Guidelines for Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities (PSSR).

**Summary of DGS Circular 26 of 2020: Guidelines for Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities (PSSR)**

Applicable to: All prospective seafarers

Effective Date: Immediate

Superseded Circulars: None

Key Changes and Requirements

1. Course Details

This course is part of the "Basic STCW Safety Training" course, which comprises four modules. It is mandatory for all prospective seafarers and should be completed before being assigned to any shipboard duties.

Duration: 4 days
Entry Standards: Minimum 17 years of age, Secondary School Leaving Certificate, and Medical Fitness Certificate from a DG-approved doctor.
Course Certificate: Issued by DGS-approved maritime training institutes upon successful completion.

2. Course Content

The course covers the following topics, with a total of 24 hours of instruction:

1. Introduction: Importance of the course and ship familiarization.
2. Comply with emergency procedures: Types of emergencies, shipboard contingency plans, emergency signals, duties, and actions.
3. Take precautions to prevent pollution of the marine environment: Basic knowledge of pollution impact, environmental protection procedures, and reporting pollution incidents.
4. Observe safe working practices: Importance of safe working practices, safety devices, enclosed spaces, and communication.
5. Contribute to effective communications on board ship: Principles of effective communication and barriers to communication.
6. Contribute to effective human relationships on board ship: Maintaining good human and working relationships, team working principles, conflict resolution, and social responsibilities.
7. Understand and take necessary actions to control fatigue: Importance of rest, effects of sleep schedules, physical and environmental stressors, and schedule changes.
8. Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006): Purpose, applicability, rights of seafarers, minimum age, medical fitness, certification, recruitment, agreement, wages, hours of work and rest, leave, reptriation, accommodation, recreational facilities, food and catering, medical care, health protection, welfare, social security, complaint procedure, and grievance handling mechanism.

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Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities

Important Note

All seafarers must be familiar with the contents of the ILO Code of Practice for Accident Prevention on Board Ship at Sea and in Port (T1) and the Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seafarers (T2).

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