Guidelines for the Development of Tables of Seafarers’ Shipboard Working Arrangementsand Formats of Records of Seafarers’ Hours of Work or Hours of Rest

Sep 25, 2026

Uploaded by Mia

Guidelines for competent authorities to develop standardized tables of shipboard working arrangements and to implement record formats for seafarers’ hours of work or hours of rest. The document is grounded in ILO Convention No. 180 (1996) and aligned with related STCW requirements on rest periods for watchkeeping personnel. It explains posting obligations, standardized formats in ship working languages and English, maintenance and endorsement of records, and the rationale for preventing fatigue through watch system arrangements and monitoring compliance.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time6 min

AccessFree to download

Purpose

Background

Requirements under Convention No. 180

Record-keeping and formats

Relationship with STCW Convention and STCW Code

Guidelines for the Development of Tables of Seafarers’ Shipboard Working Arrangementsand Formats of Records of Seafarers’Hours of Work or Hours of Rest Purpose 1 These Guidelines are intended to assist competent authorities* to develop tables of shipboard working arrangements and records of seafarers’ hours of work or hours of rest as required by the Seafarers’Hours of Work and the Manning of Ships Convention, 1996 (No.180)(hereinafter referred to as Convention No. 180) . They also take into account the provisions on establishment of rest periods for watchkeeping personnel contained in the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended (hereinafter referred to as the STCW Convention) . Background 2 Convention No. 180, which was adopted by the 84th (Maritime) session of the International Labour Conference (Geneva, 1996), introduced for the first time comprehensive international provisions to establish limitson seafarers’ maximum working hours or minimum rest periods so as to maintain safe ship operations and minimize fatigue. The Convention includes parts on Scope and Definitions (part I), Seafarers’ Hours of Work and Hours of Rest (part II), Manning of Ships (part III), Responsibilities of Shipowners and Masters (part IV) and Application (part V) . The substantive text of Convention No. 180, which has been included at appendix 1, should be read prior to using these Guidelines. 3 Article 5 of Convention No. 180 lays down, inter alia, the requirements concerning maximum hours of work or minimum hours of rest. According to article 5, paragraph 7: The Member shall require the posting, in an easily accessible place, of a table with the shipboard working arrangements, which shall contain for every position at least (a) the schedule of service at sea and service in port, and (b) the maximum hours of work or the minimum hours of rest required by the laws, regulations and collective agreements in force in the flag State. * ILO Convention No. 180 provides that the term competent authority means the minister, the governmental department or other authority having power to issue regulations, orders or other instructions having the force of law in respect of seafarers’ hours of work or rest or the manning of ships. Paragraph 8 further provides that: The table referred to shall be established in a standardized format in the working language or languages of the ship and in English. 4 According to article 8, paragraph 1: The Member shall require that records of seafarers’ daily hours of work or of their daily hours of rest be maintained to allow monitoring of compliance with the provisions set out in Article 5 . The seafarershall receive a copy of the records pertaining to him or her which shall be endorsed by the master, or a person authorized by the master, and by the seafarer. Paragraph 2 further provides: The competent authority shall establish the format of the records taking into account any available International Labour Organization guidelines or shall use any standard format prepared by the Organization. The format shall be established in the language or languages provided by Article 5, paragraph 8 . 5 Following the adoption of Convention No. 180, the Maritime Conference also adopted a resolution on the application of the Convention in which it requested the International Labour Office, as a matter of priority, to develop the guidelines and standardized format referred to in articles 5 and 8, taking into account the texts and proposals made by the Conference Committee and the discussions thereon. It also recommended that a tripartite group of experts be convened by ILO to assist in this exercise. It also adopted a resolution which declared that nothing in Convention No. 180 was intended to enable Members ratifying the Convention which are also Parties to the STCW Convention to apply provisions to watchkeeping seafarers less favourable than t

FAQs

What is the purpose of these guidelines?

They help competent authorities develop tables of shipboard working arrangements and standardized record formats for seafarers’ hours of work or hours of rest under the requirements of ILO Convention No. 180 (No. 180).

What must a Member post and what should the table contain?

A Member must post a table in an easily accessible place that includes, for every position, the schedule of service at sea and in port, and the maximum hours of work or minimum hours of rest required by the laws and agreements in force in the flag State.

How are records of hours of work or rest to be maintained and provided to seafarers?

Records of daily hours of work or daily hours of rest must be maintained to allow monitoring of compliance, and seafarers must receive a copy endorsed by the master (or an authorized person) and by the seafarer.

Sep 25, 2026

Uploaded by Mia