interact with operational demands to produce fatigue (covered in
module 1). In addition, it is useful for all seafarers to have information on how to manage their
personal fatigue and sleep issues (covered in module 3).
12 This process, as with any other training, should be ongoing in nature. Hence, training
should be conducted on an initial and recurrent basis. The interval between training should be
determined by the company, given their operational characteristics and training needs
analysis.
13 Promoting a safety reporting culture is necessary. The company should ensure that
processes are in place to provide seafarers with the opportunity to report situations when the
seafarer has been unable to obtain adequate sleep or feels at risk of making fatigue-related
errors, specifically if conducting safety critical tasks. This process should allow for open
communication and reporting between seafarers, their supervisors and the company, and
should prohibit any action directed against a seafarer for such communications or reports.
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Adequate resources (including ship manning levels)
14 Adequate resources, including manning, is one of the primary determinants of

seafarers' duty hours, workload, duty scheduling, average time off duty, and other key factors
that can have an influence or elevate fatigue. The company should ensure that adequate
resources are available with a need to proportionally balance varying work and task demands
and deal with unexpected surge to reduce the risk of fatigue across shipboard operations.
15 Manning levels should match the operational workload on board the ships and this
workload should be managed efficiently. Operational workload is determined through an
assessment by the company.
16 Although the master is responsible for managing the ship and its crew, the company
should ensure that the master is adequately supported and resourced to conduct shipboard
duties and operations safely and effectively.
17 Effective operational planning is critical to ensuring adequate resources, including

manning, are available at all times so that operational and other demands placed on the ship
and its crew can be managed safely and effectively. Planning should account for:
.1 varying work and task demands within and across days, e.g. amount of time
the ship is travelling through confined and congested waters and less
confined open waters;
.2 trading patterns, i.e. number of port calls – the more port calls the higher the
workload;
.3 planning for disturbances, such as weather, ship movement in port, port entry
and exit delays and port surveys and inspections;
.4 ensuring adequate manning is available to cover planned and unplanned

aspects such as training, illnesses, injuries and sickness; and
.5 ensuring company commercial obligations or interests do not impinge on or

affect safety in any way.
18 The company should consider strategies to deal with periods of high workload and to
manage this accordingly. Appropriate strategies may include the following:
.1 The allocation of crew numbers to peak times and demands is a fundamental

factor in minimizing the exposure to risks associated with extended duty
hours. Numbers and types of seafarers should be scheduled based on
predictable operational demands to account for daily, weekly and monthly
operational trends.
.2 Ensure the master is well resourced and supported to carry out all shipboard
tasks safely and to allow for unexpected surge and overriding operational
conditions.
.3 Ensure there are adequate resources, including manning, available to

complete shipboard tasks safely without placing excessive demands on
seafarers.
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.4 Augment with shore-based support or additional rest when the ship is in port,
such as during loading and unloading and port inspections, to ensure
shipboard crew obtain adequate time off for rest and sleep and are fit for duty
when the ship leaves port.
.5 Provide shipboard administrative support or a means for relieving the burden

associated with paperwork and related administrative tasks.
.6 Where practicable, provide remote support to shipboard crew in areas such

as paperwork, loading/unloading calculations.
.7 Utilize other crewing concepts, such as the use of port captains and/or
shore-based crew.
.8 Plan arrival and departures (tides in ports, delays due to weather, pilotage
boarding, etc.) to take into account adequate sleep and rest.
19 An important aspect that needs to be mentioned is that of "overriding operational

conditions". In accordance with section B-VIII/1 of the STCW Code "overriding operational
conditions" should be construed to mean only essential shipboard work which cannot be
delayed for safety, security or environmental reasons or which could not reasonably have been
anticipated at the commencement of the voyage. This means that they should not be occurring
on a regular basis. Planning, using risk assessment tools and operational experience, can
foresee these potential disruptions or delays, e.g. weather, port inspections, traffic congestion
during departure/arrivals and illness of seafarers.
Healthy shipboard environment
20 Seafarers are required not only to work but also to live on board a ship. Hence,
ensuring a healthy shipboard environment is crucial to minimizing the risks of fatigue. The most
important aspects should include:
.1 Healthy eating: healthy nutritious food is available and served on board and
crew afforded unlimited access to drinking water.
.2 Healthy sleep: the shipboard sleeping environment should provide for

comfortable and good quality sleep (bedding, pillows, mattresses, adequate
light management, etc.).
.3 Exercise: adequate exercise facilities are provided (such as well-designed

and equipped training facilities and outside spaces), to ensure seafarers can
maintain a healthy lifestyle on board.
.4 Stress: adequate shipboard measures are in place to recognize and ensure

adequate support to seafarers suffering from stress.
21 Furthermore, initial ship design plays a part in ensuring a healthy operational

environment (see module 5).
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Adequate sleep opportunity
22 Effective fatigue management is predominantly about ensuring that seafarers are

provided with adequate sleep opportunity.
23 It is not correct to assume that a given rest period from duty will provide a given level
of sleep and hence recovery. The length of the rest period is only one key factor. The
relationship between the recovery value of off-duty periods and the actual amount of sleep
obtained in a shipboard environment is increasingly complex. As highlighted in module 1, sleep
quantity and quality (and its restorative value) depends on going through uninterrupted sleep.
The more sleep is fragmented by waking up, the less restorative value sleep has in terms of
how seafarers feel and function when they are on duty.
24 Shipboard-related factors that affect sleep include the design of duty schedules,
i.e. length and timing of duty periods, length and timing of breaks within and between a duty
period, and the environment, e.g. heat, humidity, noise, vibration, lighting levels, ship routines,
diet. These can all have negative effects on the amount of time seafarers are allocated for
sleep in a 24-hour period.
Duty scheduling and planning
25 Duty scheduling and planning is a key factor in managing fatigue. Hence, the
company should be responsible for ensuring duty schedules provide adequate opportunity for
sleep.
26 Companies must, at the very least, be in compliance with STCW regulation VIII/1.
27 From a practical perspective, it is important to determine whether a given duty

schedule, on average, enables adequate sleep opportunity. There are seven primary duty
schedule considerations that should be taken into account when scheduling. They are:
.1 Work hours (work periods): as indicated in module 1, as the length of a

given period of work increases, the subsequent sleep opportunity decreases.
Research has demonstrated that, apart from a reduction in performance,
extended hours of work are also associated with reduced individual
well-being, reduced organizational commitment and poor health outcomes.
Administrative work, shipboard drills, training, ship loading and unloading
tasks are all tasks that may affect seafarers' opportunities to gain adequate
sleep. These factors in turn have been linked to declining levels of
productivity and safety.
.2 Rest hours (rest periods) between work periods: this is the length of time
off between work periods and should reflect the fact that seafarers do not
simply fall asleep as soon as they are off duty and wake just before they go
back on duty. Seafarers, like shore-based workers, have many activities and
responsibilities to manage between work periods such as eating, showering,
socializing with other crew, relaxing, studying and writing to and
communicating with family members and friends back home. Fatigue
increases as the number of rest hours decrease; therefore rest hours should
provide for adequate sleep opportunity, time to complete those other tasks
noted above, be adaptable to the individual circadian rhythm and account for
the effects of sleep inertia after waking. Hence, the interval between two
successive work periods should allow sufficient time to obtain adequate
sleep before the start of the next work period.
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.3 Night watches or work: as indicated in module 1, seafarers working during

night-time, specifically during the circadian low, can experience severe
performance degradation initially. If the seafarer maintains a regular
schedule they may adapt over time. However, it is important to provide those
seafarers working during night-time with a good sleeping opportunity and
environment during the day.
.4 Short rest breaks within work periods: short rest breaks benefit
performance and help maintain alertness. As indicated in module 1, one of
the most important determinants of fatigue is "time on task". Frequent short
breaks are associated with performance benefits and result in better fatigue
management when the timing of rest is at the discretion of the individual.
While it is recognized that this may not always be feasible in a shipboard
environment, it should be noted that the "time on task" effect can also be
reduced during the work period by task rotations/substitutions.
.5 Naps: naps are an effective countermeasure to fatigue, exhaustion from long

work hours and restricted sleep. Whether before an anticipated short night's
sleep or after, brief naps improve performance and alertness, and delay
fatigue-induced performance degradation. Overall, research has shown that
the benefits of controlled napping outweigh the potential risks associated with
sleep inertia.
.6 Recovery sleep: the provision for sufficient recovery time following periods
of sleep debt is important. It should be noted that provision of minimum rest
periods may not sufficiently acknowledge the critical role that the circadian
rhythm plays in the rate at which fatigue accumulates and the rate at which
people recover. To work safely across a given duty and to then return to the
next work period sufficiently recovered requires that the seafarer obtains
sufficient quantity and quality of sleep between work periods. Sleep
opportunities during the circadian low are preferable because sleep that
occurs during the circadian low provides the most recuperative value.
.7 Reset breaks: as the risk of fatigue increases over successive work days of
sleep debt, it seems logical that some "recovery" must take place over spans
of rest days. This is typically an issue at sea as seafarers are exposed to
potentially arduous duty schedules over a long period of time (in excess of
seven days, sometimes months on end) without the possibility of a reset
break. It is recognized that in a shipboard environment this is likely not
practical; however, this may be a factor to consider when determining crew
rotation.
28 Companies should consider napping and short break policies to manage fatigue if
practicable.
29 Companies should also acknowledge impairment through sleep inertia when planning
tasks and activities, giving adequate time for seafarers to be alert before performing critical
tasks, when possible.
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Tools to assess fatigue in scheduling
30 The planning of duty schedules based on fatigue science as well as operational

requirements permits predictive identification of fatigue hazards. This assists in allocating
adequate rest periods that provide sufficient sleep opportunity.
31 There are useful additional tools for the mitigation and control of fatigue such as:
.1 fatigue risk assessment tools: the risk level of a specific duty schedule may
be assessed via a fatigue risk score.
.2 fatigue predictive software tools: models and related software to predict

fatigue levels for specific operations can be useful additional tools for the
management of fatigue risks, as mentioned in paragraph 7.
32 It should be noted that such tools should not be used in isolation nor be the main
driver for duty scheduling decisions, as they are not sufficient to determine the full extent of
fatigue-related risk. They should always be supported by other operational data. Their main
purpose should be limited to identifying potentially fatigue-inducing duty schedules or
scheduling hot spots and allow for better decisions in the selection of duty schedules. This is
because numerous unforeseen circumstances can cause changes to planned schedules,
e.g. weather conditions, unexpected technical problems or seafarers' illnesses. Seafarer
fatigue is the result of what is actually worked, not what is planned. Thus another proactive
approach for identifying fatigue hazards is to analyse actual duty schedules in operation.
Workload management
33 As discussed in module 1, mental and physical demands of work can contribute to a

