STCW Basic Safety Training, explained
STCW stands for Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping — an international convention setting minimum safety training for anyone working on a commercial vessel, superyachts included. “STCW Basic Safety Training” (sometimes still called STCW95 after an older version of the convention) is the specific short course new crew take to meet it, and it's the first certificate you'll need before any yacht will hire you, deck or interior.
What the course covers
Personal Survival Techniques
Life rafts, life jackets, man-overboard procedures and what to do if you have to abandon ship.
Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting
How fires start on board, fire-fighting equipment, and hands-on practice tackling a real fire in breathing apparatus.
Elementary First Aid
Immediate first aid for common shipboard injuries and medical emergencies before more advanced help is available.
Personal Safety & Social Responsibility (PSSR)
Shipboard safety culture, your responsibilities as crew, and — since a 2026 update to the syllabus — preventing and responding to bullying and harassment on board.
Proficiency in Security Awareness
Basic maritime security awareness, usually examined alongside the four modules above as part of the same course.
Length, cost and validity
The full course typically runs 4–5 days at an accredited training centre, combining classroom teaching with practical drills — including getting in the water for survival training and handling extinguishers or a fire hose for real. Your Personal Survival Techniques and Fire Fighting certificates need refreshing roughly every five years to stay valid; the other modules don't expire in the same way, though requirements can change, so always check current guidance before you rely on an old certificate.
If you already hold STCW certificates that are approaching their five-year refresh date, a shorter 1-day STCW revalidation course covers the update rather than repeating the full week.
Compare STCW course providers
Dozens of MCA-approved schools around the world run STCW Basic Safety Training. Our sister site compares pricing, duration and start dates across them so you can book the right one for your dates and budget.