MERCHANT SHIPPING (A.B. AND E.D.H CERTIFICATES) ġ S.L.234.15 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 234.15
MERCHANT SHIPPING (A.B. AND E.D.H 
CERTIFICATES) REGULATIONS
31st August, 2001
LEGAL NOTICE 196 of 2001.
Title.
and E.D.H. Certificates) Regulations.
Interpretation.
requires -
Cap. 234.
L.N. 42 of 1975.
Competency as A.B.) Regulations, 1975;
''A.B.'' means able bodied seaman;
''approved'' means approved by the Registrar-General;
''E.D.H.'' means efficient deck hand;
''P.S.C. & R.B.'' means proficiency in survival craft and rescue
boats;
''STCW Code'' means the Seafarers" Training, Certification and
Watchkeeping Code adopted by the 1995 Conference of Parties to
the STCW Convention;
''STCW Convention'' means the International Convention on
Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for
Seafarers, signed in London on 7th July, 1978;
(2) Unless otherwise defined in the Act, or in these regulations
or unless the context otherwise requires, words and expressions
used in these regulations shall have the same meaning assigned to
them in the STCW Convention.
(3) Any reference in these regulations to an international
convention or its related protocol or code shall include reference to
any amendments to such convention, protocol or code accepted by
the Government of Malta.
Rating as A.B. or 
E.D.H. on a 
Maltese ship.
3. No person engaged on a Maltese ship shall be rated as A.B.
or E.D.H. unless such person is in possession of a certificate as
A.B. or E.D.H., as the case may be, issued or recognised under
these or under the 1975 regulations:
Provided that after the 1st February, 2002 no person in
possession of a certificate issued or recognised under the 1975
regulations and engaged on a Maltese ship shall be rated as A.B. or
E.D.H. unless such person has completed, to the satisfaction of the
Registrar-General, an approved course in personal survival
techniques.
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Conditions for the 
grant of 
certificates.
4. The procedure and conditions for the issue of certificates
provided for in these regulations shall be as set out in the Schedule.
Recognition of 
foreign certificates.
5. Where it is shown to the satisfaction of the Registrar-
General that a person is in possession of a valid certificate not
issued under these regulations and the Registrar-General is
satisfied that the certificate has been issued following examinations
so conducted as to be equally efficient with the examinations
conducted under these regulations, and that the certificates are
issued on such conditions as to show the like qualifications and
competence as those granted under these regulations, the Registrar-
General may recognise such certificate.
Lost or destroyed 
certificates.
6. (1) If a certificate issued under these regulations is lost or
destroyed, the holder thereof, shall as soon as practicable, notify
the Registrar-General, who shall, if satisfied that it has been so lost
or destroyed, issue a copy of the certificate, so marked, against
payment of the prescribed fee, and such certificate shall have the
same effect as the certificate originally issued.
(2) Any certificate notified as aforesaid as lost or destroyed
shall, if subsequently recovered, be delivered forthwith to the
Registrar-General.
Forgery of 
certificates.
7. The provisions of article 98 of the Act shall apply in
relation to certificates issued or recognised under these regulations,
and to any certificate or document referred to in these regulations.
Saving. 8. Any certificate issued under the 1975 Regulations, revoked
by these regulations, shall, subject to the provisions of regulation 3
hereof, remain valid as if it has been issued under these regulations.
SCHEDULE
(Regulation 4)
Issue of A.B., E.D.H. and P.S.C. & R.B. Certificates
Interpretation.
For the purpose of this Schedule, unless the context otherwise
requires -
''major ship'' means a ship having, in the case of a sailing ship, a
gross tonnage of 40 or more and, in the case of any other ship, a
gross tonnage of 100 or more;
''minor ship'' means a ship (not being a ship having a gross
tonnage of less than 15) having, in the case of a sailing ship, a gross
tonnage of less than 40 and, in the case of any other ship, a gross
tonnage of less than 100;
''restricted area'' means the waters between one island and
another of any archipelago or within any territorial waters but
outside harbour.
MERCHANT SHIPPING (A.B. AND E.D.H CERTIFICATES) ġ S.L.234.15 3
1. A.B. and E.D.H. Certificates
Issue of A.B. 
certificate.
