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Shipboard Safety • Occupational Safety • SSO
Ship Safety Officer (SSO) Course & Complete Onboard Safety Guide
Develop practical knowledge of onboard safety responsibilities, hazard identification, risk assessment, accident prevention, incident reporting, safety meetings, crew communication and the development of a stronger shipboard safety culture.
100% Online
52 Hours Listed Study Time
Certificate of Competence
English
Course at a Glance
Ship Safety Officer Online Training
IMT's current Ship Safety Officer course is listed as a Certificate of Competence delivered fully online with flexible self-paced study.
Listed Study Time
52 hours
Current course-page duration.
Course Structure
1 section • 1 lesson • 1 quiz
Current catalogue structure.
Language
English
Flexible self-paced online learning.
Important accreditation clarification: UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency guidance states that a ship safety officer training course accredited in line with Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) course criteria is recognized by the MCA. This page does not claim that the IMT course has MNTB or MCA recognition unless IMT holds separate documentary evidence confirming that status.
The Role
What Is a Ship Safety Officer?
A Ship Safety Officer is an onboard safety role that helps support occupational health, accident prevention, safe working practices and effective consultation with the crew.
The exact legal requirement and duties depend on the vessel's flag State and the regulations that apply to the ship. In the United Kingdom, current MCA guidance under the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Health and Safety at Work) Regulations 1997, as amended, states that a safety officer must be appointed on seagoing ships with five or more seafarers, other than fishing vessels.
The role is intended to help the shipowner, Master, officers and crew maintain a safe working environment. In practice, a safety officer may support hazard identification, risk assessment, safe-working procedures, safety meetings, communication of hazards, use of protective equipment, incident learning and the promotion of better safety behaviour onboard.
The safety officer should not work in isolation. Effective onboard safety depends on cooperation between the Master, officers, ratings, safety representatives, shore management and the company's wider safety-management arrangements.
Core Responsibilities
What Does a Ship Safety Officer Do?
Specific duties vary by flag and company, but the role generally supports the practical management of occupational safety onboard.
Promote Safety Awareness
Encourage crew members to recognize hazards and treat safe working as part of normal operations.
Support Risk Assessment
Participate in identifying hazards, evaluating risk and reviewing whether controls are suitable.
Observe Work Practices
Help identify unsafe practices, weak controls or conditions that may increase the likelihood of an accident.
Safety Meetings
Support constructive consultation about onboard hazards, incidents, lessons and improvement actions.
Incident Learning
Help ensure accidents, near misses and hazardous occurrences lead to useful lessons and preventive action.
PPE & Safety Equipment
Support awareness of correct use and availability of appropriate protective and safety equipment.
Crew Communication
Provide a practical route for raising safety concerns and improvement proposals onboard.
Safety Culture
Encourage reporting, participation and learning rather than allowing unsafe shortcuts to become normal practice.
UK Regulatory Example
When Is a Ship Safety Officer Required?
Requirements are flag-State specific. The United Kingdom provides a useful published example of how the role is regulated.
- Current MCA guidance applies to UK ships under the 1997 health and safety regulations, as amended
- On seagoing ships with five or more seafarers, other than fishing vessels, a safety officer must be appointed
- The safety officer should receive sufficient resources to perform the role effectively, including training
- The MCA advises that it is not desirable for the Master to act as the ship's safety officer
- The officer responsible for medical care onboard should also generally not be the safety officer
- Ships in scope with five or more seafarers must also establish a safety committee
- The safety committee includes the Master, safety officer and appropriate safety representatives
Safety Officer vs Security Officer
Ship Safety Officer vs Ship Security Officer — What Is the Difference?
The acronyms can be confusing, but these are different professional functions.
Ship Safety Officer
Focuses on occupational and operational safety: accident prevention, safe working practices, hazards, risk assessment, crew consultation and safety culture.
- Occupational safety
- Hazard identification
- Risk assessment
- Safe working practices
- Safety meetings
- Incident prevention
Ship Security Officer
Is a maritime-security role under the ISPS Code and STCW security-training framework, focusing on implementation and maintenance of the Ship Security Plan and security duties.