seafarer becoming impaired by fatigue in a number of ways. Concentrating for extended
periods of time, performing repetitious or monotonous work, and performing work that requires
continued physical effort can increase the risk of fatigue. Mental fatigue and physical fatigue
are different and a seafarer can experience them at the same time. It is important to be aware
of a seafarer's optimal level of workload and stress, and to have realistic attitudes towards
these. Understanding that different people react differently to stressful situations (such as
emergencies, family problems at home, job-related) is critical for effective interventions.
Hence, the use of effective communication with seafarers and monitoring and observing any
behaviours that may indicate a change to a seafarer's fatigue as a result of workload is
important (see fatigue signs and symptoms in module 1) .
34 Typical techniques for managing workload while on duty include prioritization of tasks,
task delegation, task rotation, crew rotation and task shedding. A list of risk mitigation
strategies that should be used in managing workload may include:
.1 Carefully considering task design according to the workload and the available
resources, including manning.
.2 Reducing the amount of time seafarers need to spend performing sustained

physically and mentally demanding work (e.g. tank cleaning, navigation
through congested waters).
.3 Managing workload and work-pace change caused by machinery

breakdowns and planned and unplanned sicknesses and illnesses.
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.4 Where practicable, minimizing routine and administrative tasks or

redesigning them to ensure seafarers can focus on core duties in their
working time.
.5 Minimize repetitive or monotonous tasks by using task rotation, where

practicable.
.6 Where practicable, defer non-urgent work to allow appropriate rest and

recovery if necessary.
Work and living environment
35 The work and living environment is important for ensuring adequate opportunity for
sleep and should be considered. Because good quality sleep is critical, companies should
develop procedures to minimize interruptions to seafarers' sleep. Opportunities for
implementing countermeasures in this area vary from shipboard environmental, procedural to
operational changes. For example, most environmental aspects such as noise can be better
addressed during ship design (see module 5). However, there are control measures that the
company can implement to assist in reducing noise levels in the sleeping environment.
36 Environmental, procedural and operational measures may also range from low-cost
solutions, such as porthole blinds and door baffles, to high-cost solutions, such as refitting the
ship exhaust or air conditioning systems.
37 Operational and procedural changes may include developing napping policies or

defining blocks of time (sleep opportunities) during which seafarers are not contacted except
in emergencies. These protected sleep opportunities need to be known to all relevant
personnel. Depending on the situation, changes should be made to those areas that will have
the most impact, and following evaluation, consideration to other changes can then be made.
38 Environmental control measures may include, but are not limited to:
.1 adequate facilities for rest, sleep and meal breaks and other essential
requirements, such as bathroom facilities and personal storage;
.2 making sleeping areas darker, quieter and more comfortable and increasing
lighting in certain areas of the ship, such as:
a. providing a dark sleeping atmosphere using blackout blinds for

portholes or berths in sleeping spaces;
b. installing insulation baffles over cabin door louvres;
c. improving air conditioning (ambient temperature) and air flow; and
d. supplying good quality and comfortable bedding such as mattresses

and pillows;
.3 making sleeping spaces, including their location, a priority in retrofitting and

new ship construction; and
.4 ensuring adequate personal storage space is available for seafarers'

personal effects.
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39 Procedural and operational control measures may include, but are not limited to:
.1 increasing access to healthier food choices by ensuring nutritious food is

served on board;
.2 providing information and advice on healthy eating and physical well-being;
.3 making exercise equipment and facilities available to seafarers;
.4 providing and maintaining a quiet atmosphere for sleep; develop a "do not
disturb" policy for sleeping seafarers;
.5 where practicable, calls for drills should be conducted in a manner that

minimizes the disturbance of rest periods as they can be extremely
disruptive;
.6 putting in place short breaks within duty periods, including napping policies;
.7 ensuring ship routines such as meal times are commensurate with seafarer
working schedules; this includes providing personnel working at night with
appropriate meal choices;
.8 providing access to counselling services to assist in any issues arising from

the disruption to individual, family or social patterns and shipboard-related
aspects; implement a consistent stress management programme;
.9 have a policy in place to support seafarers experiencing elevated levels of

workload;
.10 if possible, avoid assigning seasick and ill seafarers shipboard work;
.11 if possible, provide all seafarers with shipboard phone, Internet and email
access; and
.12 if possible, ensure that maintenance work does not disrupt personnel
sleeping.
Adequate sleep obtained
40 Given that sleep loss is a primary contributor to fatigue, the company should
determine whether adequate sleep is obtained.
41 Situations may arise where a seafarer is provided with an adequate sleep opportunity,
but they may not get adequate sleep. Hence, while an adequate sleep opportunity provides an
indication of the quantity of sleep likely to be obtained, it is important to know whether adequate
sleep has actually been obtained. Seafarers should be provided with the opportunity to report
situations when they have been unable to obtain adequate sleep or feel at risk of making
fatigue-related errors without repercussions.
42 In general, seafarers are responsible for using adequate sleep opportunity

appropriately, so they are alert and capable of performing assigned shipboard work safely.
However, there are a number of reasons why seafarers may not obtain adequate sleep. The
aspects mentioned below can all affect the amount and quality of sleep obtained:
.1 a seafarer working during the night may have difficulty getting quality sleep;
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.2 a seafarer upon joining the ship may experience difficulty adjusting to the
sleep schedule;
.3 a seafarer travelling for an extended time to the ship should not be required
to report to work until adequate rest is obtained;
.4 undiagnosed and untreated sleep disorders as highlighted in module 1;
.5 emotional stress;
.6 the sleeping environment (comfort, noise, darkness, ship motion, privacy,

room location) may not allow for adequate sleep;
.7 the type of food consumed;
.8 medication or use of prescribed/over-the-counter/natural remedies;
.9 consumption of stimulants such as caffeine and amphetamines; and
.10 use of personal electronic devices before sleep, which may delay the onset
of sleep and not allow adequate sleep to be obtained.
43 Regardless of the circumstances causing insufficient or poor quality sleep, these

should preferably be identified through proactive measures and treated as a potential
shipboard hazard.
What rules and regulations are in place to prevent and deal with fatigue (international,
national and company)?
44 Reference is made to the instruments mentioned in module 1.
References
1 Akerstedt, T., Anund, A., Axelsson, J., and Kecklund, G., (2014). Subjective
sleepiness is a sensitive indicator of insuficient sleep and impaired waking function.
Journal of Sleep Research, 2014(23): p. 242-254.
2 Dawson, D., Noy, Y. I., Härmä, M., Åkerstedt, T. and Belenky, G., Modelling fatigue
and the use of fatigue models in work settings, Accident Analysis & Prevention, Vol.
43, Issue 2 (March 2011), pp. 549–564.
3 Dawson, D. and McCulloch, K., (2005). Managing fatigue: It's about sleep. Sleep Med
Rev, 9(5): p. 365-380.
4 Gander, P., Hartley, L., Powell, D., Cabon, P., Hitchcock, E., Mills, A., and Popkin, S.
(2011). Fatigue risk management: Organizational factors at the regulatory and
industry/company level. Accident analysis and Prevention, 43(2): p. 573-590.
5 Grech, M. R. (2016) Fatigue Risk Management: A Maritime Framework, International

Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol. 13, No. 2 (2016), pp. 175-184.
6 Johnson, J. V. and Lipscomb, J., (2006). Long Working Hours, Occupational Health
and the Changing Nature of Work Organization. American Journal of Industrial
Medicine, 49: p. 921-929.
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7 Philips, R. (1998). Fatigue Among Ship's Watchkeepers: A Qualitative Study of

Incident at Sea Reports in Managing Fatigue in Transportation: 3rd Fatigue in
Transportation Conferences, Fremantle, Western Australia: Elsevier.
8 Rosa, R. R., (2012). Long work hours, fatigue, safety, and health, in The handbook of
operator fatigue, Matthews, G., Desmond, P. A., Neubauer, C., and Hancock, P. A.,
Editors. Ashgate Publishing Ltd: Surrey.
9 Tucker, P., (2003). The impact of rest breaks upon accident risk, fatigue and
performance: a review. Work and Stress, 17(2): p. 123-137.
10 Tucker, P. and Folkard, S., (2012). Work Scheduling, in The handbook of operator
fatigue, Matthews, G., Desmond, P. A., Neubauer, C., and Hancock, P. A., Editors.
Ashgate Publishing Ltd: Surrey.
11 Williamson, A. and Friswell, R., (2011). Investigating the relative effects of sleep
deprivation and time of day on fatigue and performance. Accident analysis and
Prevention, 43(3): p. 690-697.
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MODULE 3
FATIGUE AND THE SEAFARER
1 Module 3 contains practical information intended for the seafarer (master, officers,
ratings and all other shipboard personnel) working on ships. Prior to reviewing this module, it
is strongly recommended that all seafarers become familiar with module 1 (Fatigue) first.
Management-level seafarers (master and officers) should also become familiar with module 2
(Fatigue and the company).
2 Although the company is primarily responsible for creating a work and living
environment that minimizes fatigue-related risks, seafarers are responsible for ensuring that
time available for rest and sleep is used appropriately and that their behaviour does not create
or increase risk.
3 The maritime industry operates a variety of work schedules in a wide range of

operational environments, which means that at some point seafarers are likely to experience
fatigue. Fatigue affects all individuals, regardless of skill, rank, knowledge or training.
How to recognize fatigue (signs/symptoms)?
4 Fatigued individuals are poor judges of their own level of fatigue and performance
because fatigue affects their ability to make judgements or solve complex problems.
5 Fatigue-related signs and symptoms are often divided into three categories: cognitive,
physical and behavioural (see table 1 in module 1). Seafarers may recognize some of these in
others and, with time, lessons can be learnt to identify some within themselves. These signs
and symptoms of fatigue may be used to identify an individual's level of alertness.
6 Some of the more apparent signs and symptoms include:
.1 Cognitive
.1 Focuses on a trivial problem, neglecting more important ones
.2 Slow or no response to normal, abnormal or emergency situations
.3 Lapses of attention
.4 Poor judgement of distance, speed, time, etc.
.5 Forgets to complete a task or part of a task
.6 Difficulty in concentrating and thinking clearly
.2 Physical
.1 Inability to stay awake (an example is head nodding or falling asleep

