OOW Revision: Ancillary & Safety Course Certificates (MSN 1856, Section 10)

Revision card 4 of 7 — Officer of the Watch (OOW) Unlimited, STCW Convention Regulation II/1, MSN 1856 (M+F) Amendment 1.

Required at Every CoC Level

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

Also Required for OOW II/1

• Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats
• Medical First Aid
• NAEST (Operational) — Navigation Aids and Equipment Simulator Training
• HELM (Operational) — Human Element, Leadership and Management, usually covered inside an approved cadetship rather than as a standalone certificate
• GMDSS (ROC or GOC, as applicable) — the radio operator's certificate

Worth Knowing

• NAEST (Operational) completed after 1 July 2005 is assumed to cover ECDIS — if yours didn't, you need a standalone MCA-approved ECDIS course
• EDH (Efficient Deck Hand) covers safe working practices: seamanship, cargo work, anchor procedures, pilot ladders and means of access
• Some certificates need updating within the preceding 5 years to remain valid for both your CoC and Port State Control checks onboard

Quick Self-Check

• Which four safety certificates are required at every CoC level, not just OOW?
• What's the cut-off date after which NAEST (Operational) is assumed to include ECDIS?
• Why does “updating” a certificate matter even after you already hold your CoC?

Related Reading

• GPS & ECDIS Over-Reliance — why the NAEST/ECDIS requirement exists, and where it can go wrong in practice
• STCW Certificate Renewal Guide — what expires, when, and how to keep ancillary certificates current