Photo: Ron Samson
Above: Pumps and fire hoses are checked in full turn out gear. Opposite: Working in pairs, tethered firefighters prepare to enter the vessel.
cantly amended in 1995. “The 1978 STCW Convention was
the first to establish basic require- ments on training, certification and watchkeeping for seafarers on an international level,” Francis contin- ued. “Previously, the standards of training, certification and watch- keeping for officers and ratings were established by individual gov- ernments, usually without reference to practices in other countries. As a result, standards and procedures varied widely, even though shipping is extremely international of nature. “The Convention prescribes mini-
mum standards relating to training, certification and watchkeeping for seafarers, that countries are obliged to meet or exceed. On July 7, 1995, the IMO adopted a comprehensive revision of STCW. They also in- cluded a proposal to develop a new STCW Code, which would contain the technical details associated with provisions of the Convention. The amendments entered force on Feb-
ruary 1, 1997. Full implementation was required by February 1, 2002. Mariners already holding licences had the option to renew those li- cences in accordance with the old rules of the 1978 Convention dur- ing the period ending on February 1, 2002. Mariners entering training programs after August 1, 1998, are required to meet the competency standards of the new 1995 Amend- ments. “The most significant amend-
ments require that seafarers be provided with ‘familiarization train- ing’ and ‘basic safety training,’ which includes basic firefighting, el- ementary first aid, personal survival techniques, and personal safety and social responsibility. This training is intended to ensure that seafarers are aware of the hazards of working on a vessel and can respond appro- priately in an emergency. “Canfornav’s fleet of vessels
conducts scheduled drills that exceed regulatory requirements
with ‘abandon ship’ and ‘fire drills’ carried out bi-weekly, instead of monthly. All scheduled regula- tory drills carried out on board are monitored by management person- nel, superintendents and auditors. Furthermore, P&I Clubs do risk as- sessments on all vessels in the fleet, and Canfornav and its managers are pleased with the consistent low risk ratings achieved. To keep masters informed, the fleet is continuously updated with the latest regulations, fleet observations, incidents, defi- ciencies, non-conformities as well as major industry subjects and alerts. “Providing a safe and secure
workplace that complies with safety standards and procedures and beyond, has resulted in over a 70-percent crew retention rate, which, with an expanding fleet, is very satisfying, and Canfornav and its managers are applying best prac- tices and technology to work on and overcome future challenges for our crews and our vessels.”
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