involuntarily)
.2 Difficulty with hand-eye coordination skills (such as switch selection)
.3 Speech difficulties (it may be slurred, slowed or garbled)
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.4 Increased frequency of dropping objects like tools or parts
.5 Digestion problems
.3 Behavioural
.1 Decreased tolerance and/or anti-social behaviour
.2 Irregular/atypical mood changes (examples are irritability, tiredness

and/or depression)
.3 Ignores normal checks and/or procedures
.4 Increasing omissions, mistakes, and/or carelessness
7 Long-term effects of sleep loss may lead to cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal

diseases, mental health problems and stress.
8 The more signs and symptoms seafarers observe in others and/or experience
themselves, the more likely it is that alertness is significantly reduced. Fatigue is not the only
cause of such symptoms, but when several occur together, it is likely to indicate fatigue-related
impairment. It is important that seafarers notify crewmates and supervisors when they
recognize that they or other crew members are fatigued. It is important to have open
communication between seafarers, their crewmates and their supervisors regarding fatigue
prevention and detection. The company's fatigue risk mitigation strategy should allow for open
communication and reporting between seafarers, their supervisors and management levels
regarding fatigue prevention and detection, and should prohibit any action directed against a
seafarer for such communications or reports.
What can seafarers do to help reduce and manage the risk of fatigue on ships?
9 Obtain adequate sleep: The most effective strategy to fight fatigue is to obtain
adequate quality, quantity and continuity of sleep. As indicated in module 2, the company
should provide seafarers with an adequate sleep opportunity for recovery. Insufficient sleep
over several consecutive days will impair alertness; only sleep can maintain or restore
performance levels.
10 Sleep is most valuable if obtained in a single block. While a short sleep or nap can
provide a powerful boost in alertness, it does not eliminate the need for longer periods of sleep.
11 There may be instances when seafarers may not obtain adequate sleep, even though
they are provided with adequate sleep opportunity. The items mentioned below can all affect
the quantity and quality of sleep obtained:
.1 seafarers are working during the night and may simply be unable to sleep
during the day;
.2 seafarers' sleep may have been interrupted by colleagues, unexpected

events or operational demands;
.3 seafarers may suffer from a sleep disorder, or other medical or physical

problem that keeps them awake;
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.4 emotional stress due to personal circumstances including family problems at

home;
.5 inability to get to sleep due to concerns about work or other worries;
.6 the sleeping environment (comfort, noise, darkness, ship motion, privacy)

may not allow for adequate sleep;
.7 the type of food consumed;
.8 medication or use of prescribed/over-the-counter/natural remedies;
.9 consumption of stimulants, i.e. caffeine, amphetamines, energy drinks;
.10 consumption of alcohol;
.11 use of electronic devices which emit blue light (e.g. smartphones, tablets,
computer screens) have been shown to adversely affect the onset of sleep;
.12 adjusting to a new watch schedule and recovering from jet lag; and
.13 social activities or high excitement just before sleep period.
12 Regardless of the circumstances causing insufficient or poor quality sleep, these

should preferably be identified through proactive measures and treated as a potential
shipboard hazard.
13 The company should have processes in place to provide seafarers with the
opportunity to report situations when they have been unable to obtain adequate sleep or feel
at risk of making fatigue-related errors, specifically if conducting safety critical tasks, without
fear of reprisal. This can be as simple as verbally reporting to supervisors, management levels
and/or the ship's safety committee.
14 Some general guidance on developing good sleep habits is given below:
.1 if possible, develop consistent sleep times, i.e. try to go to bed at the same
time every day;
.2 develop and follow a pre-sleep routine to promote sleep at bedtime, e.g. a

warm shower, reading calming material or just making a ritual of pre-bed
preparation;
.3 get sufficient sleep, especially before a period when time for adequate sleep
may not be available;
.4 avoid stimulating activities prior to sleep such as exercise, television and

movies;
.5 make the sleep environment conducive to sleep (a dark, quiet and cool
environment and a comfortable bed encourages sleep); a white noise
generator or earplugs can be of use if you find them helpful; block out as
much light as possible; this might involve the use of blackout curtains, roller
shutters, heavy blinds or an inexpensive option such as black plastic; a sleep
mask can also be used;
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.6 as much as possible, ensure there will be no interruption during your period

of sleep;
.7 avoid alcohol, caffeine and other stimulants prior to sleep (keep in mind that
coffee, tea, colas, chocolate and some medications, including cold remedies
and aspirin, contain alcohol and/or caffeine); avoid caffeine at least four
hours before bedtime
.8 relaxation techniques, such as meditation, may help;
.9 do not nap if you have difficulty sleeping during your normal sleep period;
.10 avoid eating right before sleeping; and
.11 limit the use of electronic devices that emit blue light prior to bedtime.
Maintain fitness for duty
15 Ensuring that seafarers are fit for duty and able to maintain safe levels of alertness
and performance is important. Taking responsibility for seafarers' duty schedules and rest
periods and providing feedback to their supervisors, management levels and the company is
important to ensure that seafarers are provided with the best possible opportunity to maintain
fitness for duty.
16 In some cases, monitoring and assessing seafarers' level of fatigue prior to their duty
schedule can be helpful in ensuring they are able to perform tasks safely. There are a number
of tools that can be used to assess how seafarers feel prior to and during their duty period,
such as self-monitoring or fatigue assessment tools. It is important to report (to seafarers'
supervisors and/or management levels) any instances in which seafarers feel that safety could
have been or will be compromised due to fatigue impairment in either themselves or their
peers.
17 Some general guidance that may help seafarers maintain fitness for duty is given
below:
.1 take strategic naps (the most effective length of time for a nap is about
20 minutes);
.2 take advantage of scheduled breaks;
.3 whenever possible, monitor and effectively manage sleep;
.4 whenever possible, maintain and monitor fitness for duty including medical
fitness;
.5 report any fatigue impairment in yourself and in others that may have the
potential of affecting ship safety;
.6 record and report actual hours of work and rest as required by the MLC and
the STCW Convention;
.7 eat regular, well-balanced meals;
.8 exercise regularly; and
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.9 limit the use of medications that may affect levels of alertness and
performance, including seasickness medications (if such medications are
used, shipboard supervisor should be informed accordingly).
18 A number of countermeasures have been identified as potentially providing some

relief in managing fatigue. It must be emphasized that these countermeasures will not restore
an individual's state of alertness; they only provide short-term relief and may, in fact, simply
mask the symptoms temporarily. At some stage, sleep must be obtained for physical and
mental recovery to occur. The following list captures some of these short-term
countermeasures:
.1 Short rest breaks within duty periods
Rest, apart from sleep, can be provided in the form of short breaks or
changes in activities during the duty period. Rest breaks may be helpful if
performance is to be maintained over long periods of time. Factors
influencing the need for rest are the length and intensity of the activities prior
to a break or a change in activity, the length of the break, or the nature or
change of the new activity. It is recognized that in a shipboard environment
this may not always be feasible; however, short breaks should be planned
into the duty period as much as possible.
.2 Strategic napping
A short sleep or nap can provide a powerful boost to alertness. Research

has identified strategic napping as a short-term relief technique to help
maintain performance levels during long periods of wakefulness. Naps as
short as 10 to 15 minutes are known to deliver measurable benefits. Naps
are helpful in maintaining performance if sufficient longer sleep is
occasionally missed. The most effective length of time for a nap is
about 20 minutes. It is recommended that seafarers take naps in the way that
they believe best suits them. Napping should be encouraged to be a planned
activity of fatigue management and prevention. This means that if seafarers
have the opportunity to nap they should take it. However, there are some
drawbacks associated with napping. One potential drawback is that naps
longer than 30 minutes will cause sleep inertia, where situational awareness
is impaired (grogginess and/or disorientation for up to 20 minutes after
waking). A second potential drawback is that the nap may disrupt later
sleeping periods (a person may not be tired when the time comes for an
extended period of sleep).
.3 Caffeine
Another popular fatigue countermeasure is the strategic use of caffeine
(encountered in coffee and tea, and to a lesser extent in colas and chocolate)
as a stimulant. Caffeine can improve alertness temporarily but it is not a
substitute for adequate sleep and rest. It takes caffeine 15 to 30 minutes to
take effect and caffeine levels drop by half every five or six hours. Its effects
can last long after consumption and may interfere with needed sleep. It is
important to consider, however, that there are individual differences in terms
of how the effects of caffeine, tolerance and withdrawal develop. Caffeine
should be avoided before bedtime. In addition, regular usage over time
reduces its value as a stimulant and may increase tiredness and reduce
ability to sleep. Caffeine consumption can also cause other side effects such
as hypertension, headaches, mood swings and anxiety.
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.4 Nutrition and hydration
Adequate nutrition and hydration is important for managing and preventing

fatigue. Ideally, one should have a balanced diet, eat regularly, have healthy
snacks, plan meals, drink water regularly and avoid meals just before
bedtime (as eating just before bedtime results in slower digestion). The
recommended daily intake of water is two litres or eight glasses. Monitoring
one's fluid intake helps to optimize alertness and wakefulness.
.5 Environment (light, temperature, humidity and sound)
Bright lights, cool dry air, obtrusive or loud music or other annoying irregular
sounds may temporarily increase alertness.
.6 Physical activity
Physical well-being has a number of key components, notably exercise, diet,

hydration and sleep. Any type of physical activity helps to maintain alertness;
running, walking, stretching or even chewing gum can stimulate the level of
alertness. Exercise can also improve sleep. Proper physical self-care results
in a range of positive outcomes including reserves of energy during the duty
period, consistent and restful sleep patterns, proper concentration spans and
a satisfying sense of feeling healthy. The benefits of regular exercise include
improved mood, better stress coping, and enhanced self-esteem and
well-being.
.7 Social interaction
Social interaction (conversation) can help one stay awake. However, the
conversation should be interactive to be effective.
.8 Job rotation when practicable
Changing the order of activities can be beneficial in breaking up job

monotony. Mixing tasks requiring high physical or mental work with
low-demand tasks can be beneficial.
19 When feeling fatigued, seafarers may engage in individual fatigue countermeasures,

