A View From the Bridge: Analyzing the Results of the STCW 2010 Convention (Part 1)

by Captain John Martin STCW (Standards of Training and Certification of Watchkeepers) 2010 amendments and board management issues for passenger ships. The International Maritime Organization has again been the catalyst for improvements to ship management standards worldwide, and ship operators, charterers and insurance companies are now, along with the various flag state authorities, digesting and analyzing the results of the STCW 2010 Manila convention. Their directors and managers will already be hard at work, assessing the impact on their vessels and more especially on their seagoing staff. From that it follows that owners and operators will expect their officers and crews to play their part in ensuring that as professional mariners, they understand the requirements of the revisions, and that they can implement the guidance appropriately on board their vessels. As we move towards the implementation of the latest recommendations therefore, it is worth considering carefully the role of a passenger ship’s captain and the support available to him in ensuring that his crew remain properly certificated, and that critically, they remain competent in their duties on board ship. Under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization, and since its troubled early inception, (STCW 78) the scope and enforcement of these internationally applied regulations have steadily matured and become more meaningful and practical for all concerned, not least the ship’s master and his on board management team. Clearly these issues should be of real importance to ship and shore staff alike, for it is only in the perfect storm of an emergency that the real benefits of fully maintained training are obvious to all. It is not feasible to comment globally on how individual ship operators implement the ISM code (International Safety Management Code) on their vessels, or how individual flag states will determine the exact detail and wording of specific documents that relate to these matters, but it certainly is possible to be clear about the role of the captain in terms of international and flag state authorities such as the United States Coastguard, or the Marine and Coastguard Agency of the United Kingdom. He is responsible for the implementation of the ISM code on board his vessel. Should he knowingly or unknowingly take his vessel to sea in a condition that breaches the ISM code, then under the law he will be held responsible. Should the breach of regulations be a serious one, the possibility of actual criminalization of the captain is a real prospect. Rightly, this has concentrated many minds ashore and afloat! It is worth bearing in mind therefore, that STCW, just as SOLAS and MARPOL is very much a part of the ISM code, and therefore competence and certification of crew in crowd and crisis management skills on board passenger vessels are critical in maintaining the vessel’s and ultimately also the Company’s compliance. The actual certification of personnel in crowd and crisis management is often carried out ‘in house’, by either company appointed trainers, or outsourced to an accredited training supplier. In both cases, the provider of the training package will have been accredited by a marine organization such as Lloyds or Norske Veritas, who in turn will have been approved by the relevant flag state as suitable for that role. It has also been accepted that in passenger vessels, the on board emergency training and preparedness schedule and each individual crew member’s on board training records are sufficient to demonstrate on going competence, and that no further formal training or updating of knowledge is necessary. It is here, in this area, that I believe the captain and his management team should be wary… Lack of confidence, lack of knowledge, lack of motivation can lurk undiscovered amongst crew members, and in a tightly manned vessel, the failure of just one link in the command chain can have very serious repercussions in the successful outcome of an emergency situation. Historically, in examining nearly all-maritime disasters it can be shown that these factors are a root cause or major contributing factor in the negative outcome of serious incidents. In passenger ships particularly, the harrowing result can be a significant loss of life, and statistically it is still occurring all too often to be acceptable. How can this be so if ship’s staff are given the correct training, and take part regularly in emergency drills, and what can be done to prevent these all too familiar incidents? Thankfully, STCW 2010 has recognized these very issues, and whilst no changes are planned in the methodology of crowd and crisis management planning on board ship, the dangers of complacency, of ‘the human factor’ have been recognized, especially at the on board management level, and are dealt with. STCW 2010 has also recognized the need for basic safety training refresher courses every five years, although it is not yet clear how this is to be applied on a worldwide basis. And so to gain a greater insight into these challenges which lie ahead for the passenger shipping industry specifically, I approached the group training manager for Calmac Ferries Ltd., one of the United Kingdom’s most respected shipping companies, and the 2010 winner of the prestigious Guardian travel award for best ferry operator in terms of the passenger experience… Captain Norman Jones (pictured), a bluff, straight talking Welshman, first embarked on a maritime career in 1972, with the traditional and the well known British and Commonwealth Shipping Group, encompassing such famous names as The Clan Line, Union Castle, Bowater and many others. His sea going career lead him through the ranks and around the industry until becoming full time master with Calmac Ferries Ltd, in 1993. In 1998 he swallowed the anchor and took up the role of Marine Superintendent, and has carried other responsibilities over the years such as DPA (Designated Person Ashore) and Marine Manager. Now he still maintains some of the functions of a marine manager, but finds his main role currently as Group Training Manager for the all the vessels and the crews that operate them. This is a complex task, encompassing as it does a fleet of some 32 vessels at present, including the ships of Northlink and Calmac Ferries Ltd., with another currently being built in Poland. The major vessels carry up to 1000 passengers and a crew of 35 during the high season, and operate from mainland ports out to all the remote islands around the Scottish West and North Coasts, winter and summer, in fair weather and foul. All crewmembers enjoy a rota system which allows them to work a maximum of two weeks on duty followed by two weeks off, with additional leave being taken during the course of the year, and so each vessel has effectively a minimum of two crews. Norman is therefore responsible for ensuring that a minimum of 66 crews are compliant with the STCW regulations! It is also to the David MacBrayne Group’s credit that they have enthusiastically embraced the need to maintain cadet officer training, and so Norman also is responsible for the development of 46 cadets presently working towards officer qualifications in both the CalMac and NorthLink Fleets. About Captain John Martin Captain John Martin first went seafaring on a war reparation yacht called Seewolf in 1960, and also served as a sea cadet on Britain's last Battleship HMS Vanguard in 1959. In 1961 he sailed as a midshipman and junior officer with The Blue Funnel Line and as junior and later senior officer with Canadian Pacific. He came ashore for 15 years and worked as a hotel proprietor but eventually found himself at sea again as a senior officer and later a master with Viking Offshore and Caledonian MacBrayne. Capt. Maritn is a qualified crowd and crisis management trainer. He holds a Clyde pilotage exemption certificate and an unlimited Master's certificate; winning the Master's prize in his year at Glasgow. He has also served as a community councilor and community secretary in local government. He retired from full time seafaring in March, and has started to develop a new career as a 'maritime interest' journalist. In addition he gives lectures to shipping enthusiast groups like The West Highland Steamer Club. Questions or comments can be directed to [email protected]. Part 2 of this article will be featured in the Thursday, November 4, 2010 edition of the MarEx eNewsletter