Where this sits
Governing: COSWP 2026 edition (MIN 688 (M) Amendment 4); ISM Code; STCW Table A-VI/1-4. Builds on: L1.1.
The Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seafarers (COSWP) is the MCA's code of practice for health and safety on board. It sets out the regulatory framework and best practice, chapter by chapter, from living on board to work at height. MIN 688 (M) Amendment 4, published 16 March 2026, announced the 2026 edition. Its main changes were:
| Area | 2026 change |
|---|---|
| ISM Code sections | Reworded to reflect ISM Code amendments |
| Chapter 4, drills (4.8, 4.9) | Revised after MAIB findings on enclosed space rescue with shore staff present |
| Chapter 15, enclosed spaces | Related revisions (15.1.3, 15.1.13, 15.13.5) |
| Chapter 19, lifting | Clarified maintenance and inspection |
On a yacht, the safety management system (SMS) put in place under the ISM Code tells you how the vessel applies COSWP: its risk assessments, permits and procedures. Read your yacht's SMS alongside COSWP.
Risk assessment
Every task should be risk assessed before it starts: what could go wrong, how likely, how bad, and what controls reduce it. For routine jobs the assessment is written once and reviewed. For unusual jobs it is done fresh, with the people doing the work.
TIP: Toolbox talk Before any non-routine job, take five minutes with the team at the job site. What are we doing, what could hurt us, what stops it, and who calls "stop"? Anyone may call it.
The hierarchy of control
COSWP 8.1.2 ranks controls from most to least effective:
- eliminate the task;
- substitute something less hazardous;
- enclose the hazard;
- guard or segregate people from it;
- use a safe system of work;
- written procedures people understand;
- adequate supervision;
- training;
- information and signs;
- PPE, only if nothing else controls the hazard.
PPE does nothing to the hazard and protects only the wearer. It can create hazards of its own, such as reduced vision or dexterity (8.1.3).
PPE
Under the PPE regulations referred to in COSWP Chapter 8:
- the company must identify and assess risks and provide suitable PPE where needed;
- PPE should generally be supplied at no cost to the seafarer (8.1.6);
- those who need it must be trained in its use and limitations, and a record kept (8.1.5);
- defective PPE provides no defence; if a risk cannot be reduced to a safe level even with PPE, the job must not be done.
Typical yacht PPE: safety boots, gloves, eye and ear protection, hard hats for crane and overhead work, harnesses, working lifejackets, and respiratory protection for painting and chemical work. Note the 2022 MLC amendments (in force December 2024) require appropriately sized PPE for all seafarers.
Permits to work
A permit to work is a written authorisation for high-risk tasks: hot work, enclosed space entry, work aloft or overside, electrical isolation. COSWP guidance is that a permit should be valid for no more than 24 hours, and the competent person doing the work should not be the same person as the officer authorising it.
WARNING: The permit is not the safety A signed permit does nothing on its own. The isolations, gas tests and standby person it lists are the safety. If conditions change, stop and re-issue.