such as walking around, using caffeine or stimulants, to reduce the likelihood of fatigue-related
errors. However, there may be instances when high levels of fatigue cannot be mitigated by
individual countermeasures. Hence, prompt, consistent and appropriate action is required (by
the management-level seafarers through company support) whenever a seafarer is potentially
not fit for duty. This may include the need for additional actions, such as task rotation and
additional supporting resources, for managing fatigue-related risks. The aim should be to
maintain and promote safety.
What are the seafarer's responsibilities in fatigue risk management on ships?
20 The particular nature of fatigue as a safety hazard makes managing shipboard fatigue
and associated risks the shared responsibility of the company and the seafarer. As highlighted
in other sections, there are a number of measures that can be taken to mitigate the risk of
fatigue. Many of the measures are unfortunately beyond a single person's ability to influence,
such as voyage scheduling, ship design and work scheduling.
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21 Seafarer responsibilities include:
.1 doing their best to commence duty schedule in a fit state to work the expected
duty length and perform assigned shipboard work safely;
.2 monitoring and effectively managing hours of sleep;
.3 reporting fatigue-related hazards that affect safety;
.4 maintaining appropriate communication about safety;
.5 being aware of fatigue and how to counter its effects; and
.6 using available rest periods appropriately, in addition to using personal

fatigue mitigation strategies.
22 Seafarers are responsible for monitoring and seeking appropriate treatments for any
health concerns that may impact their fitness for duty. Seafarers' well-being can be affected
by a variety of factors including health conditions, genetic predispositions, nutrition, hydration
and sleep difficulties. A wide range of sleep difficulties can affect fatigue, circadian rhythm,
sleep duration and sleep quality. This includes a diversity of sleep disorders as indicated in
module 1.
23 Module 2 provides recommended strategies for the company to manage the risks of
fatigue at sea. Some important aspects related to company responsibility include:
.1 developing policies and practices within the ship's safety management

system to manage fatigue-related risks;
.2 developing work schedules that prevent high levels of fatigue during duty
periods;
.3 developing work schedules that allow for adequate rest and recovery periods
between duty schedules (if possible allow for an anchor sleep period of seven
to eight hours);
.4 implementing appropriate and safe duty/watch periods taking into account

circadian rhythms;
.5 providing an adequate sleep environment on the ship;
.6 ensuring all seafarers are trained and aware of the causes and
consequences of fatigue;
.7 promoting a safety reporting culture with open communication and no fear of

reprisal; and
.8 continuously assessing, controlling, monitoring and evaluating

fatigue-related hazards.
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What can management-level seafarers do to reduce and manage the risk of seafarer
fatigue on ships?
24 The following provides a recommended list of important fatigue management

strategies in controlling and reducing the risk of fatigue on board ships, and are within the
management-level seafarer's ability to influence and/or implement:
.1 ensuring, as a minimum, compliance with minimum hours of rest and/or

maximum hours of work;
.2 using rested personnel to cover for those travelling long hours to join the
ship, e.g. allowing proper time to overcome fatigue and become familiarized
with the ship;
.3 managing the amount of time seafarers need to spend performing physically

and mentally demanding work for a sustained period of time (e.g. tank
cleaning, navigation through congested waters);
.4 ensuring nutritious food options are served on board and seafarers have
continuous access to drinking water;
.5 providing night-time personnel with appropriate meal choices;
.6 maintaining interaction between shore management and ship management

with respect to fatigue awareness and preventive measures on board the
ships;
.7 creating an open communication environment, by making it clear to the crew

members that it is important to inform supervisors when fatigue is impairing
their performance or that of others and ensuring that there will be no
recriminations for such reports;
.8 ensuring that selected seafarers can do the job for which they are assigned
to prevent the potential for fatigue in other crew members;
.9 improving shipboard conditions to ensure that when there is an opportunity

to sleep, crew members can take advantage of it without interruptions,
e.g. by scheduling drills and routine maintenance functions in a manner that
minimizes the disturbance of rest/sleep periods; all relevant seafarers should
be aware of these protected sleep opportunities;
.10 establishing onboard management techniques when scheduling shipboard

work and rest periods and when scheduling work practices and assignment
of duties in a more efficient manner;
.11 if practicable, assigning work by mixing up tasks to break monotony and to

combine work requiring high physical or mental demand with low-demand
tasks (job rotation);
.12 avoiding scheduling potentially hazardous tasks during the circadian lows of
the seafarers involved, when practicable;
.13 providing support for seafarers to recognize and deal with the effects of
fatigue including onboard training, if provided;
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.14 emphasizing the seafarer's responsibility to sleep during rest periods to

ensure that adequate sleep is obtained;
.15 taking time to monitor that all personnel are getting adequate sleep;
.16 ensuring that shipboard conditions, within the seafarer's ability to influence,
are maintained in a good state, e.g. maintaining the heating, ventilation and
air conditioning on schedule, light bulbs are replaced and sources of unusual
noise are taken care of at the first opportunity;
.17 reappraising work patterns and areas of responsibility on board to establish

the most efficient utilization of resources (such as sharing the long cargo
operations between all the deck officers instead of the traditional pattern and
utilizing rested personnel to cover for those who have travelled long hours to
join the ship);
.18 promoting supportive relationships on board (good morale) and dealing with
interpersonal conflict between seafarers;
.19 establishing shipboard practices for dealing with fatigue incidents and
learning from them, e.g. as part of the safety meeting;
.20 increasing awareness of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, e.g. exercise,

relaxation, proper nutrition;
.21 timely coordination of scheduled activities between the company,

management-level seafarers and other stakeholders; and
.22 allowing time for communication at watch/work handovers.
What rules and regulations are in place to help manage fatigue?
25 Reference is made to the instruments mentioned in module 1.
26 In addition to the international standards, company and flag Administration policies,

which may be more stringent in some cases, should be followed on board all ships.
References
1 Allen, P., Wadsworth, E., and Smith, A., (2008). Seafarers' fatigue: A review of the
recent literature. International Maritime Health, 591(1-4): p. 81-92.
2 Allen, P., Wellens, B. T., McNamara, R., and Smith, A. (2005). It's not all plain sailing.
Port turn-arounds and seafarers' fatigue: A case study. in Contemporary Ergonomics.
Hatfield, UK.
3 Dawson, D. and Reid, K., (1997). Fatigue, alcohol and performance impairment.
Nature, 388(6639): p. 235.
4 Grech, M. R., (2015). Working on Board: Fatigue, in Human Performance and

Limitations for Mariners, Squire, D., Editor. The Nautical Institute: London. p. 96.
5 International Transport Workers Federation, (2006). Seafarer Fatigue: Where next?
A summary document based on recent research from the Centre for Occupational
and Health Psychology, Cardiff University.
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6 Marcus, O., Baur, X., and Schlaich, C., (2010). Occupational Risks and Challenges
of Seafaring. Journal of Occupational Health, 52(2010): p. 249-256.
7 Oldenburg, M., Jensen, H., Latza, U., and Baur, X., (2009). Seafaring stressors
aboard merchant and passenger ships. International Journal of Public Health, 54(2):
p. 96-105.
8 Wadsworth, E. J. K., Allen, P. H., Wellens, B. T., McNamara, R. L., and Smith, A. P.,
(2008). Patterns of fatigue among seafarers during a tour of duty. American Journal
of Industrial Medicine, 49(10): p. 836-844.
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MODULE 4
FATIGUE AWARENESS AND TRAINING
1 This module builds upon the previous modules and contains practical information on
fatigue awareness and training intended for those involved in fatigue awareness and related
training. It is recommended that those involved in fatigue awareness and training become
familiar with all the other modules.
What are the objectives of raising awareness and training on fatigue?
2 Fatigue training and awareness are essential components for effective fatigue
management. Fatigue management should be taught in such a way that seafarers can
understand and relate to it personally. Seafarers will at some point be required to make
operational decisions based on their knowledge of fatigue. Hence, all personnel who work on
ships, and shore-based personnel who contribute to fatigue management in the company,
should have appropriate training.
3 Some onboard fatigue mitigation strategies lie outside the power of most individuals
to implement (such as ship manning levels, the rearrangement of watches, changing ship
design or modifying voyage schedules). Hence, fatigue awareness and training should not just
be limited to seafarers but should also include shore-based personnel involved in overall
operational risk assessment and resource allocation, including manning levels, on ships.
4 The content of fatigue management training should be adapted according to the

knowledge and skills required for each group. All groups should be educated in the basics
about the dynamics of sleep loss and recovery, the effects of the daily cycle of the body clock,
the influence of workload and the ways in which these factors interact with operational
demands to produce fatigue. In addition, it is useful for all groups to have information on how
to manage their personal fatigue and sleep issues.
5 The objectives are to provide:
.1 an awareness of fatigue and an acceptance that everyone experiences

fatigue – it is not a personal shortcoming or weakness;
.2 know-how about short- and long-term fatigue signs and symptoms, including
its effects and possible preventive and mitigating measures; and
.3 the ability to develop and implement fatigue management strategies for

preventing or minimizing fatigue on board.
What approaches and techniques are successful for teaching fatigue management?
6 Training in the causes and management of fatigue extends from the underlying
science (module 1) to mitigation, control and monitoring (modules 2, 3 and 5). It is taught as
part of existing maritime training courses such as Basic training, Engine-room resource
management, or Bridge resource management, or as specialized short courses. It can be
taught ashore or on board. It can be included in refresher or revalidation training.
7 Part of the education process should be to ensure that seafarers and shore-based
personnel who contribute to fatigue management understand the necessity of getting regular
rest and sleep, and the potential impacts of being fatigued (both on themselves and on the
safety of the ship and/or those working with them).
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8 Training should include recognizing the symptoms of fatigue and developing

preventive measures/mitigating techniques. Earlier modules should be utilized to specifically
tailor the training to the audience. Areas covered can include the causes, symptoms, effects,
prevention and mitigation factors, including rules and regulations concerning fatigue.
9 Initial fatigue-related training efforts should establish a common base level of

understanding among seafarers and shore-based company employees about fatigue and the
impairment it causes. This training should be provided to all seafarers and shore-based
personnel involved in resource allocation, including manning decisions.
10 As a minimum, training should consist of:
.1 fatigue, its causes and potential consequences (contributors, consequences,

high-risk situations);
.2 sleep (circadian rhythms, body clock, sleep process, circadian low, sleep
debt, sleep disorders, working at night and watchkeeping);
.3 fatigue countermeasures (e.g. mitigation strategies, managing sleep habits,

caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, nutrition, exercise, napping, rest breaks);
.4 basic information on sleep disorders and treatment of them, where to seek

help if needed and any requirements relating to fitness for duty;
.5 an understanding of the rules and regulations dealing with fatigue (MLC,

