Tag: training

Focus on maritime training and education under a single agency, called Marina A single super agency will now be overseeing the improvements and reforms in the maritime industry of the country through a recent executive order signed by President Benigno Aquino III to avoid a European Union ban on Filipino seafarers.The said executive order is considered as a major step in the on-going investigation and assessment of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) which inspected local schools in 2010 and sent an unfavourable report to the European Commission.The Executive Order places all affairs concerning administration of maritime training and education in the Philippines under a single agency that will be known as Marina. This agency will now be responsible in overseeing the training, education and certification activities of the Department of Labor, the Technical Education Skills Development Authority, and the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), of which Marina is currently part and headed by its current Secretary Mar Roxas."This is a welcome and well overdue change not only for Filipino seafarers but for crewing agencies as well... One of the problems is that there are so many competing agencies. Putting it all under one umbrella is going to make ...

Director-General Indian Shipping talks to Videotel Tv

The National Maritime Polytechnic underscores the importance of training The basic safety training course is being underscored by the National Maritime Polytechnic in Eastern Visayas for those planning to seek employment in a ship.Presca Lee Lugo, NMP officer-in-charge/executive director, stressed that basic safety training course should be taken as it is a requirement for employment in a ship regardless if it is a cargo or cruise ship.Employment in cargo ship includes seafarers, and for cruise ships are the waiters, bartenders, crew and performers.Lugo added that maritime instructors and assessors also undergo the course training at the NMP since it is required by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Technical Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Maritime Training Council.It was learned that NMP also conducts off-site training for maritime instructors and assessors which explains the increase of enrollees at the maritime polytechnic. Presently, NMP has an off-site training in Tagbiliran, Bohol for maritime instructors and in Makati for simulator instructors.Even a seaman who decides to teach in maritime schools or maritime training centers is still required to undergo training as CHED, TESDA and MTC will not allow nor grant a teaching permit without undergoing the training course.Lugo also disclosed that ...

Superior simulator training Superior Energy Services of Houston, Texas, has taken delivery of a new maritime training simulator from Kongsberg Maritime which will be used to provide integrated, real-time training for Superior's offshore marine personnel at its new facility in Anchorage, Alaska.Under the terms of the contract Superior Energy Marine Technical Services has been supplied with a full mission trainer in support of critical operations including ship bridge manoeuvring and navigation, anchor handling, ROV operations and crane operations.The simulator features two full offshore service vessel bridges, with 360 degree field of view, an offshore crane simulator, a DeepWorks ROV simulator, and a separate Process Simulator, for operator training and control system checkout."At Superior Energy Services, we believe in ensuring our people are as prepared and properly trained as possible. It makes sense from a safety perspective, from an environmental perspective and from a business perspective - it is simply the right thing to do," said Captain Scott Powell."Partnering with Kongsberg Maritime provided a depth of engineering capability that allowed us to mirror a physical model-based simulation solution. This is the closest we can come to creating realistic scenarios without facing these circumstances first hand.""Our people will be the best prepared ...

Accident prevention: dealing with the human factor Accident investigation is a painstaking and often painful process and, more often than not, the outcome is a raft of new policies and measures to avoid reoccurrence. Yet, if well thought out and established company procedures are followed in the first place, tragic consequences can be avoided.In response to the renewed focus on training in this area Videotel has launched a new training series, Leadership and Team Working Skills, which takes as its foundation the importance of good resource management and how it can be achieved."With continuing improvements in technology, human factors feature more and more frequently in the causal chain," explains Nigel Cleave, CEO of Videotel Marine International. "Forty years ago, the average cargo ship was manned by 40-50 crew - nowadays, even on VLCCs, we are seeing crews numbering in the low twenties. Individuals are required to operate ever more efficiently adding further pressure on board. This series addresses many of the key issues defined by the STCW and SOLAS conventions, which provide a framework for safe and effective working practices."Produced in conjunction with The Steamship Mutual Underwriting Association (Bermuda) Ltd Leadership and Team Working Skills is aimed at all sea-going ...

Training course organised by the Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems Association The Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems Association (EGCSA) has developed a specific training course.This course aims to look in a holistic manner at the key components of a strategic plan and to answer the priority questions.These questions encompass the key issues, legal aspects, technical solutions, mitigating risks and preparing the business case.The entry into force of MARPOL Annex VI has created a significant amount of new regulation covering emissions to air from ships. In particular regulation 14 requires reductions in SOx emissions by prescribing fuel sulphur limits."As Annex VI allows alternative methods to achieve equivalent results, we are also likely to see the widespread adoption of exhaust gas after-treatment technology as a means of compliance," EGCSA said.The implications for shipowners of the forthcoming sulphur limits reductions are significant. In particular, fuel availability, the storage of multiple fuel grades on board ship and fuel cost may have terminal consequences for some ship operators.It is critical that shipowners develop their strategic plans today, in order to meet the impending compliance requirements in 2015 and 2020. But developing such strategic plans is not without difficulty, the EGCSA said.The course will be presented by experts ...

