From the global to the local: A translocal investigation into the effectiveness of maritime safety training in the era of globalization

This thesis investigated the effectiveness of maritime safety training through a case study of the international Convention on the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers 1995 (STCW '95) as implemented by the Icelandic Maritime Safety and Survival Training Centre (MSSTC). An ethnographic study was conducted at the MSSTC aboard the National Rescue Services training ship, Saebjorg, during site-based training. Data sources include documents, course material, fieldnotes, and interviews with seafarers, frontline professionals and administrators. Findings indicate that effective maritime safety training promotes a safety culture, and a training program built on the components of legitimacy and competency instills a safety culture and improves safety practices. The research further suggests that factors of legitimacy are crucial in securing effective cooperation among actors with regards to safety training imperatives and that public interest and shared public concern at a global level are required for the full legitimation of hazard control.