Basic Safety Training — STCW Table A-VI/1

Basic Safety Training (BST) is the most universal certificate in the STCW framework. Before any seafarer can be assigned designated duties on a sea-going commercial ship, they must hold all four modules of BST: Personal Survival Techniques (PST), Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting (FPFF), Elementary First Aid (EFA), and Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities (PSSR). Together these are codified in STCW Regulation VI/1 and Table A-VI/1 of the STCW Code Part A. BST is not an officer-level certificate — it is required of every person on board with a designated role, from able seafarer and cook through to Master.

For the certifications database entry, see BST in the certifications database. For advanced fire-fighting (required of officers), see Advanced Fire Fighting (AFF). For revalidation of the modules that require refreshers, see CoC revalidation.

The four modules

• PSTPersonal Survival Techniques (VI/1-1)
  STCW ref: Table A-VI/1-1Duration: Approx. 16–24 hours (classroom + pool/tank practical)Validity: 5 years — refresher required
  • ·Types and construction of survival craft and rescue boats — inflatable liferafts, rigid liferafts, lifeboats, and rescue boats.
  • ·Survival craft equipment — pyrotechnics, EPIRBs, SARTs, GMDSS portable equipment, and water/food rations.
  • ·Donning, inspection, and use of an immersion suit and a personal lifejacket — including correct water-entry technique.
  • ·Righting an inverted liferaft and boarding from the water.
  • ·Actions after abandoning ship — roll call, sea anchor deployment, prevention of hypothermia, and leadership on a crowded survival craft.
  • ·Helicopter rescue — preparing for, signalling to, and boarding a rescue helicopter.
  • ·First aid in survival craft — treatment of hypothermia, shock, and immersion-related injury.

  Refresher note: PST requires a practical refresher every five years to maintain STCW validity. The refresher (PSCRB refresher or standalone PST refresher) must include a pool/tank component — a purely classroom or e-learning course does not satisfy the flag-state requirement.

• FPFFFire Prevention and Fire Fighting (VI/1-2)
  STCW ref: Table A-VI/1-2Duration: Approx. 16–24 hours including live-fire practicalValidity: 5 years — refresher required
  • ·Fire chemistry — the fire triangle (fuel, heat, oxygen), classes of fire (A, B, C, D, K/F), and extinguishment methods.
  • ·Shipboard fire-detection systems — fixed detection, smoke detectors, heat sensors, fire panels, and manual call points.
  • ·Fixed fire-suppression installations — CO2 total-flood, high-expansion foam, sprinkler, local application systems — and safe operation procedures.
  • ·Portable and semi-portable extinguishers — selection, use, and inspection.
  • ·Breathing apparatus — types on merchant ships, donning, wear time, buddy system, and team rescue.
  • ·Fire-fighting operations including search and rescue in smoke, ventilation control, and boundary cooling.
  • ·Abandon-ship signals and muster stations — coordination with PST competencies.

  Refresher note: FPFF requires a practical refresher every five years — a live-fire or simulator practical element is mandatory. Many training providers combine the FPFF refresher with an Advanced Fire Fighting (AFF, Table A-VI/3) refresher into a single integrated programme.

• EFAElementary First Aid (VI/1-3)
  STCW ref: Table A-VI/1-3Duration: Approx. 8–12 hoursValidity: One-time (no mandatory refresher under current STCW, though many flag states require revalidation)
  • ·Initial assessment — primary survey (airway, breathing, circulation, disability, exposure).
  • ·Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) — adult and child protocols, use of an automated external defibrillator (AED).
  • ·Control of bleeding — direct pressure, wound packing, improvised tourniquets.
  • ·Management of fractures, dislocations, and sprains — immobilisation and improvised splints.
  • ·Treatment of burns and scalds — cooling, dressing, fluid loss assessment.
  • ·Recognition and management of shock — hypovolemic, anaphylactic, and neurogenic.
  • ·Drowning, hypothermia, and heat illness — immediate response protocols for common maritime casualties.

  Refresher note: Under the current STCW tables, EFA is technically a one-time qualification, but many flag states — and virtually all flag-state medical fitness regulations — require that a current first-aid qualification is maintained. Seafarers are strongly advised to maintain EFA or its equivalent (Medical First Aid, Table A-VI/4-1) as a live certificate.

