Certificate of Proficiency Continued Competence

• Personal Survival Techniques refresher liferaft operation, immersion suit donning, water survival, and signalling equipment.
• Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting refresher fire theory, fire-fighting equipment use and selection, and live-fire exercises.
• Survival Craft and Rescue Boats operation of off-load and on-load release devices, resetting release devices, and use of signalling equipment.
• Practical use of lifejackets, immersion suits and liferafts in simulated survival scenarios.
• Emergency drills in controlled environments, focusing on team coordination and decision-making under pressure.

This course is delivered through a blend of:

• Facilitator-led classroom sessions reviewing STCW emergency response protocols, fire-fighting principles, and survival techniques.
• Hands-on practical training with firefighting systems, personal survival equipment, immersion suits, and survival craft in ERGT Australia's purpose-built maritime training facilities.
• In-water survival exercises reinforcing personal survival and liferaft procedures.
• Emergency response team exercises with real-time feedback focusing on fire team command and coordination.
• Performance-based assessments in controlled environments confirming competence against STCW continued competence requirements.

The Certificate of Proficiency Continued Competence course is designed for seafarers who are required to revalidate their STCW Certificate of Proficiency and who hold qualifying sea service. It is suited to ratings-level seafarers, including deck crew, marine engineers, and integrated ratings working in Australian or international waters who must demonstrate continued competence in the three STCW emergency response elements as part of their five-yearly CoP revalidation.
Seafarers who do not hold qualifying sea service should contact ERGT Australia before enrolling, as a different revalidation pathway applies.

Physical Requirements

This is a physically active one-and-a-half-day course involving in-water activities and live-fire exercises. Learners must be able to:

• Don an immersion suit and enter the water as part of in-water survival exercises.
• Operate in and around water during liferaft and survival craft exercises.
• Wear and operate firefighting PPE during live-fire exercises.
• Sustain physical activity across one and a half days of practical training.

A medical certificate is not required for enrolment with ERGT Australia; however, a health questionnaire and declaration of fitness will be required at course registration. Note that AMSA requires a valid AMSA Certificate of Medical Fitness (Form 303) before lodging your revalidation application. Learners are encouraged to contact ERGT Australia before the course if they have any concerns about meeting these requirements. Reasonable adjustments will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Under the respiratory protection standard AS/NZS 1715, learners must be clean-shaven to achieve an effective facial seal when wearing breathing apparatus during firefighting exercises. If you are unsure whether this requirement applies to you, contact ERGT Australia prior to your course date.

Psychological Requirements

This course involves working in challenging maritime training environments. Learners should be prepared to:

• Participate in in-water survival exercises, including entry into water in an immersion suit and operation in and around a liferaft.
• Work in conditions involving live-fire exercises while wearing firefighting PPE.
• Perform under realistic emergency scenario conditions, including time pressure and the demands of coordinating a firefighting response.

Learners who have concerns about in-water activities or live-fire exercises are encouraged to speak with ERGT Australia prior to enrolment.

Behavioural Requirements

All learners are required to:

• Follow facilitator instructions and all safety procedures precisely at all times, particularly during in-water exercises and live-fire scenarios.
• Communicate clearly and effectively with team members throughout all practical activities and emergency response exercises.
• Adhere to ERGT Australia's site safety rules and all applicable maritime training safety protocols.
• Report any health, fitness, or equipment concerns to the facilitator before or immediately during a session.
• Behave professionally and respectfully toward all participants and facilitators throughout the course.

Language, Literacy, Numeracy and Digital

• Learners must have basic Language, Literacy, Numeracy and Digital (LLND) skills to understand safety procedures and complete assessments. Learners must be able to access and navigate a digital device to log in and access the course materials. Support for learners is available on request. More information is available on our website under "Learner Support".