STCW 2010 Manila AmendmentsA Quick Maritime Guide

The 2010 Manila Amendments

Major revisions to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (the STCW Convention), and its associated Code enter into force on 1 January 2012, with a five-year transitional period until 1 January 2017.

The 2010 Manila Amendments

The “Manila Amendments” were adopted at a Diplomatic Conference in Manila, the Philippines, held in June 2010, and are aimed at ensuring that the necessary global standards will be in place to train and certify seafarers to operate technologically-advanced ships for some time to come.

Changes in STCW for Certification

Changes to Competence Table

Some of the changes in the STCW Competence  Tables include the need for deck officers to be competent in the use of ECDIS, for engineer officers to be able to operate pollution prevention equipment, and other competency when it comes to environment management.

Leadership and teamwork

Seafarers need to undergo assertiveness training for better communication.

Training record books

Trainees will have to demonstrate competence through the use of training record books while being supervised by training officers.

Mandatory security training

New requirements for security training, as well as provisions to ensure that seafarers are properly trained to cope if their ship comes under attack by pirates.

Refresher training

Emphasized in the Manila Amendments is the need for seafarers to prove their competence in basic safety training including survival, fire-fighting, first aid, and personal safety every five years.  These refresher trainings can be taken on board or at maritime training institutions.

Tanker training

New guidance and comprehensive Competence Tables for training in oil, chemical and gas tanker operations are introduced.

Medical standards

Introduced are additional medical fitness standards for certification.

Prevention of unsafe alcohol use

This include a specific limit of 0.05% blood alcohol level or 0.25mg/l alcohol in the breath.

The 2011edition of the STCW Code including the Manila Amendments is available from

IMO publications

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