2006 and STCW Convention), and a recognition that these represent one
line of defence in managing the risk of fatigue;
.6 how to identify fatigue in oneself and in others;
.7 personal strategies that seafarers can use to improve their sleep and to
minimize their own fatigue risk, and that of others, while they are on duty;
.8 the responsibility of the company to provide, and of seafarers to take

advantage of, adequate rest periods;
.9 the responsibility of the seafarer to report situations when unable to obtain

adequate sleep or feeling at risk of making fatigue-related errors; and
.10 the responsibility of the company to have policies in place to appropriately

manage fatigue risks including policies against retaliation for reporting.
11 Decisions on watch schedules can affect fatigue, hence training and awareness about
factors that contribute to fatigue and how duty and watch schedule design is crucial to fatigue
management should be part of more comprehensive training. This training should be directed
at shipboard management-level seafarers and shore-based personnel involved in resource
allocation including manning.
12 As a minimum, training for these personnel should comprise of:
.1 seafarer training on fatigue as indicated above;
.2 their role in relation to fatigue hazard identification, risk assessment,

evaluation and reporting;
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.3 how scheduling affects sleep opportunities and can disrupt the body clock,
the fatigue risk that this creates and how it can be mitigated through proper
work scheduling (in particular, the timing of duty schedules, work duration,
recovery time between duty periods, recovery time between watch schedules
and the potential impact that unscheduled or planned changes can have on
fatigue);
.4 the use and limitations of any duty and watch scheduling tools and models
for fatigue management;
.5 the development of policies and processes to provide the opportunity to

report fatigue situations without negative consequences; and
.6 the provision of resources as outlined in other modules (lighting, food/diet,

environmental, etc.) to manage fatigue.
What can be learned from experience?
13 Lessons learned provide a means to develop useful strategies to prevent or minimize

fatigue. The instructor should review the previously shared personal experiences and direct
the conversation toward the lessons learned or strategies, as students see them. The focus
should be on appropriate case studies and specific experiences within the seafarer's workplace
to show what fatigue management practices may be adopted.
14 Trainees will have their own personal experiences and perceptions of fatigue and how
to mitigate it. It is important to share a common understanding on fatigue issues and on its
management. Ideally, this knowledge will be put into practice at the workplace.
References
1 Cardiff University, Seafarers Fatigue Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua-

ppReV684.
2 Grech, M. R., (2015). Working on Board: Fatigue, in Human Performance and

Limitations for Mariners, Squire, D., Editor. The Nautical Institute: London. p. 96.
3 IMO – Training Course for Instructors.
4 IMO Model Course 1.21 Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities [2015 Edition].
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MODULE 5
FATIGUE AND SHIP DESIGN
1 Module 5 highlights human fatigue mitigation measures which may be utilized in the
specification and design of ships, their living and working spaces and their machinery
installations. Module 1 (Fatigue) should be read prior to going through this module.
2 The design principles for fatigue mitigation and management should be considered
early in the design process.
3 Fatigue is a hazard that affects safety, health and well-being. It presents a

considerable risk to safety of life, property, health, security and protection of the marine
environment. Because seafarers live and work aboard ships, sometimes for an extended
period of time, they may be exposed to conditions that cause fatigue. Therefore, the design,
layout and arrangement of working and living areas should be considered as part of mitigating
and managing the risk of fatigue on board ships.
4 Shipboard ergonomics and the environmental conditions on board are important

considerations in ensuring seafarers are provided with the best opportunity to:
.1 maintain safe levels of alertness and performance during work periods;

.2 maintain good health and resilience to fatigue through the provision of
adequate rest, recreational and exercise facilities; and
.3 obtain adequate restorative sleep; as highlighted in module 1, inadequate
restorative sleep (both quantity and quality) is among the main causes of
fatigue and can be affected by the living and working environment on board.
What aspects of ship design can influence fatigue?
5 There are various aspects of fatigue that can potentially be influenced by the design
of the living, sleeping and working environment. Fatigue can be caused by excessive noise,
heat or cold, light, too much or too little humidity and poor air quality, among others, where
people live and work.
6 Sleeping, living and working areas should be located within the ship to minimize
undesired motions, vibrations and noise.
7 Appropriate noise levels (SOLAS regulation II-1/3-12) support effective

communication and reduce mental workload while on duty, and enhance quality of sleep and
rest when off duty. Noise and vibration prediction modelling efforts should be done early in the
vessel design process to ensure the most effective design and layout for noise and vibration
control and mitigation. See also paragraph 31.3 below, which refers to the Code on noise levels
on board ships, which is mandatory for some types and sizes of ships.
Accommodation spaces and layout design (design to promote rest and well-being)
8 Crew accommodation is often located in positions likely to be affected by

machinery-induced noise and vibration (including cargo transfer systems) and
propeller-induced noise and vibration. Steps should be taken early in the design stage to
alleviate this. Noise sources internal to the accommodation also need to be considered
and noise levels generated by the heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems
should be controlled.
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9 Sources of intermittent machinery-induced noise and vibration caused by machinery

stopping and starting on a cyclical or irregular basis should also be considered.
10 Measures to reduce disturbance from impact noise from human activity in corridors
and service spaces above and/or adjacent to accommodation should be incorporated in the
ship design.
11 Consideration should be given to:
.1 ensuring cabins are cool, quiet, dark and well ventilated;
.2 bunk design, layout and orientation;
.3 mattress, bedding, padding for ship movement, headroom clearance

especially upper bunk/deckhead;
.4 insulating and/or isolating sleeping areas;
.5 use of colour and artwork in the cabins; and
.6 use of acoustic insulation and/or other noise-abatement measures.
12 Notwithstanding the above, consideration should be given to sounds that need to be

heard, e.g. fire alarms.
13 Consideration should also be given to providing an accommodation area that is

conducive to rest and that aids recovery. As far as reasonably practicable, the following should
be considered:
.1 design for minimal crew flow in sleeping quarters;
.2 laundry, changing, hygiene, privacy;
.3 insulation or isolation from cargo, engine, other disturbances (noise and

vibration);
.4 design lighting to support day and night sleep (lighting/dimmers and

block-out);
.5 ventilation/air quality;
.6 temperature locally adjustable and humidity (design for sleep); and
.7 location and layout of galley and mess room(s).
14 It is also important to consider design for recreation and recovery. Aspects to consider
include:
.1 range of needs (personality and culture);
.2 privacy and social life;
.3 minimal housekeeping;
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.4 gym/training facilities; and
.5 library, media rooms, ease of study.

Workplace design (design for alertness and performance)
15 Workplace design, particularly for tasks that require sustained physical or mental
exertion, should consider the following aspects:
.1 design of the workplace and workflow for optimum layout (placement,

storage, adjustable, visibility, ease of communication, ease of movement,
noise, vibration, temperature, humidity);
.2 working position (seated/standing, height, flooring material (shock and

balance);
.3 usability (displays and controls incorporate ergonomic and task

requirements);
.4 protection from hazards (e.g. provide suitable hand holds, barriers, signs,
stairs and surfaces to allow easy movement in bad weather);
.5 design lighting for work spaces to support alertness (colour, natural light
access, bright light); and
.6 maintenance – design for maintainability (access envelopes accounting for

required tools and motions, etc.).
16 Additionally, design of control centres such as machinery control room layout, cargo
control room layout and the bridge, should consider the integration of people with equipment
and systems to enhance system resilience to crew fatigue, as well as reducing mental overload
and boredom.
How can ergonomics support the mitigation and management of fatigue on ships?
17 Ergonomics/human factors are defined as the scientific discipline concerned with the
understanding of interactions among human and other elements of a system, and the
profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize
human well-being and overall system performance.
18 Ergonomically designed work systems enhance safety, effectiveness and efficiency.

They support shipboard tasks under all conditions, including situations where people may be
fatigued.
19 The ergonomics approach to design is human-centred. This means that all designable
components (e.g. ship, ship's systems, equipment, service) are fitted to the characteristics of
the intended users, operators or workers (e.g. seafarers, maintainers) rather than selecting
and/or adapting humans to fit the system and/or product. This should be done by considering:
.1 the intended target population;
.2 the task, goal or intended outcome of the system, product or service; and
.3 the environment in which the design is to function.
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20 Both the needs and limitations of the end users (e.g. seafarers, maintenance or repair
teams) should be considered during the design of ship systems and equipment. Those with
experience and knowledge of the requirements of ship systems and equipment should be
consulted, as far as possible, during the design and construction phases of new ships. Early
and continued participation and involvement is regarded as an efficient design strategy,
especially within ergonomics, since, in addition to improving the design, it reduces late-stage
re-work and increases user acceptance.
21 Ergonomic design is task-oriented: it takes into account differences that can be

observed between the designed task and the way the task is actually performed. Activities in
performing a task are affected by variations and changes in context, procedures, equipment,
products or materials, for example.
22 The relations between the conditions and demands placed on the seafarer and their
response to being exposed to such conditions and their effects need to be considered in the
design of ship systems, services, products and tasks in order to avoid impairing effects on the
individual. The response to conditions and demands is dependent on individual characteristics
(e.g. body size, age, capacities, abilities, skills).
23 Standards are available giving guidance on how to incorporate ergonomics into the
design process, e.g. ergonomic principles in the design of work systems. A list of appropriate
standards are included in the reference list.
What tools are available for designing/building fatigue resistant ships?
24 The application of ergonomic standards and guidance is effective for improving the
working environment, particularly those that deal with environmental conditions (such as
temperature, noise, vibration, ventilation).
25 Computer simulation tools can be used to support ergonomic design. These are
increasingly being used to assess both the impact of environmental conditions as well as work
and living design ergonomics. Examples include virtual reality and three-dimensional
computer aided design. Use of simulation tools is encouraged as they allow early and more
cost-effective evaluation of various aspects of design. There are a variety of design tools that
can be applied early in the design process to assist the ship designer in ensuring that specified
limits are not exceeded. Wherever possible, and if available, anthropometric data and
standards should be utilized to support ergonomic design.
26 Environmental conditions also extend across structural design, propulsion, hull forms
and several other aspects of design. Often, constructional solutions may be employed to
improve environmental conditions. For example, the transmission of noise can be reduced by
the insertion of acoustic insulation; similarly, structural resilience techniques can be used to
alleviate vibration problems.
27 Use of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and noise and vibration prediction tools to
reduce noise and vibration is generally more cost-effective than post-construction noise and
vibration mitigation.
28 Similarly, seakeeping prediction tools may be used, together with ship and propeller
model testing, to predict velocity and acceleration levels that can affect habitability.
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What rules and guidance are available for designing/building a fatigue resistant ship?
29 There are a number of rules, regulations, standards and guidelines designed to

enhance environmental shipboard conditions, which can be used by the ship designer to
reduce fatigue. This is a developing field and the designer should check for new material.
30 Some aspects of crew accommodation are subject to regulations under the