- Maritime security
- Ship Security Plan
- Security threats
- Security drills
- ISPS implementation
- STCW security competence
SEO and sales wording rule: IMT should avoid using “SSO” alone where the context is unclear. Write Ship Safety Officer (SSO) on this page and use Ship Security Officer in ISPS/STCW security content to prevent student confusion.
Risk Management
How Does a Ship Safety Officer Support Risk Assessment?
Risk assessment is one of the most practical tools for preventing injuries and unsafe operations onboard.
1. Identify the Hazard
Recognize equipment, conditions, actions or environmental factors that could cause harm.
2. Identify Who May Be Harmed
Consider crew members, contractors, visitors or others who may be exposed to the hazard.
3. Evaluate Existing Controls
Review procedures, permits, barriers, PPE, supervision and other safeguards already in place.
4. Assess Remaining Risk
Consider likelihood and consequence after existing controls are taken into account.
5. Add Better Controls
Where risk is not adequately controlled, identify additional practical safeguards.
6. Communicate the Controls
Make sure everyone involved understands the safe method of work before the task begins.
7. Monitor the Work
Observe whether controls remain effective when the work is actually performed.
8. Review & Improve
Update the assessment after changes, incidents, near misses or lessons learned.
Safe Working Practices
Common Shipboard Safety Areas
The safety officer needs broad awareness of the types of work where strong planning, supervision and risk controls are essential.
Working at Height
Fall prevention, equipment, access arrangements, weather and rescue considerations.
Enclosed Space Entry
Atmosphere testing, authorization, communications, standby arrangements and emergency readiness.
Hot Work
Fire and explosion controls, permits, isolation, gas testing and fire-watch arrangements.
Mooring Operations
Snap-back zones, line condition, communications, positioning and team coordination.
Machinery Maintenance
Isolation, stored energy, tools, guards, permits and safe restoration of equipment.
Electrical Work
Isolation, testing, authorization and prevention of accidental energization.
Lifting Operations
Equipment condition, load limits, planning, communication and exclusion zones.
Personal Protective Equipment
Selecting and correctly using PPE as part of a broader hierarchy of risk controls.
Incident Prevention
How a Safety Officer Helps Turn Incidents into Learning
Good safety management does not stop at recording an accident. The aim is to understand what happened and reduce the likelihood of recurrence.
Report
Encourage prompt reporting of accidents, near misses and hazardous conditions.
Preserve Information
Help ensure relevant facts, records and operational information are retained.
Understand Causes
Look beyond the immediate act to technical, procedural, organizational and human factors.
Share Lessons
Communicate useful learning to crew members and relevant shore personnel.
Improve Controls
Update risk assessments, procedures, training or equipment when improvement is needed.
Track Actions
Follow corrective actions until they are implemented and verified.
Check Wider Exposure
Consider whether the same weakness could affect another task, department or vessel.
Support Safety Culture
Use learning to strengthen reporting, communication and trust around safety issues.
Course Learning Focus
What You Should Learn from Ship Safety Officer Training
A practical SSO programme should help participants understand the role, common onboard hazards and the systems used to prevent accidents.
- Duties and responsibilities of the Ship Safety Officer
- Maritime occupational health and safety principles
- Hazard identification
- Risk assessment and risk controls
- Accident and incident prevention
- Safe working practices onboard
- Permit-to-work awareness
- Use of personal protective equipment
- Safety meetings and consultation
- Incident reporting and investigation awareness
- Safety training and communication
- Safety representatives and crew participation
- Safety culture and human behaviour
- Continual improvement of onboard safety
Who Should Enroll
Who Is the Ship Safety Officer Course For?
The course is particularly relevant to seafarers and shore-based professionals who need stronger practical knowledge of occupational safety onboard ships.
Current or Prospective Safety Officers
Personnel preparing for or already supporting the onboard safety-officer function.
Masters & Chief Officers
Senior deck officers responsible for safe operations and crew leadership.
Chief Engineers & Engineer Officers
Engineering personnel supervising high-risk technical work and machinery operations.
Safety Representatives
Crew members participating in onboard safety consultation and improvement.