1.1 An A.B. certificate shall be issued by the Registrar-
General on application and on payment of the prescribed fee, to any
person who, subject to the provisions set out in this Schedule -
1.1.1 has attained the age of 18 years;
1.1.2 is in possession of an E.D.H. certificate;
1.1.3 is in possession of a P.S.C. & R.B. certificate as
required by regulation VI/2.1 in the Annex to the STCW
Convention;
1.1.4 has performed the appropriate sea service.
Issue of E.D.H. 
certificate.
1.2 An E.D.H. certificate shall be issued by the Registrar-
General on payment of the prescribed fee, to any person who,
subject to the provisions set out in this Schedule -
1.2.1 has attained the age of 17 years;
1.2.2 has successfully completed the following basic training
which meets the requirements of section A-VI/1.2 of the STCW
Code -
1.2.2.1 Personal Survival Techniques (STCW Code Table A-
VI/1-1)
1.2.2.2 Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting (STCW Code Table
A-VI/1-2)
1.2.2.3 Elementary First Aid (STCW Code Table A-VI/1-3)
1.2.2.4 Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities (STCW
Code Table A-VI/1-4)
1.2.3 obtained a navigational watch rating certificate after
meeting the requirements of section A-II/4 of the STCW Code or
holds a steering certificate;
1.2.4 has performed the appropriate sea-service.
2. Qualifying service at sea
Sea service for 
taking E.D.H. 
examination.
2.1 A 12 month period of sea service in the deck
department is a pre- requisite for taking the qualifying examination
for the issue of an E.D.H. Certificate. Ratings who have sea-service
limited to High Speed Craft (HSC) or Mobile Offshore Units
(MOUs) may be issued with an E.D.H. certificate limited for
service on HSC or MOUs as appropriate. This limitation will be
removed if the holder completes not less than 6 months service on a
conventional ship. Application for the removal of this limitation
should be made to the Registrar-General.
Sea service for 
issue of A.B. 
certificate.
2.2 The total sea service required for the issue of an A.B.
certificate is 24 months of which at least 18 months should have
been in the deck department or 36 months as a General Purpose
(GP) rating of which at least 12 months was on deck duties.
Estimating sea 
service.
2.3 Qualifying sea service shall be all periods of service at
sea, in ships of not less than 15 gross tonnage.
2.4 In calculating such service the following criteria shall
be adopted -
4 ġ S.L.234.15 MERCHANT SHIPPING (A.B. AND E.D.H CERTIFICATES)
2.4.1 service in a major ship in a restricted area and in a
minor ship outside a restricted area shall count as one half of the
period so served, while service in a minor ship in a restricted area
shall be disregarded;
2.4.2 every period of qualifying service shall include a
proportion of service in a major ship, other than a fishing vessel,
trading outside a restricted area, amounting to not less than twenty-
five per cent;
2.4.3 the length of every period of actual service in a ship
shall be calculated separately from the day of its commencement to
the day of its termination, both days included;
2.4.4 every day of actual service in a ship shall be treated as
one-thirtieth of a month of actual service.
3. P.S.C. & R.B. Certificate
Issue of P.S.C. & 
R.B. certificate.
3.1 A P.S.C. & R.B. certificate shall be issued by the
Registrar-General on application and on payment of the prescribed
fee, to any person who, subject to the provisions set out in this
Schedule -
3.1.1 has attained the age of 18 years or is following an
approved course as a navigating officer cadet;
3.1.2 has performed not less than 12 months sea service,
subject to 3 months remission which may be granted in respect of
completion of a survival craft training course to the satisfaction of
the Registrar-General;
3.1.3 has reached the standard of competence for a P.S.C. &
R.B. certificate as required by sections A-VI/2.1 and A-VI/2.2 of
the STCW Code in an examination/assessment conducted to the
satisfaction of the Registrar-General.
4. Application for and Conduct of Examinations
Application for 
examination.
4.1 Applications to take examinations or for the issue of
certificates in terms of these regulations shall be made to the
Registrar-General on the appropriate form accompanied by such
evidence as may be required as proof of the attainment of the
relative qualifications set out in this Schedule.
4.2 If not satisfied of the eligibility of the applicant, the
Registrar-General shall inform the applicant accordingly stating the
grounds on which the application is refused.
Conduct of 
examinations.
