Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie
Referat S 12
Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 78
20359 Hamburg
Michael Neumann
Phone: +49 40 31 90 71 88
Mail: michael.neumann@bsh.de
Karsten Tapper
Phone: +49 40 31 90 71 24
Mail: karsten.tapper@bsh.de
Simone Wilde
Phone: +49 40 31 90-71 79
Fax: + 49 40 31 90-50 10
Mail: simone.wilde@bsh.de
BG Verkehr / Dienststelle Schiffssicherheit
Brandstwiete 1
20457 Hamburg
Phone: +49 40 361 37-0
Fax: +49 40 36137-204
Mail: schiffssicherheit@bg-verkehr.de
Alexander Al Weissi
Phone: +49 40 361 37-218
Mobile: +49 171 50 57 036
Mail: alexander.alweissi@bg-verkehr.de
Berufsgenossenschaft Verkehrswirtschaft Post-Logistik Telekommunikation (BG Verkehr)
Geschäftsbereich Prävention
Ottenser Hauptstr. 54
22765 Hamburg
Referat Seeschifffahrt und Fischerei
Phone: +49 40 39802754
Fax: +49 40 39801999
Mail: seeschifffahrt@bg-verkehr.de
BG Verkehr / Dienststelle Schiffssicherheit
Seeärztlicher Dienst
Brandstwiete 1
20457 Hamburg
Phone: +49 40 361 37-365
Fax: +49 40 361 37-333
Mail: seeaerztlicher-dienst@bg-verkehr.de
Annelie Ewen
Phone: +49 40 361 37-252
Fax: +49 40 361 37-333
Mail: annelie.ewen@bg-verkehr.de
Approved courses
Courses for professional development as well as for issuance of Certificates of Competency and Certificates of Proficiency
According to the STCW Convention and in combination with the ISM Code, a continual professional development for certain duties on board is required of all seafarers. Some advanced courses are prerequisite for the issuance and the extension of validity of Certificates of Competency and Certificates of Proficiency. In these cases, the participation in approved courses is necessary.
A list of all approved courses will appear after you have clicked on the respective link:
- Occupational Health and Safety
(training programmes for maritime shipping by the BG Verkehr) - ARPA / ECDIS
(approved by the BSH) - German Maritime Law
(approved by the BSH) - Passenger Ships and Ro/Ro-Ferries
(approved by the BSH) - Continued Competency for Nautical Service
(approved by the BSH) - Ship Security
(approved by the BSH) - Ships Subject to the IGF Code (approved by the BSH)
These are ships using gases or other low-flashpoint fuels. - Medical Refresher Courses
(approved by the BG Verkehr) - Ship Operation
(approved by the BSH) - Polar Ships(approval within the transitional period)
(approved by the BSH) - Ship Safety: initial training and refresher courses
(authorised by the Ship Safety Division of the BG Verkehr) - Maritime Radio
(approved by the BSH) - Tankers
(approved by the BSH)
Who needs to take which course?
The following information is meant as a first impression and does not apply to every individual case or special cases. In addition to the information about the right choice of training course, in some cases you can also find details about the requirements you have to fulfil. Further specifics are given on the application forms.
Generally, all seafarers holding a German navigational Certificate of Competency in accordance with Regulations II/1, II/2 or II/3 without restrictions regarding ARPA also fulfil the standards of the ARPA Basic Training.
- All other navigational officers and masters who want a Certificate of Competency without the relevant restrictions have to complete this course successfully.
- This course has to be completed successfully once only and does not have to be refreshed.
As part of the endorsement of recognition of foreign certificates of competency,
- EU-masters must prove their knowledge of German maritime law and the German language by paritcipating in an approved nine-day course of German maritime law.
- Officers at managerial level must prove the participation in an approved one-day course of German maritime law. The managerial level comprises: Chief Mate, Chief Engineer Officer, Second Engineer Officer.
Further information on the endorsement of recognition of foreign certificates as well as on the conditions for the endorsement of recognition can be found here.
