Need for quality ECDIS Training

The London P&I warns

The timetable for the mandatory implementation of ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System) is advancing according to London P&I Club.

The first deadlines for mandatory ECDIS carriagehave passed – passenger ships of 500 gt and upwards, tankers of 3,000 gt and dry cargo ships of 10,000 gt and upwardsconstructed on or after 1 July 2012. the next phase-in will be in 2014 for existing passenger ships of 500 gt and over.

London P&I Club in its latest StopLoss issue says that for shipowners of otherclasses of existing ships, implementationplans are already well advanced orcomplete to the extent that ECDIS isalready adopted as the primary voyageplanning and monitoring system.Industry-wide initiatives have alsoprogressed to address legal, procedural,technical and human resource issuesthat will arise with the development ofthis new facet of e-navigation.

London P&I Club notes the potential risksinvolved in replacing more traditionalmeans of voyage planning andmonitoring with advanced technology.

“Ineffective use of any electronic navigational aid can lead to marine accidents. A causative factor in a number of recent grounding accidents is the incorrect operation of ECDIS. It is essential that the navigator is not only effectively trained in the proper use of ECDIS, but also understands the limitations of the equipment and its primary role as a decision-support system.”

In one investigation UK MAIB reported that a laden bulk carriergrounded in restricted coastal waterscausing structural damage. ECDIS wasthe primary monitoring system.

The statutory requirementsfor ECDIS training are covered in theSTCW Convention, the ISM Code andSOLAS Chapter 5. The IMO ECDISModel Course 1.27 should facilitatethe navigator with the required levelof understanding, competency andconfidence for application in allaspects of navigation.

The London P&I Club adds

“However, witha vast array of ECDIS manufacturers,there is a challenge for the navigatorto reach an acceptable degree ofcompetency in a specific onboardsystem. Familiarisation of type-specificECDIS, whether provided by themanufacturer, manufacturer’s agentor a trainer, has been identified as apriority for training. The additionalchallenge is to ensure the qualityof such training, both generic andfamiliarisation, is of sufficient qualityto reduce the risks associated withthis transition to new technology,whilst satisfying the scrutiny ofexternal parties, such as Port StateControl, where the focus will be ondemonstrating operationalcompetency on the ship’s ECDISequipment.”

Source: TheLondon P&I Club