4.3 The conduct of examinations and the appointment of
examiners shall be the responsibility of the Registrar-General.
4.4 The examiners shall be appointed from among holders
of a Master Certificate of Competence.
4.5 The syllabus of the qualifying examinations is set out
in the Appendix to this Schedule.
MERCHANT SHIPPING (A.B. AND E.D.H CERTIFICATES) ġ S.L.234.15 5
Appendix
Syllabus for the Qualifying Examinations
1. E.D.H. Certificate
Nautical terms.
Navigational 
watchkeeping 
duties.
1.2 duties of a bridge lookout and the reporting of lights
and objects;
1.3 knowledge of the compass card in 360 o  notation
( holders of Watchrating and Steering Certificates will not be
examined on this section )
1.4 understand helm orders ( holders of steering certificates
will not be examined on this section )
Life saving 
appliances and 
firefighting 
appliances.
1.5 understand the importance of musters and drills and
know what action to take on hearing alarm signals;
1.6 understand the general agreement and the dangers of
fixed smothering systems;
1.7 understand correct operation, precautions and dangers
of lifeboat release gear;
1.8 understand the procedures for boat preparation and
launching;
1.9 understand the precautions to be observed when
maintaining lifeboats and davits;
1.10 understand the importance of fire and watertight doors.
Practical work.
reef knot, timber hitch, clove hitch, bowline, bowline
on the bight, sheet bend, double sheet bend, sheepshank, rolling
hitch, round hitch, round turn and two half hitches, figure of eight
knot, fisherman's bend, monkey's fist, wall and crown knot;
1.12 common splices including:
eye splice in eight strand plaited rope; eye, back and
short splice in three strand rope; eye splice with locking tuck in
wire rope;
1.13 parcel and serve a splice;
1.14 whippings and seizings;
1.15 care, use and storage of ropes and wire;
1.16 the correct fitting of wire grips (e.g. ‘bulldog’ grips);
1.17 use and selection of stoppers for wires and ropes;
1.18 slinging of stages and bosun’s chair;
1.19 rigging of pilot ladders, gangways and accommodation
ladders;
1.20 rigging of a hydrostatic release unit;
1.21 rigging a derrick;
1.22 securing the deck for severe weather;
6 ġ S.L.234.15 MERCHANT SHIPPING (A.B. AND E.D.H CERTIFICATES)
1.23 opening and closing of hatches and watertight doors
including bow, stern and other shell doors;
1.24 marking of anchor cables.
Safe working 
practices.
1.25 Good working knowledge of safe working practices
relevant to a seaman's duties and responsibilities. Reference in the
sections below to the  Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant
Seamen (COSWP)  published in 1988 in the United Kingdom serves
as a guideline.
Duty and Responsibility Relevant 
Section of 
COSWP
1.25.1 protective clothing and equipment chapter 4
1.25.2 safety signs and to include standard
signs and colours for dangerous goods,
pipe lines, fire extinguishers and gas
cylinders
chapter 5
1.25.3 safety introduction chapter 8
1.25.4 fire precautions chapter 9
1.25.5 emergency procedure chapter 10,
sections 1-6
1.25.6 safe movement on board ship chapter 13
1.25.7 working aloft and outboard chapter 15,
sections 1-6
1.25.8 work in machinery spaces chapter 15,
sections 7-10
1.25.9 permit of work chapter 16,
sections 1-2
1.25.10 enclosed spaces chapter 17,
sections 1-5
& 8-11
1.25.11 boarding arrangements chapter 18
1.25.12 manual lifting and carrying chapter 19
1.25.13 use of work equipment chapter 20,
sections 1-4
& 7-10
1.25.14 lifting plant chapter 21,
sections 1-7 
&
annex 21.1
1.25.15 hydraulic & pneumatic equipment chapter 22,
section 10
1.25.16 batteries chapter 22,
section 16
1.25.17 anchoring and mooring chapter 25
1.25.18 hatches chapter 26.
MERCHANT SHIPPING (A.B. AND E.D.H CERTIFICATES) ġ S.L.234.15 7
2. P.S.C. & R.B. Certificate
Standard of 
competence.
Candidates will be required to satisfy the examiner that
they have acquired the required knowledge and understanding to
reach the standard of competence set out in Table A-VI/2-1 of the
STCW Code.