Generally, all seafarers who acquired a German Certificate of Competency as Navigational Watchkeeping Officer (in accordance with Regulation II/1 of the Annex to the STCW Convention) after 1st of June 2006 also fulfil the standards of the ECDIS Basic Training.
- All other navigational officers and masters who want a Certificate of Competency without the relevant restrictions have to complete this course successfully.
- This course has to be completed once only and does not have to be refreshed.
Here You can find more information about the ECDIS training; these information is also addressed to operators of sea-going vessels, port state control officers or training institutions.
Passenger ship safety training
Target group: Personnel providing direct service to passengers in passenger spaces on board passenger ships.
Passenger ship safety and crowd management training
Target group: Personnel providing direct service to passengers in passenger spaces on board passenger ships as well as masters, officers, ratings qualified in accordance with chapters II, III and VII and other personnel designated on the muster list to assist passengers in emergency situations on board passenger ships.
Crisis management and human behaviour training
Target group: Masters, chief engineer officers, chief mates, second engineer officers and any person designated on the muster list of having responsibility for the safety of passengers in emergency situations on board passenger ships.
Passenger safety, cargo safety and hull integrity training
Target group: Masters, chief engineer officers, chief mates, second engineer officers and every person assigned immediate responsibility for embarking and disembarking passengers, for loading, discharging or securing cargo, or for closing hull openings on board ro-ro passenger ships.
For an extension of validity, masters and navigational ship officers have to proof specific kinds of required seagoing service. If you worked on ships that do not meet the requirements for the extension of validity or worked at land, you can "compensate" for the missing required seagoing service by participating in a training course.
- All seafarers have to complete the Security Awareness Training (SRT) successfully.
- Masters and ship officers have to complete the SSO course for the service as a Ship Security Officer on the ship.
- These courses have to be completed successfully once only and do not have to be refreshed.
You can find the requirements for the training as a CSO published in German in the "Verkehrsblatt, 10/2003, pages 327ff" (in German only).
Basic training
- The basic training (for service on ships subject to the IGF Code) has to be accounted for by seafarers who perform safety duties relating to the accurate handling and use of fuels or who are responsible for emergency measures regarding this. This module is a prerequisite for entering the basic training; except if it is explicitly part of the basic training. Holders of a valid Certificate of Proficiency for Liquefied Gas Tanker Cargo Operations already meet the requirements of the basic training for service on ships subject to the IGF Code.
- The basic training also comprises the module practical fire-fighting (it is the same module as the one that is part of the basic training for all tanker cargo operations). Holders of a valid Certificate of Proficiency for Oil and Chemical Tanker Cargo Operations have already successfully completed the fire-fighting module, therefore only have to complete the IGF part of the courses (basic and advanced training).
Please find further information on the application forms and the information leaflet on ships subject to the IGF Code (in German only).
Advanced training
- Masters, engineering officers and all other crew members with immediate responsibility for the accurate handling and use of fuels and fuel systems on board ships subject to the IGF Code need a certificate of proficiency of a corresponding advanced training.
- Along with the application, you have to proof:
- a seagoing service of at least one month as well as
- the participation in at least three bunkering operations on board of ships subject to the IGF Code; up to two of these bunkering operations can, as part of the training, take place at a Simulator.
- Holders of a valid Certificate of Proficiency of the Advanced Training for Liquefied Gas Tanker Cargo Operations already meet these requirements and do not have to participate in the advanced training course. Without any other proof necessary, they receive the relevant Certificate of Proficiency for Service on Ships Subject to the IGF Code.
Please find further information on the application forms and the information leaflet on ships subject to the IGF Code (in German only).
Even though the STCW Convention stipulates medical competence, a refresher course is not required. Hence why it does not get checked during the initial validation or the extension of validity of Certificates of Competency for navigational or engineering service on board as master or officer whether a medical competency has been refreshed.
Notwithstanding this regulation under international law in the STCW Convention, an EU regulation stipulates – in particular for all masters on ships flying an EU flag – that the medical competency must be refreshed at least every five years.
Find out more about medical competency (in German only).
