Course 01
VSL Safety Academy
How ships' safety equipment is inspected. Learned from the rules themselves.
Free, interactive courses for officers, superintendents, technicians and surveyors. Every rule is quoted from SOLAS, the IMO codes and circulars, class and flag documents, with the source linked.
- Courses
- 10
- Interactive lessons
- 73
- Open lessons per course
- 2
- Cost
- Free
Courses
Course 02
Liferafts, evacuation systems and personal life-saving appliances
Course 03
Portable fire-fighting equipment and breathing apparatus
Course 04
Fixed fire-fighting and detection systems
Course 05
Navigation, radio and the voyage data recorder
Course 06
Lifting appliances, deck machinery and access equipment
Course 07
Environmental compliance equipment
Course 08
Gas detection, enclosed spaces and calibration
Course 09
Hull integrity: thickness, NDT and hatch covers
Course 10
Surveys, audits and port state control
How it works
- 01
Read
Each lesson explains the rule in plain words, then in detail for people who do the work.
- 02
Try it
Click through a diagram, sort, spot the deficiencies or work through a scenario.
- 03
Check yourself
A short quiz ends every lesson. Each answer explains why, with the source.
- 04
Keep going
The first 2 lessons of every course are open. A free sign-up opens all 73.
Sources and limits
Lessons are written from the official texts: the SOLAS Convention and its codes (LSA, FSS, FTP), IMO resolutions and MSC and MEPC circulars, ILO conventions, IACS requirements, and class and flag documents. Each rule statement links to its source, and each lesson shows the date the rules were last checked.
VSL Safety is not an approved training provider and doesn't issue certificates. These lessons don't replace STCW training, or the manufacturer's training and certification that service technicians need. Always follow your flag administration, your class society and the equipment manufacturer.
Questions
Is the Academy really free?
Yes. Every course and lesson is free. After the first 2 lessons of a course we ask for your name, email, company, role and country, once, so we know who our readers are.
Do I get a certificate?
No. VSL Safety is not an approved training provider, so we don't issue certificates or anything that looks like one. When you finish a course you get your scores and our congratulations.
Who writes the lessons?
The vslSafety team, from the regulations and class and flag documents, cited line by line. If you spot something out of date, tell us through the quote form and we'll correct it.
How do I sign in on another device?
Use Sign in and enter your email. We send a link that signs you in for 7 days. There is no password.