International Labour Organization's Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006, in particular
Title 3 (Accommodation, recreational facilities, food and catering). Crew accommodation is
also subject to national standards. Classification societies have guidance and optional
notations for aspects of environmental conditions (e.g. noise and vibration) for certain ship
types (see reference section for examples). Designers are encouraged to refer to the relevant
guidelines.
Noise and vibration
31 IMO has implemented requirements and resolutions aimed to protect the seafarer
from unacceptable levels of noise:
.1 SOLAS regulation II-1/3-12 (Protection against noise).
.2 Code on noise levels on board ships (resolution MSC.337(91)) (this code is

mandatory under SOLAS regulation II-1/3-12, which entered into force
on 1 July 2014).
.3 Code on noise levels on board ships (resolution A.468(XII)) fixes permissible

maximum limits of noise depending on the type of space.
32 In addition, MLC, 2006, Title 4 addresses noise and vibration. Relevant ISO/IEC
standards on noise and vibration should also be considered throughout the design process
(see references).
Working spaces
33 Regulations and standards exist for dealing with improvements to working spaces
which may help in reducing fatigue and its effects. These are developed by organizations such
as IMO, ISO/IEC and classification societies. Reference to these standards in ship design is
encouraged (see reference section).
References
1 American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Guidance Notes on Noise and Vibration control
for inhabited spaces. September 2017.
2 American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Guidance Notes on the Application of

Ergonomics to Marine Systems. February 2014. ww2.eagle.com
3 American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Guide for Crew Habitability on Ships. February,
2016.
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4 Calhoun, S. R., (2006). Human Factors in Ship Design: Preventing and Reducing
Shipboard Operator Fatigue, in Department of Naval Architecture and Marine
Engineering, University of Michigan.
5 ClassNK, Noise and Vibration Guideline (2nd Edition), June 2014.
6 ClassNK, Guidelines for the mandatory Code on noise levels on board ships
(3rd Edition), March 2018.
7 DNV GL Comfort Class: Rules for classification, Ships, Part 6 Additional class
notations, Chapter 8 Living and working conditions, Section 1 Comfort Class – COMF.
1. January 2017.
8 IMO MSC/Circular.834, Guidelines for engine-room layout, design and arrangement.
9 IMO MSC/Circular.982, Guidelines on ergonomic criteria for bridge equipment and

layout.
10 ISO 11064-1:2000 Ergonomic design of control centres – Part 1: Principles for the
design of control centres.
11 ISO 1999:2013 Acoustics – Determination of occupational noise exposure and

estimation of noise-induced hearing impairment loss.
12 ISO 20283 Mechanical vibration – Measurement of vibration on ships:
 Part 2 (2008): Measurement of structural vibration
 Part 3 (2006): Pre-installation vibration measurement of shipboard equipment
 Part 4 (2012): Measurement and evaluation of vibration of the ship propulsion

machinery
 Part 5 (2016): Guidance for measurement, evaluation and reporting of vibration

with regard to habitability on passenger and merchant ships.
13 ISO 2631 (Series) Mechanical vibration and shock – Evaluation of human exposure
to whole-body vibration.
14 ISO 26800:2011 Ergonomics -- General approach, principles and concepts.
15 ISO 6385:2016 Ergonomics principles in the design of work systems.
16 ISO 6954:2000 Mechanical vibration and shock – Guidelines for the overall
measurement, reporting and evaluation of vibration with regard to habitability on
passenger and in merchant ships.
17 ISO 8468:2007 Ships and marine technology – Ship's bridge layout and associated
equipment - Requirements and Guidelines.
18 ISO 9241-110:2006 Ergonomics of human-system interaction – Part 110: Dialogue

principles.
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19 ISO 9241-210:2010 Ergonomics of human-system interaction – Part 210:

Human-centred design for interactive systems.
20 ISO 9241-5:1998 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals
(VDTs) – Part 5: Workstation layout and postural requirements.
21 ISO 9241-6:1999 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals
(VDTs) - Part 6: Guidance on the work environment.
22 ISO/TS 20646:2014 Ergonomics guidelines for the optimization of musculoskeletal

workload.
23 Lloyd's Register, Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Ships, July 2016 -
Part 7 Other Ship Types and Systems – Chapter 12 Passenger and Crew
Accommodation comfort.
24 Lloyd's Register, Ship Vibration and Noise, Guidance Notes, Rev 2.1, 2006.
25 Lloyd's Register, The Human-Centred Approach: A Best Practice Guide for Ship
Designers, Lloyd's Register 2014 (available from www.webstore.lr.org
Marine/Technical Guides).
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MODULE 6
FATIGUE, THE ADMINISTRATION AND PORT STATE AUTHORITIES
1 Module 6 contains practical information intended for Administrations (which means

the Government of the State whose flag the ship is entitled to fly) and port State authorities
(which means the Government of the State in which the port of call is located). This module
provides guidance for considering fatigue in port and flag State requirements, including the
impact of their actions on seafarer fatigue and approaches and considerations for mitigating
fatigue on board ships. It is also recommended that Administrations and port State authorities
become familiar with modules 1 to 5.
Fatigue and the Administration
2 Administrations have an important role to play in mitigating and managing the risks
of fatigue at sea.
.1 Implementation and enforcement of international regulations that have a

direct impact on mitigating and managing fatigue. These include:
.1 as required under the 1978 STCW Convention, as amended,

taking into account the danger posed by fatigue on seafarers,
especially those whose duties involve the safe and secure
operation of a ship;
.2 taking into account the Principles of minimum safe manning

(resolution A.1047(27)) when making a determination on safe
manning levels for ships flying the Administration's flag;
.3 ensuring that the Administration's ships are appropriately manned

in order to encompass all aspects of maintaining safe operations
on board and its ships are in compliance with section 6.2 of
the ISM Code;
.4 ensuring that all identified risks (including the risk of fatigue) to the
Administration's ships, personnel and the environment are
assessed and appropriate safeguards established as required
under the ISM Code;
.5 ensuring that applicable regulations and requirements affecting

fatigue mitigation and management, such as habitability, design,
and environmental controls, are complied with; and
.6 ensuring that SOLAS requirements that affect fatigue mitigation

and management, such as noise and vibration, are enforced in the
design and construction approval.
.2 Consider the impacts on seafarer fatigue as a result of the requirements

placed on shipboard operations and seafarers. This includes the impact of:
.1 existing requirements placed on shipboard operations and

seafarers; and
.2 proposed new requirements on shipboard operations and seafarers.
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.3 Promote these guidelines to all stakeholders, including seafarers,

companies, naval architects/ship designers, training providers,
Administration officials and any other affected stakeholders.
.4 Promote awareness, education and training on the causes and

consequences of fatigue and its management to address the risk (seafarers
and companies, lessons learned, etc.).
.5 Incorporate assessment of fatigue in accident/incident investigations.

Based on the information received as a result of investigating maritime
casualties, Administrations should iteratively evaluate the effectiveness of
their fatigue prevention programme(s), if any, and modify as appropriate
based on lessons learned.
.6 Encourage companies with ships registered under their flag to incorporate

fatigue mitigation and management practices.
.7 Encourage recognized organizations (ROs) with delegated responsibilities

to take into account international guidelines and regulations addressing the
mitigation and management of fatigue, as appropriate.
Fatigue and port State authorities
3 Port State authorities may also have a role in mitigating seafarers' fatigue. Port State
authorities are encouraged to consider the potential effects that inspections and reporting
requirements may have on the wider aspect of seafarer fatigue.
4 Port State authorities should consider the impact of inspections, surveys, audits and
other visits to ships on seafarer fatigue. This includes considering:
.1 shipboard operations, including work schedules, in the scheduling of

inspections, surveys, audits and other visits to ships;
.2 approaches to carrying out inspections, surveys, audits and other visits to

ships that minimize the impact on shipboard operations and seafarers; and
.3 the consolidation or coordination of inspections, surveys, audits and other

visits to ships, including between different parties, to minimize the impact on
shipboard operations and seafarers.
5 Port State authorities should consider the impact of reporting and information
requests on seafarer fatigue. This includes considering:
.1 shipboard operations and seafarers when establishing reporting

requirements and requesting information from ships and seafarers;
.2 approaches to obtaining reports and information from ships that minimize the
impact on shipboard operations and seafarers;
.3 the consolidation or coordination of reporting and information requests,

including between different parties, to minimize the impact on shipboard
operations and seafarers; and
.4 the harmonization and development of mechanisms to reduce the burdens

of reporting and information requests on ships and seafarers.
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APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1 Examples of sleep and fatigue monitoring tools
APPENDIX 2 Example of a fatigue event report information
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APPENDIX 1
EXAMPLES OF SLEEP AND FATIGUE MONITORING TOOLS
The following examples have been included for personal use as an optional tool to assist
individuals in monitoring sleep and fatigue:
- Sleep diary
- Self-monitoring through fatigue and sleepiness ratings
- Fatigue self-assessment tool
Sleep Diary
My sleep When I woke

I slept for a up I felt (use
I went to bed I got out of quality was
Date total of KSS below)
at: bed at: (use SQ scale
(hours):
below)
Day 1
Date:
Day 2
Date:
Day 3
Date:
Day 4
Date:
Day 5
Date:
Day 6
Date:
Day 7
Date:
Weekly Total
Daily Average
Sleep Quality (SQ)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Extremely Very Good Average Poor Very Extremely

Good Good Poor Poor
HTW 5/16
Annex 6, page 59
Self-monitoring through fatigue and sleepiness ratings
The Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS)
Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Extremely Very Alert Rather Neither alert Some

Sleepy, but Sleepy, Very sleepy,
alert alert alert nor Sleepy signs of
no effort to some effort to great effort to
sleepiness
keep awake keep awake keep awake
fighting sleep
This scale asks people to rate how sleepy they feel right now. Any of the values from 1 to 9
can be ticked, not only those with a verbal description.
The Samn-Perelli Crew Status Check
Samn-Perelli Crew Status Check
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
fully alert, very lively, okay, a little tired, moderately extremely tired, completely
wide awake responsive, but somewhat less than tired, very difficult to exhausted, unable
not at peak fresh fresh let down concentrate to function
effectively
This scale asks people to rate their level of fatigue right now, and is a simplified version of the
Samn-Perelli Checklist.
Fatigue Self-Assessment Tool
This tool supports the seafarer in the identification of fatigue with an easy-to-use one minute
self-assessment. This can be used individually or during handover.
Do you believe you are fit for duty?