- Competences for the operation and maintenance of electricity operated systems with a voltage in excess of 1000 volts (high voltage systems) are required in marine Engineering.
- The courses are required for the issuance of STCW certificates for electro-technical officers.
- For the issuance of other engineering certificates of competency, these competences have been and will be taught generally as part of the curricula of the approved courses at the universities of applied science and technical colleges of the federal states.
- This course has to be completed successfully once only and does not have to be repeated.
The following courses for service on ship operating in polar waters (polar ships) are requried:
Basic training for service on polar ships
- target group: masters and navigational officers with watch service on polar ships
Advanced training for the service on polar ships
- target group: masters and chief mates on polar ships.
Condition for the participation in the advanced training is a valid certificate of proficiency for the basic training for service on polar ships.
- Crew members who shall keep watch on board as well as perform tasks to ensure ship safety and the prevention of pollution have to complete an approved course of basic safety training.
- In addition, crew members also have to complete the following courses if they serve on the respective kind of vessel or manage fire-fighting measures:
- operate survival craft and (fast) rescue boats (SÜB, SÜBS)
- management of fire-fighting measures (SLB)
- Seafarers with a Certificate of Proficiency for ship safety service have to proof the continued competency with the participation certificate(s) of one or several courses after five years at the latest.
- Certificates of proficiency for ship safety service as well as documentary evidence of the participation in refresher courses in ship safety service issued by other STCW parties are regularly recognized if:
- it is a state cooperating with the Federal Republic of Germany;
- the authenticity and validity of the certificate in accordance with Regulation I/2 of the Annex of the STCW Convention can be verified; and
- all requirements of the STCW Convention are met..
Find more information on refresher courses (in German only) here.
- All navigational officers and masters have to proof the competency as GMDSS radio operator.
- The participation in a course is only required if it was not included in the navigational training already.
- A GMDSS radio operator has to proof the continued competency with a corresponding seagoing service, the successful participation in an examination by the BSH or the participation in a refresher course.
Basic training
- The basic training for all tanker cargo operations qualifies for the service on oil, chemical and liquefied gas tankers.
- Ship officers and other crew members have to complete a basic tanker training if they perform duties involving or bear the responsibility for the cargo as well as the loading and unloading systems.
- Part of the tanker basic training is also the module fire-fighting (it is the same module as for IGF ships). This module is a prerequisite for entering the basic training; except if it is explicitly part of the basic training.
- The certificates of proficiency are issued for a limited period of validity of five years.
- For the extension of validity, you have to prove the continued competency with sufficient seagoing services on the relevant types of ships or the advanced course.
Further information on the requirements can be found in the application forms.
You can acquire the evidence of this basic training course with
- the participation in the course "basic training for all tanker cargo operations" which includes the fire-fighting module; or
- the participation in the elective subject "tanker basic training course" as part of a maritime degree program (if the elective subject does not include a practical fire-fighting module, the practical module on fire-fighting must be participated in additionally); or
- the participation in a course on fire-fighting in conjunction with a recognized seagoing service of at least three months as well as working knowledge of cargo handling on oil, chemical or liquefied fuel tankers (STCW A-V/1-1, paragraph 1 or A-V/1-2, paragraph 1). Here, the certificate of proficiency is always issued for the type of tanker the seagoing service was performed on.
Advanced training
- Masters, chief engineer officers, chief mates, second engineer officers and all other crew members have to complete an advanced course on advanced oil, chemical or liquefied gas tanker cargo operations if they assume immediate responsibility for loading and unloading, cargo care, the cleaning of cargo tanks or any other tasks in regard to cargo on tankers.
- Prerequisites for the visit of an advanced course are the attestation of the basic training course as well as specific seagoing services on tankers. It is not required to refresh the practical fire-fighting module.
- The certificates of proficiency are issued for a limited period of validity of five years.
- For the extension of validity, the continued competency has to be proven with sufficient seagoing services on the relevant types of ships or the repetition of the course "basic training for all tanker cargo operations" or the advanced course.
Further information about the requirements can be found in the application forms.