Cooperation against piracy, prevent maritime pollution, improve training for seafarer The European Agency for Maritime Safety (EMSA) would get new powers to step up cooperation against piracy, prevent maritime pollution, improve training for seafarers and help establish an EU maritime space without barriers under an informal deal struck on Thursday by Parliament's negotiating team, and the Council's Danish Presidency.Once formally approved the Council and the Parliament, this deal, which entails amending EMSA's founding Regulation (EC) 1406/2002, would enable EMSA to extend its preventive work and make broader use of its resources to help EU Member States to prevent and tackle maritime pollution, protect ships against piracy and create the future European maritime space without barriers, by reducing bureaucracy."EMSA will not replace or duplicate Member States' work, it will bring added value. It should play a much bigger role in supporting national authorities on safety inspections andin co-ordinating emergency and training requirements for seafarers", said leader of Parliament's negotiating team Knut Fleckenstein (S&D, DE), after the meeting.Offshore drilling and spillingThe compromise reached on Thursday mentions EMSA's possible future role in preventing pollution from offshore oil and gas installations once new EU rules on offshore platform safety - currently being debated in ...

25 new ECDIS training systems Kelvin Hughes has supplied Singapore's largest maritime training institution, the Singapore Maritime Academy (SMA), with 25 new ECDIS training systems in combination with Chartco's Passage Manager in a breakthrough contract. Kelvin Hughes has supplied 25 MantaDigital ECDIS Training Systems with Chartco's Passage Manager to the Singapore Maritime Academy (SMA), the country's main maritime training institution and one of only three training centres approved for generic ECDIS training by the Singapore Maritime Port Authority.SMA recently updated its facilities, opening a new training laboratory at the end of August last year. "We are committed to ensuring that our simulators are always updated, so that our graduates always meet the exacting standards of IMO and industry," says Captain Gopala Krishnan, SMA's Senior Manager, SMART Center and Maritime Simulation Division. Kelvin Hughes has provided the SMA with a competitively priced and flexible system that meets all the academy's requirements," says Lawrence Lai, Kelvin Hughes Area Sales Manager, Singapore. "This is a prestigious order for Kelvin Hughes, as it is the first time that the company has supplied systems to Singapore's key maritime academy."He added that the SMA wanted a 'student-proof' ECDIS that wouldn't allow access to the main operating ...

Recognizes Effectiveness of MOL's Independent Seafarer Education and Training Management Program Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. yesterday announced the certification of its own seafarer education and training program by Oslo-based Det Norske Veritas (DNV). The MOL Rank Skill Training and Evaluation Program (MOL RankSTEP) received DNV certification for compliance with the Competence Management System (CMS) on April 13. CMS is a management system that improves education programs by identifying gaps between the skills seafarers currently possess and the qualifications needed to fulfill the corporate philosophy. The program also complies with Society of International Gas Tanker & Terminal Operator Ltd (SIGTTO1) and Tanker Officer Training Standard (TOTS*2) requirements. MOL adopted the MOL RankSTEP Program in 2007.The introduction of CMS will help MOL will identify problems after determining gaps between skills required of seafarers in previous program and those currently needed, ensuring ongoing improvement of MOL RankSTEP. MOL strives to training of seafarers who will help it become "the world leader in safe operation" by continually reviewing and operating its seafarer education program.MOL RankSTEP establishes MOL seafarer skill requirements by position, which unifies skills to be acquired, acquisition methods, and evaluation methods for different types of jobs.Source: Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (*1)SIGTTO SIGTTO engages ...

Following rhe serious accident during drill on board ANNA MAERSK In March a serious accident occurred during a MOB-boat drill on board ANNA MAERSK. The Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Branch is investigating the accident. At this stage nothing precise can be said about the causes and the contributing factors.The Danish Maritime Authority would like to point out that boat drills must be planned and performed so that they are safe in every respect. The safety equipment should be checked and maintained. Abnormal conditions of wear and tear or corrosion should be reported to the master immediately.The boat should be lowered and recovered without persons on board and, when it has been ascertained that this functions correctly, the boat is lowered with no more persons on board than what is necessary to operate the boat.Lowering a boat with persons on board is an example of an element of drills that may - depending on the circumstances - involve an unnecessary risk. Such elements of drills should only be carried out if special precautions are observed and, if necessary, left out of the drill.Danish Maritime Authority's Guidance on safety during abandon ship drills and fire drills on board ships IMO's Measures to ...