The Safety Course equips future and active yacht crew with the knowledge to respond more confidently and effectively in an emergency. Across five focused modules — covering safety and security awareness, life-saving appliances, firefighting equipment, the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), and vessel safety management — you’ll learn how to prevent accidents, respond to fire, use life-saving equipment, and follow global distress protocols.
By course completion, you’ll have a stronger safety foundation to help protect yourself, your crew, and your vessel — supporting safer onboard behaviour on every voyage.
Safety Course
Reference Material
Reference Material: This library contains all essential resources and documents to support your studies, including:
Awareness is the first step towards safety at sea, not just for you but for all those on board the vessel, for the vessel itself, and the environment. Knowledge of your role onboard, not just in an emergency, is essential to developing and maintaining a good safety culture. Preparation for the correct response to an emergency situation cannot start soon enough… so let’s get you started.
Life-Saving Appliances (LSA) refers to all equipment on board a vessel that protects human life at sea. Appliances include lifeboats, lifebuoys, life-jackets, life rafts, and many others to be used by passengers and crew in case of emergency to protect their lives at sea.
One of the primary causes of accidents at sea is fire. FFE refers to all equipment on board a vessel that protects human life at sea from fire. Prevention is always best, so in this awareness course, you will learn and understand the basics of fire, including its common causes onboard vessels. However, in the event of a fire, it is essential that you are aware of the detection systems and the FFE available onboard your vessel to ensure a quick and appropriate response.
This module introduces you to all the key components of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System. The GMDSS safety procedures, equipment, and communication protocols are designed to increase safety at sea and make it easier to rescue distressed vessels.
Ultimate personal safety is achieved when safe working habits become an integral part of your reflexes rather than self-initiated actions. Knowledge of the vessel, your workspace, and your surroundings creates the necessary awareness of any risks and hazards present.
The safety of life at sea is ensured by implementing various safe practices onboard vessels through a Safety Management System. This module introduces you to vessel safety management and the basic components of the systems.
The score for this course contributes towards an average final score after completing all the courses.
Reference Material
Reference Material: This library contains all essential resources and documents to support your studies, including:
If you are not sure about starting a long-term career in the Luxury Yacht Industry access the world’s most comprehensive and succinct career guidance tool here, and find out what to do, when to do it, and where to do it, at your own pace.
Watch the Overview Video below or visit the
Academy by Ephemeris Website
We recommend starting with the Introduction to Yachting Course.
This course gives you a clear understanding of how the industry operates, what each department does, and which career pathways may suit you before progressing further.
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