Fitness 1 No
for Duty 2 Yes, with additional risk controls
3 Yes
How do you feel right now?

Current
Fatigue 1 Very fatigued, having difficulty staying alert
State 2 A bit tired, effort required to stay alert
3 Very alert – wide awake
Did you sleep in the last 24 hours?

Sleep 1 No
Quantity
2 Yes, but I did not get my ideal amount of sleep
3 Yes, I got at least my ideal amount of sleep
How would you rate the quality of that sleep?

Sleep 1 Poor
Quality 2 Average
3 Good
HTW 5/16
Annex 6, page 60
Have you experienced any physical signs of fatigue

immediately before or during this duty period
(i.e. microsleeps)?
Signs of 1 Yes 3 No
Fatigue Have you experienced any mental signs of fatigue
immediately before or during this duty period
(i.e. difficulty concentrating)?
1 Yes 3 No
Adapted from @ Integrated Safety Support, www.integratedsafety.com.au
How to use this tool
With respect to the above questions, the number of the answers indicates the Fatigue Category
and the action(s) required in the next table.
 If one or more answer is 1, your Fatigue Category is 1.
 If one or more answer is 2, your Fatigue Category is 2.
 Otherwise, if your answers are 3, your Fatigue Category is 3.
Fatigue Action Required

Category
1 As soon as it is safe to do so, suspend any safety critical tasks that have
been started. Report now to your immediate supervisor or master.
2 Before commencing your duty period or assigned tasks, or before continuing
work on a task that has been started, report to your immediate supervisor or
master and implement fatigue risk controls as required.
3 Monitor for signs of fatigue; no additional risk controls required.
HTW 5/16
Annex 6, page 61
APPENDIX 2
EXAMPLE OF A FATIGUE EVENT REPORT INFORMATION
This appendix provides recommended information that can be included in fatigue event
reporting. Companies may decide to utilize parts of this information within their current incident
reporting system.
Time of event (When did it Time of event:
happen?)
Hours from report time to when fatigue occurred:
Describe event Describe event:

(What happened?)
Describe how you felt (or what you observed):
Please circle how you felt when the event occurred:
Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Extremely Very Alert Rather Neither alert Some

Sleepy, but Sleepy, Very sleepy,
alert alert alert nor Sleepy signs of
no effort to some effort to great effort to
sleepiness
keep awake keep awake keep awake
fighting sleep
Please mark the line below with an 'X' at the point that indicates how you felt
Alert------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Drowsy
Relevant Information
Fatigue prior to starting Yes/No How long had you been awake when the hours mins
work? event happened?
Fatigue during work? Yes/No How much sleep did you have in the 24 hours mins
hours before the event?
Disrupted sleep? Yes/No How much sleep did you have in the 72 hours mins
hours before the event?
Suggestive corrected
actions
What did you do? Actions taken to manage or reduce fatigue (e.g. nap, breaks)
What could be done? Suggested corrective actions
***
HTW 5/16
Annex 7, page 1
ANNEX 7
BIENNIAL STATUS REPORT OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE FOR THE 2018-2019 BIENNIUM
Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW)

Reference to SD, Output Description Target Parent Associated Coordinating Status of Status of References
if applicable number completion organ(s) organ(s) organ output for output for
year Year 1 Year 2
SD 1 (Improve 1.3 Validated model Continuous MSC HTW Ongoing HTW 5/16, section 3
implementation) training courses
SD 1 (Improve 1.21 Guidance for 2019 MSC HTW Extended MSC 98/23,
implementation) STCW Code, paragraph 9.2;
section B-I/2 HTW 5/16, section 5
SD 1 (Improve 1.22 Comprehensive 2019 MSC HTW Extended MSC 95/22,
implementation) review of the 1995 paragraphs 19.3
STCW-F and 19.4;
Convention MSC 96/25,
paragraph 12.3;
HTW 5/16, section 6
SD 1 (Improve 1.23 Revision of the 2018 MSC HTW Completed MSC 94/21,
implementation) Guidelines on paragraph 18.8;
fatigue MSC 95/22,
paragraph 9.18;
MSC 98/23,
paragraphs 9.8
and 9.11;
HTW 5/16, section 8
HTW 5/16
Annex 7, page 2

year Year 1 Year 2
SD 2 (Integrate 2.3 Amendments to 2019 MSC HTW/PPR/ CCC No work MSC 94/21,
new and the IGF Code and SDC/SSE requested paragraphs 18.5
advancing development of and 18.6;
technologies in guidelines for MSC 96/25,
the regulatory low-flashpoint fuels paragraphs 10.1
framework) to 10.3;
MSC 97/22,
paragraph 19.2
SD 2 (Integrate 2.8 Development of 2020 MSC III/HTW/ SSE No work MSC 98/23,
new and guidelines for cold SDC requested paragraph 20.36
advancing ironing of ships and
technologies in consideration of
the regulatory amendments to
framework) SOLAS
chapters II-1
and II-2
Notes: Description amended and HTW was added as associated organ
SD 2 (Integrate 2.10 Revision of SOLAS 2021 MSC HTW/SSE NCSR No work MSC 98/23,
new and chapters III and IV requested paragraphs 20.27
advancing for Modernization
technologies in of the GMDSS,
the regulatory including related
framework) and consequential
amendments to
other existing
instruments
HTW 5/16
Annex 7, page 3

year Year 1 Year 2
SD 6 (Ensure 6.15 Role of the human Continuous MSC/ CCC/III/ HTW Ongoing MSC 89/25,
regulatory element MEPC NCSR/ paragraphs 10.10,
effectiveness) PPR/SDC/ 10.16 and 22.39, and
SSE annex 21; HTW 5/16,
section 7
OW OW 10 Measures to Continuous MSC/ HTW/PPR/ III No work MEPC 66/21,
(Other work) harmonize port MEPC NCSR requested paragraph 18.8;
State control (PSC) MSC 94/21,
activities and paragraph 18.2.1;
procedures MEPC 68/21,
worldwide paragraph 17.3
OW OW 14 Reports on Annual MSC HTW Completed MSC 83/28,
(Other work) unlawful practices paragraph 12.2;
associated with HTW 5/16, section 4
certificates of
competency
OW OW 31 Revised SOLAS 2019 MSC HTW/SSE SDC No work MSC 95/22,
(Other work) regulation II-1/3-8 requested paragraph 19.22
and associated
guidelines
(MSC.1/Circ.1175)
and new guidelines
for safe mooring
operations for all
ships
HTW 5/16
Annex 7, page 4

year Year 1 Year 2
OW OW 34 Requirements for 2019 MSC HTW SSE No work MSC 89/25,

(Other work) onboard lifting requested paragraph 22.26;
appliances and MSC 98/23, annex 38
anchor handling
winches
OW OW 36 Review SOLAS 2019 MSC HTW/SDC SSE No work MSC 97/22,
(Other work) chapter II-2 and requested paragraph 19.19;
associated codes MSC 98/23,
to minimize the paragraph 12.42
incidence and
consequences of
fires on ro-ro
spaces and special
category spaces of
new and existing
ro-ro passenger
ships
***
HTW 5/16
Annex 8, page 1
ANNEX 8
PROPOSED PROVISIONAL AGENDA FOR HTW 6
Opening of the session
1 Adoption of the agenda
2 Decisions of other IMO bodies
3 Validated model training courses (1.3)
4 Reports on unlawful practices associated with certificates of competency (OW 14)
5 Guidance for STCW Code, section B-I/2 (1.21)
6 Comprehensive review of the 1995 STCW-F Convention (1.22)
7 Role of the human element (6.15)
8 Biennial status report and provisional agenda for HTW 7
9 Election of Chair and Vice-Chair for 2020
10 Any other business
11 Report to the Maritime Safety Committee
***
HTW 5/16
Annex 9, page 1
ANNEX 9
DRAFT RESOLUTION MSC.[…(100)]

(adopted on […])
AMENDMENTS TO PART B OF THE SEAFARERS' TRAINING,

CERTIFICATION AND WATCHKEEPING (STCW) CODE
THE MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE,
RECALLING Article 28(b) of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization

concerning the functions of the Committee,
RECALLING ALSO regulation I/1.2.4 of the International Convention of Standards of Training,

Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978 ("the Convention"), regarding the
procedure for amendments to part B (recommendatory part),
NOTING that the Committee, by resolutions MSC.416(97) and MSC.417(97), adopted

amendments to the Convention and to part A of the Seafarers' Training, Certification and
Watchkeeping (STCW) Code, respectively, which were consequential to the adoption of the
International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code) by resolutions
MSC.386(94) and MEPC.264(68),
HAVING CONSIDERED, at its [100th] session, proposed amendments to part B of the

STCW Code, prepared by the Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and
Watchkeeping, at its fifth session,
1 ADOPTS amendments to part B of the STCW Code, the text of which is set out in the
annex to the present resolution;
2 RECOMMENDS Parties to use the amendments to part B of the STCW Code as

recommended guidance for the implementation, application and enforcement of measures to
give the Convention full and complete effect in a uniform manner; and
3 INVITES Parties to the Convention to note that the above amendments to part B of
the STCW Code will take effect on [1 January 2019].
HTW 5/16
Annex 9, page 2
ANNEX
DRAFT AMENDMENTS TO PART B OF THE SEAFARERS' TRAINING,

