A certified crew member is not necessarily a competent one
The Shipowners’ P&I Club has issued several case studiesregarding incidents that call into question the competencyof the vessels crew.
These cases highlighted a number ofcauses that contributed to the incidents with particularemphasis on failings of the bridge team management,watch keeping schedules and arrangement, maintaining aproper lookout (Rule 5 of the COLREGS), passage planning,execution and monitoring.
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Crew Competence is an industry wide concern. Ascertainingthat a crew member is efficiently able to carry out his role(competence) is harder than checking that they are dulyqualified (certification) to the requirements of flag state.A certified crew member need not necessarily be a competentone. It is envisaged that a competent crew member is moreefficient and hence operates at a reduced risk with shorterdowntime and injuries.
To assist the development of such aculture on board, competence schemes or frameworks canbe implemented. These systems not only enable operatorsto assess the skill, experience and knowledge of their crewbut also make provision for crews to plan their careerdevelopment.
An example of such a matrix is that offeredby International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), an organisation that many of our Members who operateoffshore vessels have joined. Their guidance assistsoperators to develop frameworks to:
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The development of competence schemes are seen as a wayof trying to develop a more competent crew which can onlyassist operators towards mitigating incidents in thefuture and enhancing operating standards, leading toimproved operational reputation
Source:The Shipowners’ P&I Club