QMED - Engine Room Resource Management?

Maritime Topics Maritime Training & Licensing
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Okay, so I am a Able Seafarer - Engine/QMED with 5 ratings/RFPEW and I’m worried about my career path to 3rd AE in the future. I work a rotation and only get 180 days a year and spent a year in shipyard previously that does not count, so my seatime isn’t real high. I’m currently looking into options on my way to my 3rd’s that will give me the highest chance of being employable should anything happen at my current job or just if I want to amen a change at some point.

So I spent a few hours looking at NVIC 17-14 (OICEW & DDE) last night and I have some questions. I understand that basically you can skip some of the training, get the STCW endorsement and only be valid to 12/2016 or you can do the required training between now and then and have your STCW endorsement be valid for after 1/2017. Is this correct?

Also, it talks about needing 36months of seatime, OR 12months of seatime AND take an approved course. I couldn’t find an approved course through the USCG site for it yet. Does anyone know who might have one or be working on one? I could only find Engine Room Managment. Thinking that since I have the seatime I could do the course and then all the assessments and other classes and be good.

and speaking of ERM, Do Able Seafarer - Engine/QMED’s/RFPEW’s need to have this course completed by 2017? Couldn’t seem to find an answer on that. Thanks for your responses.

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I don’t believe those gap closing classes are needed for unlicensed ratings. They only apply to license holders.

I have to take them myself because I just got licensed, even though I can’t sail on the license I have. I will be able to add engine this year if I get five months sea time.

So I have to figure out how to save for what I need and get signed up for them because the classes will fill up fast.

On your question about equivalent courses for 3A/E, I am not aware of any other than a maritime academy. Perhaps someone else will chime in.

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Cat is right. Those courses are for license holders. Keep in mind you can still sit for the license, but won’t get the STCW part without the courses.

As of right now there are just some schools on the east coast offering those courses, and I think most of them haven’t been approved yet. Think there are some older threads regarding ERM and the other engine courses. Hopefully some schools on the west coast will offer them and the USCG approves the program this year. It’s going to make things tough to get done if it’s this time next year and nothing has changed progress wise, as far schools getting their curriculums coast guard approved.

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Thanks for the response. I’m okay on what I need to do to get my 3rds when the time comes. I was more interested in DDE/OICEW, seemed like it might be a viable option on the way to the 3rd AE. Just thinking I could add some worthwhile endorsements to my MMC to make me more employable. Thanks.

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[QUOTE=Kingrobby;154005]Thanks for the response. I’m okay on what I need to do to get my 3rds when the time comes. I was more interested in DDE/OICEW, seemed like it might be a viable option on the way to the 3rd AE. Just thinking I could add some worthwhile endorsements to my MMC to make me more employable. Thanks.[/QUOTE]

If you qualify for a 3rd, you would qualify for DDE unlimited. However, I am pretty sure you would have to sit through an additional 4 modules on top of the 5 or 6 you would have to take for the 3rd.

OICEW requirements for the engine licenses are all fairly similar.

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/U][QUOTE=Kingrobby;153996]So I spent a few hours looking at NVIC 17-14 (OICEW & DDE) last night [/QUOTE]

“Designated Duty Engineer” in the title of the STCW endorsement is not the same as the national officer endorsement (license) with the same name. In STCW, it’s the “operational level” (STCW III/1) and refers to an assistant engineer who is designated as being on duty for a specific watch when the engine room is unmanned. The national endorsement DDE is the sole engineer, and thus is the management level in STCW (STCW III/2 or 3).

[QUOTE=Kingrobby;153996]I understand that basically you can skip some of the training, get the STCW endorsement and only be valid to 12/2016 or you can do the required training between now and then and have your STCW endorsement be valid for after 1/2017. Is this correct?.[/QUOTE]

Not really. The new rule has a substantial amount of training required for OICEW. If you jhave one day of service towards 3rd AE/OICEW before March 24, 2014 you can qualify for the OICEW endorsement [U]until December 31, 2016[/U] without this training BST, Advanced FF, and Proficiency in Survival Craft is required). If you do not have training for ERM and have not met the standard of competence for Leadership and Teamwork Skills, your STCW OICEW endorsement will have a limitation that it is not valid after December 31, 2016. To remove that limitation, you only need the ERM and Leadership, you do not need all the other training and assessment in 46 CFR 11.329(a)(3) and (4).

[QUOTE=Kingrobby;153996] Also, it talks about needing 36months of seatime, OR 12months of seatime AND take an approved course. I couldn’t find an approved course through the USCG site for it yet. Does anyone know who might have one or be working on one? I could only find Engine Room Managment. [/QUOTE]

It’s not 12 months of sea time, and it’s not a “course.” It’s a [U][I]program[/I][/U], i.e. a bunch of courses and embedded sea time that is part of the program (you can’t use any obtained before the program). The only OICEW programs currently available are the academies. If any more are apoproved in the future, they are going to be comparable in length to the “workboat” and other Mate 500/OICNW programs (2 to 4 years).

[QUOTE=Kingrobby;153996]…and speaking of ERM, Do Able Seafarer - Engine/QMED’s/RFPEW’s need to have this course completed by 2017? Couldn’t seem to find an answer on that. Thanks for your responses.[/QUOTE]

Able Seafarer-Engine and RFPEW do not need the ERM course.

