DP Training Recommendations

Our training focuses on ensuring you are competent because simply having a certificate is not enough.

DP TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

Professional training of key DP personnel is crucial to the efficiency and safety of a DP operation.

The necessary competence required for key DP personnel for different operations and for different vessels should be defined in the companies Quality Management System. The clients may audit that these requirements are fulfilled before hiring a vessel.

LEGISLATION

The requirement for competence of key DP personnel is based on the IMO STCW Part A Section A-I/14 - Responsibilities of companies as referred to in MSC.1/Circ.738/Rev.1 - Guidelines for Dynamic Positioning system (DP) Operator Training.

Member states should have incorporated the IMO conventions into their rules and regulations.

More details on training on key DP personnel are given in STCW Part B Section B-V/f* - Guidance on the training and experience for personnel operating dynamic positioning systems.

The training need to be vessel, operation and system specific and shall cover the range of routine DP operations, as well as the handling of DP faults, failures, incidents and emergencies, to ensure that operations are continued or terminated safely. Training should not be limited to DPOs and DP masters only; other personnel on board, such as electro-technical and engineer officers, may require additional training and experience to ensure that they are able to carry out their duties on a DP vessel.

More guidance can be found in IMCA M711 - The Training and Experience of Key DP Personnel

The intention from IMO is to make sure that the crew are competent to handle all routine and emergency situations

STCW Regulation I/14 requires that seafarers are familiarized with their specific duties and with all ship arrangements, installations, equipment, procedures and ship characteristics that are relevant to their routine or emergency duties.

SOLAS Chapter V § 26.3.2 requires that All ships' officers concerned with the operation and/or maintenance of steering gear shall be familiar with the operation of the steering systems fitted on the ship and with the procedures for changing from one system to another.

ISM Code 6.3 requires that all new personnel are given proper familiarization with their duties.

ISM Code 8.1 and 8.2 requires that the company identify potential emergency shipboard situations, and establish procedures to respond to them and establish programmes for drills and exercises to prepare for emergency actions.

SOLAS Chapter V § 26.4 requires that emergency steering drills shall take place at least once every three months in order to practise emergency steering procedures.

STCW Part B-V/f - Guidance on the training and experience for personnel operating dynamic positioning systems § 6 requires familiarization with the vessel, the operation and systems in use.

Note that a vessels DP system, when in operation, is the vessels automatic steering system and must be regarded as “steering gear” in the ISM code and SOLAS convention meaning of steering gear.

THE NORWEGIAN SECTOR

The Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) is referring to the IMO guidelines or directly using the text from the IMO guidelines in their own guidelines.

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) is referring to the NMA guidelines.

COMMENTS TO THE DP OPERATOR CERTIFICATES

The Nautical Institute and the DNV-GL DP Operator Certificates are generic in nature and the training is not covering for the vessels specific, operation specific and system specific competence required by IMO. Additional training and familiarisation is required.

Traditionally vessel familiarisation, operation familiarisation and system familiarisation is given on-board the vessels. With far more complex vessel systems and system integrations this becomes more and more challenging.

IMO STCW is requiring that training is given by properly qualified and suitably experienced personnel. With experience from more than 30 years of DP operator training our impression is that the Kongsberg DP systems are operated more based on tales and myths than on real system knowledge. Analysis of incidents reveal that properly competent operator interaction in due time could have prevented or minimised the result of a problem, instead has escalated the problem into an incident.

Vessel familiarisation, operation familiarisation and system familiarisation can be obtained in two major ways.

Having a proper on-board training program and a properly trained and competent officer to give the training.
Sending the crew to on-shore training courses.

The owner of a vessel is in any case required to make sure that the training is fulfilling the requirements in STCW.

We can help

We can run delivery specific or vessel specific training courses for the crew.
We can train the trainer.
We can help establishing on-board training programs.
We can assess the on-board competence.

IN WHAT WAY CAN KONGSBERG MARITIME HELP?

As system supplier Kongsberg Maritime has knowledge and competence of the KM systems and deliveries you will not find with any other DP training provider.

We can provide both technical and operational training for all our products.

For operators we will have

Open standard courses. An open course will have participants from different vessels and companies and will cover the product in a generic way and to a limited degree cover vessel specific functions.
Vessel or delivery specific adapted courses. This is a closed course delivered to one customer for a specific vessel. We can combine courses on several products in one week to limit travelling cost for the customer. These courses can also be made to cover several systems or adapted for a group of similar vessels.
Specifically designed training course to cover specific training needs. This could be anything from introduction courses for onshore personnel to advanced operational training and assessment in a full mission bridge simulator.

We recommend you to analyse your training needs. We would like to point out a few factors to consider.

A DP operator certificate is not necessarily a proof of competence. It is only a proof of attendance of two DP operator courses and seven months duty on a DP vessel. The person holding the certificate can however be a serious professional who have attained good competence in DP, but some is not.
Logged DP time is not necessarily a proof of DP competence or even proof of DP experience. With the high reliability in the vessel systems today and in a well maintained and well operated vessel some DP operations will not give more experience or more competence to the operator. This is typically true for drilling operations where a DP operator may not have been involved in a rig move in several years, only watched the desk when all is normal. He has off course gained experience and competence in the operation of a drilling vessel but not in the field of DP. Will he be able to handle a DP incident correctly?

STCW text and explanations

There are stated strict requirements for competence in STCW.

The Main Regulation states the responsibility of the owner.