• PSSRPersonal Safety and Social Responsibilities (VI/1-4)
  STCW ref: Table A-VI/1-4Duration: Approx. 8 hours (typically a full-day course)Validity: One-time (no mandatory refresher under current STCW)
  • ·The importance of following safety instructions — the ISM Code, safety management systems, and why non-compliance kills.
  • ·Shipboard emergency procedures — muster stations, emergency signals, duties at emergency stations.
  • ·Precautions to prevent pollution — MARPOL Annexes I–VI at a practical level: oil, garbage, sewage, air, anti-fouling.
  • ·Health and safety on board — personal protective equipment, permit-to-work systems, enclosed-space entry precautions.
  • ·Importance of proper rest, alcohol and drug policies, and fitness for duty.
  • ·Teamwork, communication, and social responsibilities in a multicultural crew environment.
  • ·Basic duties under the ISPS Code — restricted areas, security levels, reporting suspicious activity.

  Refresher note: PSSR carries no mandatory refresher in the STCW tables. However, some flag states incorporate PSSR content into mandatory onboard induction drills or into periodic training schedules under ISM, effectively requiring annual familiarisation.

After BST — what comes next

BST is the foundation layer. Officers of the watch additionally require PSCRB (Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats) and Advanced Fire Fighting (AFF) before serving as OOW. Officers in command roles (Chief Mate, Master, Chief Engineer, Second Engineer) require Medical First Aid (STCW Table A-VI/4-1) or Medical Care (Table A-VI/4-2). Specialist endorsements — tanker familiarisation, Polar Code, IGF Code, ECDIS, GMDSS — are layered on top depending on the vessel type and the officer's role. See the career pathways reference for the full progression table.

Frequently asked questions

• Is BST required before or after joining a ship?

  STCW Regulation VI/1 requires that seafarers complete Basic Safety Training before being assigned to duties on a sea-going ship. In practice, BST is completed at an approved training centre on shore before joining any vessel. An exception exists for cadets: they may join a training ship or a company-organised cadet voyage for familiarisation purposes before completing BST, provided they are under direct supervision and not assigned watchkeeping duties.

• Does BST cover the whole crew or only officers?

  BST is an all-crew requirement — the most universal certificate in STCW. Every person with designated duties on a sea-going ship must hold BST, regardless of rank. This includes able seafarers, ordinary seafarers, motormen, cooks, stewards, electricians, and all officer ranks. Officers additionally require advanced or specialist certificates on top of BST.

• Which BST modules require a five-year refresher and which do not?

  PST (Personal Survival Techniques) and FPFF (Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting) require a mandatory practical refresher every five years under current STCW. EFA (Elementary First Aid) and PSSR (Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities) are one-time qualifications under the STCW tables, though individual flag states may impose refresher requirements, and most maritime employers treat EFA as requiring periodic renewal for operational reasons.

• Can I complete BST online (e-learning)?

  The theoretical knowledge components of EFA and PSSR can be covered by e-learning approved by a flag-state administration. PST and FPFF both require mandatory practical elements — water survival in a pool or tank for PST, and live-fire or approved simulator practical for FPFF — which cannot be delivered online. A course marketed as BST that is 100% e-learning without a practical component will not be accepted by flag states or employers for STCW purposes.

See also

• · BST — certifications database — prerequisites, costs, and provider list.
• · Advanced Fire Fighting (AFF) — officer-level fire-fighting.
• · CoC revalidation — PST and FPFF refresher requirements.
• · 2024 & 2026 STCW amendments — new harassment training on top of BST.
• · IMO Model Courses — 1.13 (PST), 1.20 (FPFF), 1.21 (PSSR), 1.22 (EFA).
• · Career pathways reference — BST in the full deck/engine ladder.
• · Training centres directory — approved BST providers worldwide.
• · Country guides — per-flag BST delivery requirements.

Primary sources

• · IMO — STCW Convention and Code (Regulation VI/1, Tables A-VI/1-1 to 1-4)
• · IMO Model Courses catalogue — 1.13, 1.20, 1.21, 1.22

Disclaimer. General information only — not legal advice. BST requirements, approved providers, and refresher intervals vary by flag state. Verify with your issuing administration before booking. See the training-centres directory for accredited providers and the country guides for flag-specific rules.