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[QUOTE=Ctony;154017]If you qualify for a 3rd, you would qualify for DDE unlimited. However, I am pretty sure you would have to sit through an additional 4 modules on top of the 5 or 6 you would have to take for the 3rd.

OICEW requirements for the engine licenses are all fairly similar.[/QUOTE]

See above. The STCW endorsement that corresponds to the national license of DDE is [U][/U][I]not[/I] OICEW (STCW III/1). It’s STCW III/2 or 3 (Chief Engineer). You can get the license with an additional test, but to get the STCW you will need meet the applicable STCW requirements for an endorsement as Chief Engineer 3,000 kW/4,000 HP or More, or Chief Engineer Less Than 3,000 kW/4,000 HP.

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Engine Room Resource Management- (Maybe late but for reference):waving_hand:

  1. What the IMO/STCW actually says:

Under the IMO framework, Engine Room Resource Management is governed mainly by:

STCW Convention

STCW Code – Section A-III/1, A-III/2

STCW Manila Amendments 2010

1.ERRM is NOT a time-limited certificate under STCW.

Once you have:

Completed an approved ERM course, and

It is reflected on your Certificate of Competency or supporting documents,

:backhand_index_pointing_right: There is NO IMO requirement to renew or refresh it periodically.

So from a IMO / flag-state

  • ERM = Unlimited validity

*No mandatory revalidation cycle like:

1.Advanced Firefighting

2.Medical Care

3.Survival Craft

  1. Why companies (especially oil & gas) still demand refreshers

Under the ISM Code, companies must:

1.Ensure crew are competent for their assigned duties

2.Demonstrate continuous training and assessment

Many companies interpret ERM as:

  • “Competency that degrades without practice”

That is why they impose internal validity periods (often 5 years).

Terminal and client requirements

During vetting:

Inspectors frequently ask: “When was the last ERM/BRM training completed?”

An old ERM certificate (10–15 years) often raises red flags—even if legally valid.

### Human factors & accident history

Most serious marine incidents today involve:

  • Poor communication

  • Authority gradient

  • Fatigue

  • Situational awareness failures

ERM directly addresses human element risks, which:

  • Change with technology

  • Change with engine room automation

  • Change with multinational crews

Companies therefore argue refresher training is risk control, not compliance.

Flag State & Class influence (indirect pressure)

Some flag administrations and classification societies:

  • Don’t mandate renewal

  • But recommend recurrent training

Companies adopt this as policy to avoid:

  • PSC observations

  • Vetting rejections

  • Insurance scrutiny after incidents

3. Does an engineer really need to renew ERM?

Short answer

No – not legally under IMO/STCW
Yes – often contractually and commercially

5. What many engineers misunderstand

“If IMO says unlimited, the company cannot ask again.”

This is incorrect.

IMO sets the minimum standard.
Companies are free to go above the minimum.

Professional advice

  • Keep your original ERM certificate – it remains valid forever.

  • If working in oil, gas, chemical, LNG sectors, expect:

    • ERM refresher every 5 years

  • Choose short refresher / simulator-based courses rather than full ERM again.

  • Treat refresher ERM as career protection, not bureaucracy.

1 Like
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Not entirely true. ERM is currently a one-time requirement for existing certified (licensed) engineers. But as to the subject of this discussion, a rating seeking their “first certificate of competency” (STCW officer endorsement), the U.S. Coast Guard will not accept to meet their requirements for certification as officer in charge of an engineering watch it if is over more than ten years old.

There are no such courses in the U.S. The constituency of this forum is largely U.S. mariners.

Note that there are currently several pending proposals as part of the comprehensive review that would make BRM and ERM part of the existing requirement for Leadership and Teamworking Skills rather than a separate requirement. These are currently only proposals made by several administrations.

The proposals for consideration at the next session of the Human Element, Training a and Watchkeeping sub-committee (HTW) in February are publicly available. You need to register as a public user on the IMO web site. After you complete the registration process, the proposal papers are under IMO Docs/Meeting Documents/HTW Sub-Committee. The relevant papers are for agenda item 6, and all begin with the numbering HTW 12/6/XX.

3 Likes
10

Yes,true as per details below:

Certificates that are UNLIMITED under STCW

These do NOT expire under IMO rules (unless flag/company says otherwise):

  • Bridge Resource Management (BRM)

  • Engine Room Resource Management (ERM / ERRM)

  • Leadership & Teamwork

  • Crowd Management

  • High Voltage (HV) training

  • ECDIS (STCW does NOT set expiry; many flags impose 5 years)

  • DP Induction / DP Simulator (not STCW at all)

Certificates of Competency (CoC)- Master

  • Chief Mate

  • Officer of the Watch (Deck)

  • Chief Engineer

  • Second Engineer

  • Officer of the Watch (Engine)

Validity

  • 5 years

Every 5 years, you must demonstrate continued professional competence by one of the following:

  • Approved seagoing service (usually 12 months in last 5 years or 3 months in last 6 months, flag dependent), or

  • Approved refresher / revalidation course, or

  • Combination of both

As per “There are no such courses in the U.S. The constituency of this forum is largely U.S. mariners” - Per my experience in Maritime Training Center I see a lot of officers from different places visiting our approved IMO refresh courses online per request by flag state or company per my previous post. Online courses are availble via Zoom with AnyDesck app directly connecting participants PC with the required simulator.