Why, as a ship security Officer (SSO) do I need STCW 95 training?

All personnel conducting work on vessels over 24m which would include commercial, super yachts, cruise or other are required to undertake approved familiarisation training in personal survival techniques.

As a Ship security Officer even though not part of the ship’s crew this legislation will also apply to you.

There are four basic training modules, these are:

• Elementary First Aid
• Personal Safety and Social Responsibility
• Personal Survival Techniques
• Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting

Below is a short description of what the Blue Mountain training includes.

Elementary First Aid (one day)

This course covers first aid from the basic requirements through to Life Support Skills and will include;

• Life support, positioning and resuscitation techniques
• Action on encountering accidents or other medical emergency
• Casualty Assessment and subsequent positioning
• Basic first aid treatment
• Action on Major bleeding, trauma, wound dressing, internal injury
• Crush injuries and shock
• Burns, scolds, electric shock
• Rescue and transport of a casualty
• Improvise bandages and use of first aid materials
• Self-preservation

Continual assessment and practical feedback is made throughout the course, at the end the student will receive an STCW 95 Certificate in Elementary First Aid on the day.

Personal Safety and Social Responsibility (one day)

This course will give you an introduction and induction in how to avoid and prevent accidents, safety procedures and will help you understand and familiarise yourself with working conditions aboard a ship, the course will include;

• Safe working practises, muster stations and the correct use of PPE
• Types of emergencies, responses, compliance and actions to take on discovery of an emergency
• Signals action and duties that may be allocated including training and drills
• Escape routes, communication and alarms
• Risk areas to include confined spaces

• Pollution prevention measures, environment protection, impact and outcomes of pollution
• Importance of adhering to safe working practices
• Safety and protective equipment, hazard prevention Familiarisation with international measure concerning accident prevention and occupational health

• Conduct and working relationships
• Social responsibilities, drug and alcohol abuse, working conditions, individual and human , legislation

Continual assessment and practical feedback is made throughout the course, at the end the student will receive an STCW 95 Certificate in Personal Safety and Social Responsibility.

Personal Survival Techniques (one day)

This course will equip you with the technical and tactical skills required to protect yourselves and others in the event of a major emergency, ship abandonment and escalating situations.

There is a large practical element to this course so student will need an acceptable level of fitness as activities will be undertaken in and in the water, it will include a swimming pool session in a controlled environment with the use of immersion suits, lifejackets, life raft and formal drills.

• Life-saving appliances, potential emergency situations
• PPE, Survival equipment its location, contents and their use
• Cold water survival, prevention, best practise and survival techniques
• Hypothermia and cold water shock
• Flares, radios, beacons and other equipment
• Action to be taken on attempted and actual rescue
• immersion suit and correct entry into water, personal and equipment
• Us of equipment whilst in water and whilst on raft
• Action to be taken if insufficient or defective survival equipment including float and buoyancy aids and practise
• Boarding survival crafts and conduct on them to increase survival chances

Continual assessment and practical feedback is made throughout the course, at the end the student will receive an STCW 95 Certificate in Personal Survival Techniques.

Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting (three day's)

This 3 day course will equip you with the technical and tactical skills required to understand, fight and contain fires on board vessels, it will also help you understand best practise with regard to the prevention of fires occurring or taking hold in the first place.

There is a large practical element to this course so student's will need an acceptable level of fitness.

• Fire, its causes and requirements
• Extinguishing methods, starvation; smothering; cooling
• Course of action when discovering a fire
• Classification of fires
• Fire Prevention; safe practice; fire consciousness; good housekeeping
• Fire fighting equipment; fire extinguishers; foam equipment and systems; fire detection and extinguishing systems; breathing apparatus

Continual assessment and practical feedback is made throughout the course, at the end the student will receive an STCW 95 Certificate in Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting.