Crowd Management: Managing the Flow to Assembly Stations
STCW V/2.7 crowd management covers masters, officers, qualified ratings and other designated personnel; verify training, familiarization and updating against each role and voyage regime.
Operational Explanation
STCW V/2.7 covers masters, officers, ratings qualified under chapters II, III and VII, and other personnel designated on the muster list to assist passengers in emergencies. Do not reduce the list to designated hotel personnel alone. For domestic voyages the Administration determines applicability (V/2.1).
Regulatory Reference
STCW Code, Section A-V/2 and Table A-V/2-1: mandatory crowd management competences for passenger ship personnel, concerning the implementation of onboard emergency plans for passenger muster and evacuation and assisting passengers along the route to the assembly and embarkation stations. IMO Model Course 1.41: dedicated training course on crowd management on passenger ships.
V/2.4 requires personnel subject to paragraphs 7–9 to undertake refresher training at intervals not exceeding five years or demonstrate achievement of the standard within the preceding five years. Retain documentary evidence (V/2.10). Familiarization, direct-passenger-service safety training and crisis management are separate role-based requirements. Model Course 1.41 supports training; it does not replace the STCW standard. MSC.416(97).
Scope of Application
Scope: STCW V/2.7 covers masters, officers, ratings qualified under chapters II, III and VII, and other personnel designated on the muster list to assist passengers in emergencies. Do not reduce the list to designated hotel personnel alone. For domestic voyages the Administration determines applicability (V/2.1).
Procedure / How to Complete It
- Confirm whether ship and voyage fall within STCW V/2.
- Identify all V/2.7 personnel and muster-list assignments, including masters, officers and qualified ratings.
- Verify role-based training and familiarisation; under V/2.4, refresher within five years or evidence of the standard achieved in the preceding five years.
- Outside the international scope apply national, flag and SMS requirements.
Practical Example
Example: during a realistic exercise, crew trained in crowd management manage a group of passengers who, in a crowded corridor, tend to head toward the lift instead of the stairs as required by procedure: staff intervene with clear, repeated instructions, physically guiding the flow toward the correct route.
What Typically Goes Wrong
Common Mistakes Mistake Library
| Mistake | Consequence | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency exercises conducted only with linear routes and cooperative passengers, without panic or misunderstanding scenarios | Crew unprepared for actual passenger behaviour in a real emergency | Include realistic non-cooperative behaviour scenarios in periodic exercises |
| Passengers with additional assistance needs not identified before the emergency | Late or insufficient assistance during movement toward the assembly stations | Proactively identify passengers with special needs, integrating them into the crowd management plan |
| On a passenger ship engaged on an international voyage, designated personnel assisting passengers lacking the required STCW A-V/2 training | STCW non-compliance and personnel unprepared for the assigned role | On passenger ships engaged on international voyages, verify A-V/2 training for all V/2.7 personnel, including masters, officers and qualified ratings; outside that scope, check national, flag and SMS requirements separately |
What the PSCO Checks
Operational Tips
- Do not train only for the ideal route: the most useful exercises include realistic, non-cooperative passenger behaviour scenarios.
- Identify in advance, not during the emergency, the passengers who will need additional assistance moving toward the assembly stations.
- Remember that crowd management is a role distinct from design-stage evacuation analysis: one is calculation, the other is real-time human management.
Preparation checklist
- Ship and voyage qualified
- V/2.7 personnel and muster-list assignments identified
- STCW V/2 training and V/2.4 updating checked where applicable
- National/SMS requirements checked outside scope
FAQ
Related Topics
Last substantive revision of this page: 16 September 2026 · page fingerprint 2fdb8a1a5741