Marine Superintendents
Shore-based personnel monitoring shipboard safety, incidents and operational performance.
HSEQ / HSQE Personnel
Professionals working with risk, safety systems, audits and incident prevention.
Maritime Trainers
Personnel delivering safety inductions, toolbox talks or operational training.
Maritime Consultants
Professionals supporting vessel safety reviews, risk assessment and safety improvement.
Current IMT Course
How the IMT Ship Safety Officer Course Is Delivered
The current IMT course page lists the programme as fully online, flexible and focused on practical application of shipboard safety principles.
Online & Self-Paced
The programme is delivered through the IMT web learning platform and can be studied remotely without travel.
Practical Course Content
The current course overview includes safety-officer duties, maritime safety regulations, risk assessment, accident prevention, incident reporting, training and safety culture.
Assessment & Certificate
The current catalogue lists one lesson and one quiz, and states that a course certificate is issued after successful completion of the course examination.
Authoritative References
Official Safety References for Ship Safety Officers
Because legal requirements vary by flag State, students should use the relevant Administration's current rules and official occupational-safety guidance.
MCA MGN 636 (M+F) Amendment 4
Current UK guidance on shipowner, Master, officer and seafarer responsibilities under the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Health and Safety at Work) Regulations 1997, as amended.
Official MCA Guidance →Safe Working Practices
UK government guidance on the Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seafarers and practical shipboard safety controls.
Official GOV.UK Guidance →ILO Maritime Labour Convention
The MLC, 2006 includes requirements relevant to occupational safety and health protection for seafarers.
Official ILO MLC Resource →Frequently Asked Questions
Ship Safety Officer (SSO) FAQ
Answers to common questions from seafarers and maritime professionals researching Ship Safety Officer duties and online training.
What is a Ship Safety Officer?
A Ship Safety Officer is an onboard occupational-safety role that supports accident prevention, hazard awareness, safe working practices, risk control and safety consultation with the crew.
What does a Ship Safety Officer do?
Duties vary by flag State and company, but commonly include promoting safety awareness, supporting risk assessments, identifying unsafe conditions, participating in safety meetings, encouraging incident reporting and helping improve safe working practices.
Is a Ship Safety Officer mandatory?
The requirement depends on the vessel's flag State. For example, current UK MCA guidance requires a safety officer on seagoing ships with five or more seafarers, other than fishing vessels.
Is a Ship Safety Officer the same as a Ship Security Officer?
No. A Ship Safety Officer focuses on occupational and operational safety. A Ship Security Officer is a security role under the ISPS Code and STCW security framework.
Can the Master be the Ship Safety Officer?
Rules depend on the flag State. Current UK MCA guidance says it is not advisable for the Master or the officer responsible for medical care onboard to be the ship's safety officer.
What is the role of the ship safety committee?
A safety committee provides a structured forum for the Master, safety officer and crew representatives to discuss occupational-safety issues, hazards, incidents and improvements.
Does the Ship Safety Officer carry out risk assessments?
The safety officer can support hazard identification, risk assessment and monitoring of controls, while overall health-and-safety responsibilities remain distributed across the shipowner, Master, officers and crew according to applicable regulations and company procedures.
Can Ship Safety Officer training be completed online?
Yes. IMT currently lists the Ship Safety Officer programme as 100% online with 52 hours of study and flexible scheduling.
Is the IMT Ship Safety Officer course MCA or MNTB approved?
This page does not make that claim. The MCA recognizes safety-officer courses accredited in line with MNTB criteria, so IMT should only advertise MCA/MNTB recognition if separate documentary evidence confirms it.
What should I study after Ship Safety Officer training?
Useful related pathways include Risk Management, Incident Investigation, Safety Management Systems, ISM/ISPS/MLC Maritime Auditor and Train the Trainer depending on your responsibilities.
Ship Safety Officer Training Enquiry
Ask About the Ship Safety Officer Course
Tell us about your current position, vessel type and whether your goal is to take on a safety role, improve onboard risk management or strengthen your maritime safety knowledge.
✓ Ship Safety Officer course and enrollment information
✓ Guidance based on your onboard or shore-based role
✓ Help choosing related risk, incident or safety-management training
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