Master’s in Health and Safety Engineering in Maritime and Offshore Operations
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in health and safety engineering for maritime and offshore operations. 12 modules covering maritime hazards, SOLAS, MLC and STCW, maritime medicine, enclosed spaces, offshore process safety, emergencies, offshore wind and HSE management systems, with an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Identify health and safety hazards on ships and offshore installations.
Apply the SOLAS, MLC and STCW conventions to safety management.
Organise medical care on board and maritime telemedicine.
Control the risks of enclosed spaces and hazardous atmospheres.
Analyse offshore process risks using HAZOP and bow-tie.
Design emergency, evacuation and survival plans.
Implement HSE management systems supported by digital technology.
Who it's for
- Offshore HSE managers looking to deepen their technical command of maritime and offshore safety.
- Maritime safety and prevention technicians.
- Company safety officers in shipping companies.
- Process safety engineers moving into offshore operations.
- Maritime emergency coordinators.
- Maritime occupational health advisers.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the maritime transport sector.
What you'll work with
- SOLAS Convention (safety of life at sea)
- Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 – MLC (seafarers' working and living conditions)
- STCW Convention (training, certification and watchkeeping for seafarers)
- ISM Code (international safety management)
- Directive 2013/30/EU (safety of offshore oil and gas operations)
- ISO 45001:2018 (occupational health and safety management systems)
- Directive 92/29/EEC (medical treatment on board vessels)
- LSA Code (life-saving appliances)
- DNV Phast
- BowTieXP
- DNV Synergi Life
- MATLAB
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Types of vessels and offshore installations1.2Motion, noise and vibration on board1.3Chemical exposure and hazardous atmospheres1.4Working at height and over water1.5Cold, heat and thermal stress at sea1.6Isolation, fatigue and mental health on board1.7Maritime and offshore accident statistics1.8Lessons from Piper Alpha and Deepwater Horizon1.9Initial occupational risk assessment on board1.10Case study: hazard register for a platform
2.1SOLAS Convention and its safety chapters2.2Maritime Labour Convention, 20062.3STCW Convention and basic training2.4ISM Code and safety management2.5MARPOL Convention and its impact on health2.6Port State Control2.7Directive 2013/30/EU on offshore operations2.8ILO Convention 188 on work in fishing2.9National maritime inspection systems2.10Workshop: internal audit under the ISM Code
3.1Medical fitness of seafarers3.2Ship's medicine chest and Royal Decree 258/19993.3International Medical Guide for Ships3.4Telemedicine and Radio Medical Centre3.5Medical evacuation by helicopter3.6Infectious diseases and health control3.7Cardiovascular health and lifestyles3.8Mental health and suicide prevention3.9Vaccination programmes and epidemiological surveillance3.10Case study: medical emergency on the high seas
4.1Identifying enclosed spaces on board4.2IMO Resolution A.1050(27) on entry4.3Gas measurement and forced ventilation4.4Permits to work and energy isolation4.5Rescue from enclosed spaces4.6Explosive atmospheres and the ATEX Directive4.7Hydrogen sulphide offshore4.8Inert gas on tankers4.9Training and tank rescue drills4.10Practical: entry procedure for a ballast tank
5.1Ship motion and motion sickness5.2Noise and vibration under the IMO Code and ISO 202835.3Manual handling on deck5.4Ladders, gangways and safe access5.5Habitability under Title 3 of the MLC5.6Musculoskeletal disorders in crews5.7Personnel transfer offshore5.8Lighting and bridge design5.9Food, drinking water and hygiene on board5.10Lab: measuring vibration in a cabin
6.1IMO guidelines on fatigue MSC.1/Circ.15986.2Hours of rest under STCW and MLC6.3Watch systems and circadian rhythms6.4Human error in maritime accidents6.5Bridge resource management6.6Situational awareness in critical operations6.7Safe behaviour and leadership6.8Fatigue monitoring with wearables6.9Alcohol and drug use at sea6.10Workshop: analysis of watch rosters
7.1HAZID and HAZOP analysis7.2Safety barriers and the bow-tie model7.3Major hazards report7.4Well control and blowout prevention7.5Fire and gas detection7.6Emergency shutdown and depressurisation7.7Asset integrity and safety-critical elements7.8Management of change7.9Management of safety system overrides7.10Case study: bow-tie of a hydrocarbon leak
8.1Emergency plans and muster list8.2Lifeboats, liferafts and the LSA Code8.3Evacuation and means of escape on platforms8.4Survival in water and immersion suits8.5BOSIET and HUET training8.6Search and rescue: SAR Convention8.7Firefighting on board8.8Man overboard and recovery8.9Self-contained breathing and escape apparatus8.10Practical: designing an abandon-ship drill
9.1Hazards in offshore wind farms9.2Transfer to turbines with CTV and SOV9.3Working at height and nacelle rescue9.4GWO training and safety requirements9.5Commercial diving and subsea operations9.6ROVs to reduce exposure9.7Decommissioning of installations9.8Ammonia and hydrogen as marine fuels9.9Coordination of simultaneous marine operations9.10Case study: access via a motion-compensated gangway
10.1ISO 45001 in shipping companies and offshore operators10.2LTIF, TRIR and process safety indicators10.3Reporting of incidents and near misses10.4Accident investigation with the ICAM method10.5HSE audits and inspections10.6Contractor and interface management10.7Safety culture: the Hearts and Minds model10.8Health surveillance of embarked personnel10.9Safety management of support vessels10.10Workshop: HSE dashboard for a fleet
11.1Wearables for physiological monitoring11.2Personnel tracking and man-overboard alerts11.3Digital twins and remote inspection11.4Drones for inspection and emergencies11.5Predictive incident analytics11.6Maritime cybersecurity: Resolution MSC.428(98)11.7Virtual reality for emergency training11.8Privacy of crew health data11.9Artificial intelligence to detect unsafe acts11.10Lab: fatigue alert from sensor data
12.1Selecting the operational scenario for study12.2Review of regulations and previous incidents12.3Hazard identification and risk analysis12.4Design of controls and barriers12.5Assessment of human factors and health12.6Emergency and response plan12.7Feasibility and cost analysis12.8Conclusions and recommendations12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
A 100% online programme on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so the programme fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is DNV Phast, BowTieXP, DNV Synergi Life and MATLAB, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures: bow-tie analysis of major hazards, design of abandon-ship drills and ergonomic assessment of personnel transfers. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: SOLAS Convention, Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC), STCW Convention, ISM Code, Directive 2013/30/EU, ISO 45001:2018, Directive 92/29/EEC, LSA Code.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- University degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
- Internet connection and a computer able to run the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with DNV Phast, BowTieXP, DNV Synergi Life and MATLAB, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent professional experience, plus a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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