Workers are to be given suitable training, in particular in the form of precise, comprehensible instructions, on safety and health on board vessels and on accident prevention in particular. Training is to be updated where this is required by changes in the activities on board. EU Member States were to bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with the Directive by 23 November 1995. Annex IV, Minimum safety and health requirements concerning personal protective equipment, requires workers to be provided with personal protective equipment and for it to be brightly coloured and to contrast with the marine environment. A long and non-exhaustive list of medical supplies, medical equipment and antidotes is annexed to the Directive.
Account is also to be taken of dangerous substances carried on board.
There are also special training requirements for captains and designated workers. The Directive provides for minimum daily rest periods, maximum average length of the working week, paid holidays and limits on night work. The issues of hours of work and rest for sea fishing had not been settled when this report was prepared. Trade unions, on the other hand, had argued that the action was necessary to protect fishermen from long working hours. The Commission has also been active in promoting the safety training of fishermen, drawing on the knowledge and experience of Member States and their many training and research institutes.