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Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) basic requirements for seamen
Maritime Medical Courses (STCW –95 Compliant)
- Elementary Fire Aid at Sea – (Practical First Aid at Sea) - Basic
- Medical Care onboard Ship – (First Aid at Sea) - Intermediatary
- Person in charge of Medical Care Onboard Ship – (Ship’s Captains Medical) - Advanced
- Marine Medic Course (Registered with the Surgeon General – Coast Guard) - Advanced
Maritime Fire Fighting Courses (STCW – 95 Compliant)
- Marine Fire Fighting for Small Vessels. - Basic
- Marine Fire Fighting and Fire Prevention - Intermediatary
- Advanced Marine Fire Fighting - Advanced
Maritime Survival Courses (STCW – 95 Compliant)
- Personal Safety and Social Responsibility with Personal Survival Techniques (PSSR) - Basic
- Proficiency in Life Raft (PILR) - Intermediatary
Two conventions held by the International Maritime Organizations (IMO), have resulted into Maritime Law, and Regulations have been drawn up to assist people at sea, these are namely:
STANDARDS OR TRAINING FOR CERTIFIED WATCHKEEPERS (STCW-95)
These regulations were enacted in 1995 by the IMO and it basically forms a minimum standard of training personnel who are required to go to sea. These regulations therefore cover all training given to everyone at sea, from the Deckhand to the Captain/Skipper of a ship. These regulations also make their certification Internationally recognizable throughout the world where these agreements exists. (Basically everywhere).
Part of this training is the Basic Safety Courses which are required by everyone, and these are covered in more detail below.
SOLAS AGREEMENT (SAFETY OF LIVES AT SEA)
These regulations cover all safety equipment found on board a ship, and everyone is expected to comply with them. They also cover the minimum basic requirements for the manufacture and supply of this safety equipment to shipping.
In order to comply with this, Safety Of Lives at Sea, the Basic Safety Courses becomes inevitable. It would be our job to teach students: HOW TO STAY ALIVE DURING EMERGENCY SITUATIONS AT SEA.
Courses offered by the Academy of Maritime Medicine
These courses falls under the code STCW VI/4 and are very specifically related to seagoing personnel.
FIRST AID AT SEA – MEDICAL CARE ON BOARD SHIP (STCW Code VI/4-1)
The basic requirements are to render first aid to fellow crew members who have either become ill or involved in traumatic accidents. Keeping in mind that on a ship the environment is forever moving and sometimes can become quite violent.
In extreme cases, sometime seconds can mean the difference between life and death and the fact that there are no medical help, such as Doctors, Paramedics and Ambulances available, crew members rely on their fellow crew members for assistance, and in some cases this can save lives.
SHIP’S CAPTAINS MEDICAL – PERSON IN-CHARGE OF MEDICAL CARE ON BOARD SHIP (STCW Code VI/4-2)
The basic requirements of the Medical Officer is to render Advanced Medical Assistance to fellow crew members who have either become ill or involved in traumatic accidents. Keeping the fact in mind that there are NO doctors or paramedics to assist them, the Medical Officers becomes the EYES, EARS, and HANDS of Radio Medical Advise, (Marine qualified doctors who have been specially trained and aware of the situation/s on board a ship and can render assistance over a radio link to Medical Officers).
Medical Officers are trained to render advanced traumacological assistance to crew members who require advanced life support on board a ship at sea, through a doctor who could be many nautical miles away (Radio Medical Advise). He also needs to rely on his first aiders who are the first line of defense in these situations.
PERSONAL SAFETY AND SOCIAL RESPONIBILITY (PSSR) (STCW Code VI/1 – 1)
It becomes necessary to teach seamen about safety on board a ship, and the importance thereof. Many dangers lurk on board, sometimes resulting in traumatic injury or even death. The Maritime Safety Regulations are enforced to prevent these injuries and deaths from occurring and to make a much more safer environment for everyone on board a ship.
It goes further, in that psychological problems can arise, because of the close confines of a ship, everyone lives on top of each other. They sometimes need to be taught how to interact with each other and everyone has a social responsibility toward each other to prevent these problems from arising. Diseases and sicknesses can be easily transmitted to one another, and they also need to be taught how to prevent this from occurring.
PERSONAL SURVIVAL TECHNIQUES (PST) (STCW Code VI/1 – 4)
Everyone who goes to sea, owes it to themselves to learn how to survive in Emergency Situations at sea. Seamen need to be taught WHAT emergency equipment is found on board a ship, WHERE it can be found, and HOW to utilize this equipment (SOLAS REGULATIONS), in order to better their chances of survival at sea.
The definition of PANIC is, "THE FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN". It becomes inevitable that someone will either be badly hurt or even die during an emergency, if they panic. It becomes our job to ensure that everyone we teach is aware, of “What can Happen’ and "What can they expect" during theses emergencies. By alleviating this fear of the unknown, we hope that we can eliminate panic during emergency situations.
MARINE FIRE FIGHTING AND FIRE PREVENTION (STCW Code VI/1 – 2)
Fire on board a ship is a nightmare that even a trained fireman would not like to live through, as it is termed a "Confined Space Fire" with all of its own unique characteristic. Because of the unique construction of ships, fire can spread very easily throughout a ship, resulting with the total loss of a ship.
Another term, "BURN OR DROWN" becomes a very unpleasant scenario, as when a fire occurs, the seamen have NO WHERE to run, so this term can become a reality. Therefore, it becomes extremely necessary to teach absolute FIRE PREVENTION on board a ship. Lives could depend on this, and again discipline becomes a big factor in the prevention of fires.
A very important factor exists, in what to do IF a fire is discovered onboard a ship, in order to prevent the total loss and even death of crew members, during the process. We teach the VERY LATEST fire fighting techniques available, because of the unique factor that you are pumping water into a ship, (The idea is to keep ship dry on the inside and the water on the outside), this could result in instability and in extreme circumstances even sink the ship. You could lose all-round if not trained professionally.
ADVANCED FIRE FIGHTING – TECHNIQUES (STCW Code VI/1/3)
This course is very important as someone needs to be trained to firstly, lead a fire team into a confined space fire, with all of its own unique characteristics, and secondly, he also needs to be able to read the situation and its characteristics as well, for the safety of the crew fighting the fire. He also needs to be able to maintain the stability factor of the ship by either watching to amount of water pumped in and the expulsion of this water from the ship’s confines.
Other Basic Safety Courses, Offered
PRE – SEA FAMILIARIZATION (STCW Code VI/1 – 1)
This course is aimed at people who have never been to sea before, and therefore becomes necessary to assist them to know their way around a ship, and become familiar with its unique terminology. It goes on to give them a small background of what to do in the event of an emergency at sea in every sphere – First Aid – Fire Fighting – Survival – Man Overboard as well as what regulations are in place to assist with their safety on board.
SAFETY OFFICERS COURSE
Safety on board a ship is extremely important to the well being of everyone who goes to sea, the confined space on board can become a major factor to the safety of personnel doing, sometimes more than one job at the same time.
This course is aimed at the appointed safety officers on board a vessel. It is extremely important that they know all of the regulations governing the safety of crew members, safety equipment found on board. It would be his job to enforce these regulations and ensure that everything, according to them are found on broad and are in place. He would have to turn all the problems around and find solutions to the making of a safer working environment on his vessel.
It teaches him to keep a trained eye on all situations that may develop at any time and any place and how to correct any pitfalls, immediately and correctly.
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