Some Guidelines for potential new Marsec Operators

T

trublue

Longterm Registered User
I have been requested by the Moderators to post a thread on some guidelines for new potential Marsec Operators. This has come about after an influx of questions being asked on the Marsec forum and threads often being repeated.

I must stress that these guidelines are of my own opinion only and I welcome any better advice from more qualified personnel than I.

SIA Licence

To work in Marsec YOU DO NOT need an SIA licence as normally you will be working abroad and on different flagged vessels. However, Marsec companies might ask for you to have an SIA licence as a pre requisite to employment and that is their right.

BOSIET

The Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training certificate is mainly for operators working on Oil or Gas platforms, YOU DO NOT need this certificate for normal Marsec transits etc, however, Marsec companies engaged in the protection of platforms will want you to have this qualification.

STCW 95

There are many subjects under this heading, but the basic 4 modules required within Maritime for Seafarers are: Fire fighting and Fire Prevention, Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities, Elementary First Aid and Personal Survival Techniques. Within Marsec YOU DO NOT need to be qualified in STCW 95 at present unless Marsec companies ask for it as a pre requisite to employment and that is their right.

SSO

This is probably what a lot of guys do not understand, a Ship Security Officer (SSO) is a designated post within the ships crew and normally is the Master or Chief Officer and he is in charge of the security of that vessel under the ISPS CODE. Marsec companies are now asking operators to be SSO qualified and again this can be a pre requisite to employment within a Marsec company, YOU DO NOT need to be SSO qualified to work in Marsec.

SEAMANS DISCHARGE BOOK

This book helps any Seafarer when entering or leaving countries as well as a normal Passport, it also helps as a record of transits or deployments undertaken and is stamped by the Master with the dates undertaken of the journiesbeing sailed by the Seafarer. As a Marsec operator YOU DO NOT need a Seamans Discharge book, however, Marsec companies might ask you get this as a pre requisite to employment and again, that is their right.
At present the MCA are being very strict in their handling of Discharge books by saying that only if you serve on Briitish Flagged vessels will they then issue you a Discharge book. In my opinion you will have better chance of being granted with a Discharge book if you do a personal visit to the local MCA office instead of postal applications, this will cost you more but could be well worth it in the end.

ENG 1 Medical

This is a standard medical for all Seafarers and it can only be carried out by MCA accredited Doctors and it will cost you £80 and last for 2 years. Marsec companies are now asking the majority of their operators to have the ENG 1 Medical, however, again this could be a pre requisite to employment by the Marsec companies.

Anti Piracy Courses

Some SSO traning providers are adding extra modules onto the SSO courses they are providing at no extra cost, some training providers are producing their own Anti Piracy courses. Within the ISPS Code, there are only 3 accredited courses with these being CSO, SSO and PFSO, companies conducting the anti piracy courses will try and sell these courses and this is their right, however, it is also your right to spend your money how you wish. At present NO Anti Piracy course is accredited by the MCA or TRANSEC within the UK.

Taxation

This subject will always come up and all I can say is for everyone to seek specialist advice from an Accountant or via the forum by asking ANNAC-WHITTAKER&CO.

My last bit of advice to all potential Marsec and new operators on this forum is to READ past THREADS and POSTS to gain any information without having the same threads and questions all over again!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Just to add to this if you are coming into this do your home work with the companies your intending to apply to check there websites 9 times out of 10 it will have what they require you to have to be come eligible for employment with them. Do Your Homework and it will save you time and money.
As has already been said DONT JUST COME ON THE FORUM AND MAKE A POST TAKE THE TIME TO READ A FEW PAGES OF THREADS THE ANSWER IS PROBABLY THERE ALREADY.
Goodluck
 
SSO

This is probably what a lot of guys do not understand, a Ship Security Officer (SSO) is a designated post within the ships crew and normally is the Master or Chief Officer and he is in charge of the security of that vessel under the ISPS CODE. Marsec companies are now asking operators to be SSO qualified and again this can be a pre requisite to employment within a Marsec company, YOU DO NOT need to be SSO qualified to work in Marsec.
Click to expand...

SSO QUALIFIED!!!

A major misconception.

Anyone looking to go into Maritime Security and as such attends a SSO three day power point course delivered by a Training Provider accredited by the MCA is not a Qualified Ships Security Officer.

Just as watching the boxed set of 'Casualty' does not make you a qualified medic!!

The criteria for a Qualified Ships Security Officer as per the International Maritime Organisation refers to Ships Officers in the Merchant Navy with sea going experience.

If you are paying for a SSO course which you are led to believe, by a training provider,
will qualify you to be a Ships Security Officer as per the IMO, after all the SSO is an accredited IMO course, you are being at the least misinformed at the worse misled.

The Trade Descriptions Act makes interesting reading. Misrepresentation for financial gain!

Training Providers need to be very careful in their marketing of the SSO course.
I suggest a disclaimer in large letters indicating that the person taking the power point course ,with a view to working as a onboard team member for counter/anti piracy employment, will not be a qualified Ships Security Officer.
This before any money changes hands.

Saward
 
Thanks very much for your time with this, now lets hope that people newly arrived can take the time to read it and that it saves us all from seeing the same questions ten times a day. Hell i have seen the answers so many times even i know what the requirements are, but i do like to let you all alone to crack on with your boaty things.

