Training is critical for BWTS operation

Paul Jinhwa Kim, Manager, Panasia Europe BV, explains why training is important for ballast water management practices and refers to four types of training methods which can be used to acquire both theoretical and practical knowledge of BWTS operation.

IMO’s Ballast Water Management Convention includes references to training requirements. Guidelines G4, for example, explain that a ship’s Ballast Water Management Plan “should include training and education on ballast water management practices and the systems and procedures used on board the ship.”

The guidelines address the ballast water management and development of ballast water management plans and include a number of provisions for crew training and familiarization. Some of these are general, about maintaining the Ballast Water Record Book, for example, but others are specific, requiring training on the operation and maintenance of installed ballast water treatment systems and on the safety aspects associated with the particular systems and procedures used on board the ship.

Similar training goals have been identified by the US Coast Guard (USCG). In an article published in January by the North American Marine Environment Protection Association, Rear Adam Paul Thomas, the USCG’s assistant commandant for prevention policy, said that it was imperative that vessel owners and operators review and update vessel ballast water management plans. These should include crew training requirements, specifically covering “proper procedures and use of any ballast water management equipment.” In support of these objectives, a wide range of training options is available worldwide, provided by equipment manufacturers, class societies, government bodies and specialist training organizations.

PSCO inspection in accordance with IMO BWMC

2nd inspection step on ballast water management is a more detailed inspection. The Procedures for Port State Control, 2011 define the more detailed inspection as: “an inspection conducted when there are clear grounds for believing that the condition of the ship, its equipment or its crew does not correspond substantially to the particulars of the certificate.” When carrying out a more detailed inspection, the PSCO may utilize, but not be limited to, the following questions to ascertain the extent of compliance with the BWM Convention. The PSCO will verify that the BWM on board the ship is in accordance with the operations outlined in the ship’s BWMP.

In particular, the PSCO should ask and consider following questions.

• Are the crewmembers in charge of operation sufficiently trained and able to perform their duty safely?
• Is there any evidence of onboard training and familiarization? Is BWM training a requirement?
• Are the limitations of the system and safety requirement known?
• Have crewmembers operating the system demonstrated their ability to record the BWM operation?
• Are the crew members able to identify air vents and sounding pipes?
• Is the tank entry procedure available? Is there evidence of the use of the procedure?
• Is the crew aware of the precautions to take when handling sediments?

Above criteria are not the only things the PSCO shall consider but the importance of training in BWTS operation is proven.

Moreover, when the vessel owners or operators cannot pass 2nd inspection step, they shall have an indicative and detailed analysis through sampling with which % of non-conformation with IMO BWMC is more higher since there’s a case of unexpected equipment error on the system though well prepared.

Therefore, it is a critical duty for the vessel owners or operators to provide sufficient training to crews as a preventive measure together with the well prepared BWMP (Ballast Water Management Plan).

Viewpoints on training

Reederei Nord technical manager David Cox shared lessons learned from four years running ballast water treatment systems on Tuesday 25 Apr 2017 at the European Marine Engineering Conference Amsterdam. In his speech, it was announced that as an owner who have experienced five different BWT systems installed across their fleet of 19 vessels, including units supplied by Samsung and Alfa Laval, he anticipates challenges especially when it comes to crew training.

LR (Lloyd Register) recommends through “Understanding ballast water management –Guidance for shipowners and operators“ that when short-listing potential BWTS suppliers, in addition to price, operators should consider :

• Installation and commissioning costs
• Training requirements
• Estimated operating costs including consumables
• Maintenance requirements; operating experience
• Delivery lead times for supply and fitting

Major types of training methods

There are four major types of training methods.

1. On-Site Training: This is a basic step of training carried out during commissioning aboard. Since commissioning is main role of this step, it is not easy to acquire enough time for training. In general, minimum 4 hour training is recommended for operators to have a real operation experience by themselves and get feedbacks from maker.
2. Training at HQ: For all makers, HQ (Head Quarter) is the place with everything available including real equipment, technicians and facilities. Therefore, it is easy for makers to provide a detailed education to the vessel owners or operators at their HQ. However, the vessel owners or operators should bear the cost of accommodation with students’ labor fee.
3. Training Center: Training Center is a regional educational complex where the vessel owners or operators can access for training with minimum expenses. Training Center is in general composed of educator, real equipment and educational materials. At the center, followings at least shall be dealt with.
   • Theoretical Part includes: Component explanation; BWTS operation; Installation & Commissioning; Trouble Shooting (alarm & trip condition); Maintenance & Calibration; BWTS System settings
   • Practical Part includes: Practice on BWTS operation through computer based simulation; Practice on overhaul on each component; Practice on hands-on maintenance & calibration; Practice on trouble shootings (alarm & trip condition)
4. CBT (Computer Based Training) Software : CBT is in general window based training software in a form of CD or USB with which operators can have repetitive lectures regarding BWTS. This is developed for owner to prevent knowledge leakage through frequent crews change-over.

Before choosing a CBT, the vessel owners or operators should consider followings:

• Total education time: This symbolizes how detail the education is. In general, 5 hour total education time is recommended.
• Easy to understand format: CBT is another type of lecture. Therefore, configuration of lecture on display should be fully students’ friendly.
• Estimation: For crews to be fully understood under any circumstances, CBT should have estimation chapter in the end of each chapter.
• Actual cases of trouble shooting: Though general trouble shooting cases are introduced, crews are required to be familiar with as many unexpected cases as possible so that crews can cope with a variety kinds of situations.

In conclusion, training is the most essential and critical key for BWTS operation. Most BWTS makers offer training as part of their service but not all can provide all. In order not to face difficulties such as detention of a vessel, it is the duty for the vessel owners or operators to select the right BWTS supplier with the right training service.

By Paul Jinhwa Kim, Manager, Panasia Europe B.V.

The views presented hereabove are only those of the author and not necessarily those of GREEN4SEA and are for information sharing and discussion purposes only

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Paul Jinhwa Kim, International Sales & Marketing Manager, Europe, PANASIA

Paul Jinhwa Kim is the manager for International Sales and Marketing Division of PANASIA especially for Europe, mainly involved in marketing strategy. He joined PANASIA in 2014 after several year experiences in marine equipment business. He is an affiliated researcher for international regulations set by IMO & USCG on Ballast Water Management System. His role includes providing decision making support to customers with respect to Ballast Water Management System with a holistic view.