Orals Revision: SOLAS, MARPOL, ISM & Legislative Compliance (OOW Operational Level)

Orals revision card — MIN 653 (M) Amendment 1, Deck Oral Exam Syllabus. STCW Code A-II/1, Function: Controlling the operation of the ship and care for persons on board, operational level. This is the competence examiners test as 'do you know what regulatory framework you're operating inside' — it comes up in almost every oral in some form.

Competence: Monitor Compliance With Legislative Requirements

At OOW level the syllabus asks for a basic working knowledge of the IMO conventions covering safety of life at sea, security and marine environment protection — examiners are checking you know these exist and roughly what each one governs, not that you can recite chapter numbers.

What You Need to Know Cold

• SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) — the convention behind most of the safety equipment, construction and operational standards on your ship. Know that it's the source, even if you can't cite the chapter.
• MARPOL — the pollution-prevention convention. You need this at a working level, not just awareness: Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan (SOPEP), Shipboard Marine Pollution Emergency Plan (SMPEP), Garbage Management Plans, and the concept of Restricted Areas where discharge is prohibited.
• ISM Code (International Safety Management) — basic awareness only at this level. Know its purpose: a company-wide safety management system, not just a ship-specific procedure.
• ISPS Code (International Ship and Port Facility Security) — know its purpose: the security framework for ships and the port facilities they call at.
• MLC 2006 (Maritime Labour Convention) — know its purpose: seafarers' working and living conditions, effectively the seafarer's 'bill of rights'.
• Flag State and Port State Control — know the difference: Flag State is your own vessel's regulator; Port State Control is the host country checking compliance when you call at their port.
• M Notices — know the difference between an MSN (Merchant Shipping Notice, mandatory), MGN (Marine Guidance Note, guidance) and MIN (Marine Information Note, informational) — this exact document is a MIN.

Quick Self-Check

• What's the practical difference between SOPEP and SMPEP?
• Which convention governs seafarer working/living conditions, and which governs ship/port security?
• Can you explain Flag State vs. Port State Control in one sentence each, without hedging?

Test yourself: ISPS · ISM · Marpol · MLC Knowledge Checks.

Related Reading

• Seafarer Rights Under MLC 2006 — the full picture behind the 'purpose of MLC' answer this competence expects
• Flag State Regulatory Roundup — real, current Flag State activity to ground the textbook definition