STCW

Regulation I/14

Responsibilities of companies

1 Each Administration shall, in accordance with the provisions of section A-I/14, hold companies responsible for the assignment of seafarers for service in their ships in accordance with the provisions of the present Convention, and shall require every such company to ensure that:

.1 each seafarer assigned to any of its ships holds an appropriate certificate in accordance with the provisions of the Convention and as established by the Administration;

.2 its ships are manned in compliance with the applicable safe manning requirements of the Administration;

.3 seafarers assigned to any of its ships have received refresher and updating training as required by the Convention;

.4 documentation and data relevant to all seafarers employed on its ships are maintained and readily accessible, and include, without being limited to, documentation and data on their experience, training, medical fitness and competency in assigned duties;

.5 seafarers, on being assigned to any of its ships, are familiarized with their specific duties and with all ship arrangements, installations, equipment, procedures and ship characteristics that are relevant to their routine or emergency duties;

.6 the ship’s complement can effectively coordinate their activities in an emergency situation and in performing functions vital to safety, security and to the prevention or mitigation of pollution; and

.7 at all times on board its ships there shall be effective oral communication in accordance with chapter V, regulation 14, paragraphs 3 and 4 of the SOLAS Convention.

In § I/14.1.5 we find a requirement for familiarisation to the ships equipment and in § I/14.1.6 we find a requirement for the ability to use the equipment in an emergency situation.

In STCW Part A, the mandatory provisions, this is explained in more details.

STCW Part A - Section A-I/14

Responsibilities of companies

Companies, masters and crew members each have responsibility for ensuring that the obligations set out in this section are given full and complete effect and that such other measures as may be necessary are taken to ensure that each crew member can make a knowledgeable and informed contribution to the safe operation of the ship.
The company shall provide written instructions to the master of each ship to which the Convention applies, setting forth the policies and the procedures to be followed to ensure that all seafarers who are newly employed on board the ship are given a reasonable opportunity to become familiar with the shipboard equipment, operating procedures and other arrangements needed for the proper performance of their duties, before being assigned to those duties. Such policies and procedures shall include:

.1 allocation of a reasonable period of time during which each newly employed seafarer will have an opportunity to become acquainted with:

.1.1 the specific equipment the seafarer will be using or operating;

.1.2 ship-specific watch keeping, safety, environmental protection, security and emergency procedures and arrangements the seafarer needs to know to perform the assigned duties properly; and

.2 designation of a knowledgeable crew member who will be responsible for ensuring that an opportunity is provided to each newly employed seafarer to receive essential information in a language the seafarer understands.

Companies shall ensure that masters, officers and other personnel assigned specific duties and responsibilities on board their ro-ro passenger ships shall have completed familiarization training to attain the abilities that are appropriate to the capacity to be filled and duties and responsibilities to be taken up, taking into account the guidance given in section B-I/14 of this Code.

In STCW Part B, Recommendations, DP is covered specifically.

STCW Part B - Section B-V/f*

Guidance on the training and experience for personnel operating dynamic positioning systems

Dynamic positioning is defined as the system whereby a self-propelled vessel’s position and heading is automatically controlled by using its own propulsion units.
Personnel engaged in operating a Dynamic Positioning (DP) system should receive relevant training and practical experience. Theoretical elements of this training should enable Dynamic Positioning Operators (DPOs) to understand the operation of the DP system and its components. Knowledge, understanding and experience gained should enable personnel to operate vessels safely in DP, with due regard for safety of life at sea and protection of the marine environment.
The content of training and experience should include coverage of the following components of a DP system:

.1 DP control station;

.2 power generation and management;

.3 propulsion units;

.4 position reference systems;

.5 heading reference systems;

.6 environmental reference systems; and

.7 external force reference systems, such as hawser tension gauges.

Training and experience should cover the range of routine DP operations, as well as the handling of DP faults, failures, incidents and emergencies, to ensure that operations are continued or terminated safely. Training should not be limited to DPOs and DP masters only; other personnel on board, such as electro-technical and engineer officers, may require additional training and experience to ensure that they are able to carry out their duties on a DP vessel. Consideration should be given to conducting appropriate DP drills as a part of onboard training and experience. DPOs should be knowledgeable of the type and purpose of documentation associated with DP operations, such as operational manuals, Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEAs) and capability plots.
All training should be given by properly qualified and suitably experienced personnel.
Upon appointment to a vessel operating in DP mode, the master, DPOs and other DP-trained personnel should be familiarized with the specific equipment fitted on and the characteristics of the vessel. Particular consideration should be given to the nature of the work of the vessel and the importance of the DP system to this work.

* Note there are no corresponding regulations in the Convention or sections in part A of the Code for sections B-V/a, B-V/b, B-V/c, B-V/d, B-V/e, B-V/f and B-V/g.

Training and experience should cover the range of routine DP operations, as well as the handling of DP faults, failures, incidents and emergencies, to ensure that operations are continued or terminated safely. Training should not be limited to DPOs and DP masters only; other personnel on board, such as electro-technical and engineer officers, may require additional training and experience to ensure that they are able to carry out their duties on a DP vessel. Consideration should be given to conducting appropriate DP drills as a part of onboard training and experience. DPOs should be knowledgeable of the type and purpose of documentation associated with DP operations, such as operational manuals, Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEAs) and capability plots.
All training should be given by properly qualified and suitably experienced personnel.
Upon appointment to a vessel operating in DP mode, the master, DPOs and other DP-trained personnel should be familiarized with the specific equipment fitted on and the characteristics of the vessel. Particular consideration should be given to the nature of the work of the vessel and the importance of the DP system to this work.

Contact us

km.training@kongsberg.com
https://training.km.kongsberg.com/