Thanks again for your time trublue, i appreciate your efforts with this one :)
 
I can see where you old hats are coming from. It must be very frustrating to see the same questions come up over and over again. I for one can be held to account for such things.

I have to agree with you that the past threads hold so much valuable information, its an absolute gold mine.

I would just like to say thanks to the few on here that have pointed me in the right direction as I hope to leave on my first transit next Monday.

Many thanks for your help,

regards,

Eddy
 
goodluck Eddythespade hope it works out for ya look out for the guy i told you about via pmor email i cant remember which lol
 
trueblue, may I also extend my thanks for your post.
However, I am currently paying out a small fortune to take my SSO (yes, it is the 3 day powerpoint presentation), plus an anti-piracy input, along with a 4 module STCW 95 course and I have obtained an ENG 1.
While I agree that there is no legal requirement to have many of these courses to work on a ship as security (and I realise that the 3 day SSO does not make you an SSO), what I have discovered is that any marsec company worth it's salt (no pun intended) will ask anyone seeking employment with them to possess SSO (3 day blah blah), STCW 95, ENG 1 and a Seamans Discharge Book as a minimum prerequisite for being considered. Many will add former military/HE experience to that list.
So, although I agree with your posting being completely accurate, I think that your emphasis on what courses/qualifications you DO NOT HAVE to possess may be a little misleading. In my experience (and my bank manager will vouch for this) in the real world of marsec, while many of the qualifications you have said are not required by law, in practice they will be required prior to getting an actual job with a reputable company nowadays.
As I said, I'm not saying you're wrong, it's just a matter of putting, in my humble opinion, the right emphasis.
 
Last edited:
I agree as well, but technically as I have said you do not need what I have mentioned but as a pre requisite if you had them it might gain you employment with a Marsec company.

The whole point of the thread was to help new guys putting threads on the forum and asking the same questions repeatedly, and again as pointed out in the first paragraph any help or input would be gratefully appreciated, thankyou.
 
Anyway... Thanks TB very interesting... for someone who remains and will always remain 'turfside' without hesitation [due to the fact that I part with my custard in any swell over 45' and that's difficult with a demand valve in one's gob] I found your post informative. Obviously Saward had something to add which was also useful.

I suspect that like all 'issues' the question of Marsec etc will evolve with time.

Good luck to all you Rum, Bum and Baccy merchants...

CD
 
Eddythespade said:
I can see where you old hats are coming from. It must be very frustrating to see the same questions come up over and over again. I for one can be held to account for such things.

I have to agree with you that the past threads hold so much valuable information, its an absolute gold mine.

I would just like to say thanks to the few on here that have pointed me in the right direction as I hope to leave on my first transit next Monday.

Many thanks for your help,

regards,

Eddy
Click to expand...

Ref My Last "Cancel"!!!!!

After three weeks of comms talking about jobs and travel plans I was emailed today. Three days before I was due to leave to be told that "Actually we are restructuring and wont be flying you out at all"!

Bummer!!!!
 
Also i would get a CRB check, as companies are needing this to show P&I clubs and clients. But if you have a SIA license you will not need to get another CRB as most of the shipping companies recognise SIA as proof.
 
re CRB Check

I already had one which was 18 months old, the check having a 3 year life! Though like the MOT Test that lasts 12 months, five minutes after leaving the station the vehicle could become unroadworthy :-(

Therefore whilst I think the same re CRB Checks It only as value on the day its issued! I therefore had to submit another CRB Check as the company would not accept one more than 6 months old :-(

I have not yet been informed as to whether the New Company Requirement will require me having one evry 6 months??

Re SIA Licence, depending on when it was issued, you may not have had a CRB Check for years??? Therefore a SIA Licence may not be acceptable?? Just an observation!
 
Re Qualifications for working in the MARSEC Industry

I have watched with a smile, peoples interpretation of whats required!

The Cynic in me feels that if you are ex RM even if having left over 25 years ago, complete a SSO Course then you will have issued Golden Bollocks and many doors will be opened for you :)

If however you are a mere mortal and do not have someone working for a company who can & will vouch for you? Then basically you are "F**ked"

I went down the basic advised route,

SSO+
Stcw 95
CRB Check
ENG 1
Additionally Ex Forces & Ex Civil Police

All doors were closed in my face, because I wore a Red Beret (Ex RMP) and had not been issued with Golden Bollocks I was in fact "F**ked"

Then I remembered I had a friend, who had worn one of those Magical Beret's. Who out of the kindness of his heart opened a door for me and got me the opportunity to do my first transit! I now have my toe in the door with one company ! :) Hurrah

The cynic in me says, we can pay for all the courses have ex forces experience but without Karma working for us then we basically have to wait till a transit comes up where a company does not have enough staff and someone remembers at the bottom of the CV's Pile you are waiting!
 
rj765 said:
..... snipped.....but without Karma working for us then we basically have to wait till a transit comes up where a company does not have enough staff and someone remembers at the bottom of the CV's Pile you are waiting!
Click to expand...

This must be one of the most honest posts around Marsec employment I have read.

Even with 30 years of security experience, with top notch companies I can say "Been there, done that, got the bottom of the pile CV call", and only now I am in.
 
Back
Top