CERTIFICATION AND WATCHKEEPING (STCW) CODE
CHAPTER V – Guidance regarding special training requirements for personnel on

certain types of ships
1 "Section B-V/g" is renamed as "section B-V/4" and moved after existing section B-V/3.
2 Reference to "B-V/g" in the footnotes under sections B-V/a, B-V/b, B-V/c, B-V/d, B-V/e
and B-V/f is deleted.
3 Footnote "Note there are no corresponding regulations in the Convention or sections

in part A of the Code for sections B-V/a, B-V/b, B-V/c, B-V/d, B-V/e, B-V/f and B-V/g." under
renamed section B-V/4 is deleted.
***
HTW 5/16
Annex 10, page 1
ANNEX 10
STATEMENTS BY DELEGATIONS AND OBSERVERS
AGENDA ITEM 4
Statement by the delegation of Germany
"Madam Chair, distinguished delegates,
More than four years on from the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea
and the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation, the European Union remains firmly
committed to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The European Union reiterates that it does not recognise and continues to condemn this
violation of international law. It remains a direct challenge to international security, with grave
implications for the international legal order that protects the unity and sovereignty of all states.
The European Union remains committed to fully implementing its non-recognition policy,
including through restrictive measures. The EU calls again on UN Member States to consider
similar non-recognition measures in line with the UNGA Resolution 68/262.
I would ask for this statement to be included in the report of the Sub-Committee.
Thank you, Madam Chair."
AGENDA ITEM 6
Statement by the delegation of China
"The delegation would like to thank the Correspondence Group for their efforts made so far for
the comprehensive review of the STCW-F Convention.
We note that the proposal to include the ECDIS and ARPA equipment training requirements
in Part B did not receive sufficient support, and therefore the Delegation considered it
necessary to state the following:
There is no doubt that safer navigation and cleaner oceans are among the most concerned by
parties and shipowners. In order to extend the coverage of the STCW-F Convention, China
believes that the technical level and industry status of fishing vessel crews in developing
countries should be fully taken into account in the revision process of the Convention. At the
same time, we understand that, based on the 2012 Cape Town Agreement, the
STCW Convention and its long-term successful experience of development will be used as a
reference for the sustainable and healthy development of marine fisheries.
We believe it is necessary to harmonize the structures of these two Conventions. However,

the fishery’s specific nature should be fully considered and not reproduce everything from the
STCW Convention. China supports the STCW-F Convention’s Annex to be composed by two
parts (PART-A and PART-B) just as that in the Annex to the STCW Convention. However,
considering the progress and development of navigation technology, where the requirements
to the fishery industry are not up to be included in Part A as mandatory should be considered
to be moved to Part B as recommendations and guidance.
HTW 5/16
Annex 10, page 2
Since the 2012 Cape Town Agreement does not require fishing vessels to be equipped with
ECDIS and ARPA equipment, China recommends that the ECDIS and ARPA equipment
training requirements be included in Part B. We believe that the excessive revision of the
Convention is not conducive to the acceptance of new members and the acceptance of the
Convention. The requirements for ECDIS and ARPA equipment training have also undergone
a transition from Part B to Part A in the STCW Convention. Given that STCW has been in force
for many years, it is necessary and appropriate to give the same transition in the
STCW-F Convention.
For the same reason, China believes that it is not appropriate to copy the requirements in
Regulation II/6 from the STCW Convention to request the deck officers for the assigned radio
duties according to the Radio Regulations (Regulation II/2, paragraph 2.5). This requirement
will aggravate the current shortage of officers on fishing vessels and end up with skippers and
deck officers lose their job solely because they do not hold the GMDSS operator certificate.
China believes that if the fishing vessel is equipped with a full-time radio operator holding a
GMDSS radio operator certificate, the skipper and deck officers can be exempted from holding
the GMDSS radio operator certificates. At the same time, the full-time radio operator is also
responsible for the external communication of the fishing vessel, which can effectively
compensate the problem of the lack of English ability of the skippers and deck officers on
fishing vessels of non-English speaking countries. Without mandatorily require the skippers
and deck officers on fishing vessels to perform the assigned radio duties and leave the
manning requirements to the discretion of contracting parties, shipowners will have more
options for manning the fishing vessel. Furthermore, it also helps the State party to alleviate
the shortage of fishing boat drivers without compromising the navigational safety of the fishing
vessel.
We request that this statement be included in the final report of the Sub-Committee."
Statement by the delegation of Spain
"Agradecemos la labor del grupo de trabajo y en especial la tarea realizada por Japón como
coordinador del mismo.
España tiene comentarios de carácter general sobre el informe presentado al subcomité por
parte del grupo de trabajo por correspondencia.
En muchos casos la labor del grupo se está centrado más en un proceso de enmienda que
de examen, lo cual nos está alejando del listado de puntos que determinan el alcance de este
examen según fue aprobado en el MSC 96.
Con determinadas iniciativas se están proponiendo enmiendas que alterar los requisitos de
formación del sector pesquero yendo, más allá incluso, que los propios requisitos establecidos
en el STCW.
De seguir con esta dinámica, nos podríamos encontrar con la paradójica situación de que
países que no ha ratificado el convenio de pesca introduzcan nuevos requisitos, que no
tendrían que cumplir, pues nos son parte en la Convención, lo cual es difícilmente entendible.
Uno de los principios básicos aprobados por el MSC para determinar el alcance provisional
del examen del convenio de formación para pescadores es que se tenga en cuenta el carácter
singular de la industria pesquera, su entorno de trabajo y la prevención de la contaminación.
HTW 5/16
Annex 10, page 3
No parece que hasta ahora estemos orientando el examen teniendo en cuentas esos criterios.
El sector pesquero requiere de normas específicas que en muchos casos diferirán de los
requisitos exigibles al tripulante de un buque mercante con lo cual un mero ejercicio de
alineamiento con el convenio STCW puede que no resulte efectivo.
Sin estar en vigor el protocolo de ciudad del cabo, carecemos de un marco común e
internacional que regule los requisitos de seguridad de los buques pesqueros mayores de
24 m, lo que difícilmente nos puede llevar a diseñar una nueva modelo de formación para
pescadores si no tenemos un instrumento técnico sobre el que basarnos a la hora de
configurar la futura formación exigible a esos tripulantes.
Exhortamos al subcomité a que recuerde que la labor del grupo de trabajo debe centrarse y
se ajustarse a los principios y al alcance provisional aprobados por el MSC 96 y que figuran
en los anexos 2 y 3 del documento HTW 3/WP.4
Solicitamos que la presente declaración se incluya en el informe final de este Subcomité."
___________

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E

SUB-COMMITTEE ON HUMAN ELEMENT, HTW 5/16

REPORT TO THE MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE

2 DECISIONS OF OTHER IMO BODIES 3

3 VALIDATED MODEL TRAINING COURSES 4

4 REPORTS ON UNLAWFUL PRACTICES ASSOCIATED WITH 18

5 GUIDANCE FOR STCW CODE, SECTION B-I/2 19

6 COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE 1995 STCW-F CONVENTION 22

7 ROLE OF THE HUMAN ELEMENT 28

8 REVISION OF THE GUIDELINES ON FATIGUE 29

9 REVIEW OF SOLAS CHAPTER II-2 AND ASSOCIATED CODES TO 33

10 AMENDMENTS TO THE IGF CODE AND DEVELOPMENT OF 33

11 REVISED SOLAS REGULATION II-1/3-8 AND ASSOCIATED 33

12 MEASURES TO HARMONIZE PORT STATE CONTROL (PSC) 33

13 BIENNIAL STATUS REPORT AND PROVISIONAL AGENDA FOR 34

14 ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR FOR 2019 35

15 ANY OTHER BUSINESS 35

16 ACTION REQUESTED OF THE COMMITTEES 41

ANNEX 1 REVIEW GROUPS FOR MODEL COURSES PLANNED FOR VALIDATION

ANNEX 2 DRAFT AMENDMENTS TO THE REVISED GUIDELINES FOR THE

ANNEX 3 HARMONIZED TEXT FOR ENTRY STANDARDS AND STAFF

ANNEX 4 TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE COURSE DEVELOPER AND THE

ANNEX 5 TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE COURSE DEVELOPER AND THE

ANNEX 6 DRAFT MSC CIRCULAR ON GUIDELINES ON FATIGUE

ANNEX 7 BIENNIAL STATUS REPORT OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE FOR

ANNEX 8 PROPOSED PROVISIONAL AGENDA FOR HTW 6

ANNEX 9 DRAFT MSC RESOLUTION ON AMENDMENTS TO PART B OF THE

ANNEX 10 STATEMENTS BY DELEGATIONS AND OBSERVERS

Secretary-General's opening address

Adoption of the agenda and related matters

2 DECISIONS OF OTHER IMO BODIES

.1 for draft amendments having a long history of development and refinement,

.2 for draft amendments to be considered and finalized by sub-committees in

.3 "minor corrections" (referred to in paragraph 3.2(vi) of document C/ES.27/D)

.4 the application of the Guidance should be expanded to all safety-related IMO

2.4 The Sub-Committee also noted that MSC 99 had approved:

.1 MSC-MEPC.1/Circ.5/Rev.1 on Organization and method of work of the

.2 MSC.1/Circ.1500/Rev.1 on Guidance on drafting of amendments to the 1974

2.6 Consequently, the Sub-Committee invited the Committee to endorse the

3 VALIDATED MODEL TRAINING COURSES

Timetables in model courses

3.3 In this context, the Sub-Committee recognized that:

.1 Administrations, training units and instructors were in the best position to

3.4 Following discussion, the Sub-Committee decided:

.2 to instruct a drafting group to prepare a draft amendment to paragraph 1.5 of

Security-related model courses

VALIDATION OF MODEL COURSES

.1 information about the constraints on the Secretariat resources posed by the

.3 an overview, in its annex, of the complete set of IMO model courses;

.5 information regarding the development of the new model courses on basic

.2 delays in meeting the deadlines set by the Sub-Committee, which had

.3 submission by developers of incomplete initial drafts of the model courses,

.4 lack of response by review group coordinators, which added to the

.6 particular cases where developers lacked the necessary expertise to develop

.2 model courses contributed practically to the implementation of the

.3 if the number of model courses combined with the process of developing

.4 the use of the IMO collaborative web-based workspace (IMOSpace) should

3.9 In light of the foregoing, the Sub-Committee agreed to:

.1 request the Secretariat to submit a document to the next session providing

.2 based on the challenges identified in the document to be prepared by the

3.10 Furthermore, the Sub-Committee:

.4 following the agreement of MSC 99 that the Sub-Committee should

Model courses to be validated at this session