BODY OCIMF encourages tanker IT and COMMS IMAGES Ocimf guide cover .jpg Caption The OCIMF best practise guide Probably a few tanker pictures otherwise DECK HEAD OCIMF, the Oil Companies International Marine Forum, has launched a system for tanker operators to assess themselves against various quality standards set by OCIMF, and tell OCIMF how well they think they are doing. Tanker operators are not forced to follow the codes, but when seeking a charter from oil companies which are in OCIMF (and most of them are), they are likely to be asked to score themselves 1-4 in the various categories (see summary below). It is quite feasible that the oil companies will be willing to pay more money for companies scoring higher, or not accept companies scoring lower at all - the last thing an oil company wants is to be in a courtroom after an accident with it being obvious that it did not to everything it possibly could to reduce the risk of an accident, by chartering a tanker which scored itself 0 or 1. Of particular interest to the maritime IT / satcoms community will be the questions about the shipboard computer maintenance system, the ship-shore co-ordination, benchmarking against key performance indicators, the large amount of ship to shore reporting and data exchange including environmental reporting, computer based training requirements including simulators and audio visual aids, and the enormous amounts of documents, procedures and updating, both on shore and ship, that would be generated if a tanker operator wishes to score highly in each category. Also questions about whether the ship has an electronic chart system (note - OCIMF does not differentiate between the different chart systems / formats available). OCIMF will shortly be launching an online system at www.ocimf-tmsa.com, where tanker operators can conduct and review their assessments online. They will not be able to see the assessments of other tanker operators but will be able to make the assessments available to potential charterers. Paul Markides, director of OCIMF, says that the system is designed to help shipping companies work out how they can improve. "If they were to rate themselves as a 4 you would argue that they're the best they can be," he says. SUBHEAD Requirements summary The following is a summary made by Digital Ship of the full document "Tanker Management and Self Assessment," written by OCIMF and published by Witherby and Co Ltd. This summary is intended to provide a fast snapshot only of the requirements related to information technology and in the interests of providing a fast summary, large amounts of detail have been omitted, which could lead to misinterpretation. Readers are strongly advised to obtain the full text (from www.witherby.co.uk, price GBP 35.00) before any detailed planning. SUBHEAD Management and leadership Stage one - Define management commitments eg zero accidents and spills, continuous improvement. Conduct management reviews Stage two - Make sure the concepts of safety and environmental excellence are understood and supported by ship and shore teams. Capture best practises and near miss lessons Stage three - Shore management set standards and perform assessments, such as pollution, audit findings resolved, near miss reports and number of best practises identified. Step four - Quarterly management meetings monitor progress to targets and make corrections. Rewards system to reward safety and environmental excellence. SUBHEAD Safety management system. Stage one - Company has document control system, making sure only the current document system is available on vessels and company offices, covering health, safety, environment and quality. Documents on all vessels and key office locations. The policies are implemented and reviewed. Stage two - Procedures written in plain language and sufficient detail. Stage three - Feedback system covering incidents, ship inspections, fleet performance, serious near misses and lessons learnt. Managers are held accountable for achieving the objectives. Roles, responsibilities and accountabilities defined in the management system. Step four - Benchmark safety, environmental and management practises against other organisations and information sources. SUBHEAD Shore personnel Stage one - Formal induction process for new recruits, with training and familiarisation, covering safety, environment, health, quality, business ethics and cultural awareness. Average job retention for key staff such as superintendents is over 70 per cent over two years. Checks that job applicants have appropriate qualifications and experience, and verification that the qualifications are genuine. Stage 2 - At least annual appraisal for key staff members, identifying any training needs. Stage 3- Key staff develop core technical skills with training and participation in industry forums and conferences. Stage 4 - Company supports personnel taking higher education courses to improve their value to the company and possibilities for promotion. Senior onboard personnel rotated with office assignments. The company promotes interpersonal skills training, such as team building, presentation, diversity, brainstorming and negotiation. SUBHEAD Ship personnel Stage 1 -Process to screen new crewmembers for competence in documented interview process. Ship operator is involved in recruitment if a manning agency is used. Medical checks conducted on new seafarers. Blood accumulations checked on chemical tanker seafarers. Formal drug and alcohol policy and regular ongoing medical checks. State 2 - Appraisal process for sea staff, including safety / environmental awareness, ability and personal effort, conducted at every 6 months or every contract. Manning agents conduct annual quality checks. Stage 3 - Masters and engineers assessed for training / development requirements. Documented disciplinary process with re-education of those involved in operational incidents. Ship operators annually review the crew selection and recruitment process. The company implements health awareness campaigns including advice on working in temperature / humidity extremes. Catering encourages a healthy diet. Crew exercise facilities. Stage 4 - Officers and ratings subject to pre-employment assessment for competence and training, including on simulators or psychometric assessment. Processes to check future manning needs can be checked. The company only employs senior officers with appropriate experience and training on the specific type of ship. Ongoing vessel health risk assessments (eg noise, hazardous materials, human factors). SUBHEAD Safety onboard Stage 1 - Adequate resources for seafarer welfare, including quality of food, accommodation, rest and recreation facilities, hygiene, air conditioning, access to ship and shore medical facilities, eligibility for compassionate leave. Working hours are in line with STCW guidelines - additional manning may be necessary particularly on short voyages or voyages with high workloads. Stage 2 - Initial and refresher training provided for all ranks, exceeding STCW requirements. Training includes audiovisual aids. Stage 3 - There is career development for junior officers with senior officers recruited from within the company where possible. There is an 80 per cent retention rate for senior officers over 2-year period. Senior officer seminars, held every two years, promote the company safety management system. Stage 4 - Officers have opportunities to undertake shore assignments in head office. All officers attend safety seminars every 2 years. SUBHEAD Reliability and maintenance Stage 1 - shore management monitors the shipboard maintenance system. Each vessel has a maintenance plan and defect reporting system covering all bridge, deck, engine room and electronic equipment. Stage 2 - A back up system on shore for all vessel certificates. A computer based maintenance and defect reporting system onboard. Superintendents visit vessels to audit maintenance and defect plans. Stage 3 - Maintenance and defect reporting system monitors ship spares inventory and highlights shortages and repair items including dry dock work. Fleet wide system to track outstanding maintenance and defect items. Step 4- Formal shipyard repair list generated automatically onboard and onshore, including all items unsuitable for shipboard repair. Company maintains an optimum spare parts inventory and system redundancy. There is preventative maintenance including vibration, infrared or performance monitoring of main equipment. SUBHEAD Maintenance of critical equipment Step 1 - Clear reporting systems when critical systems and alarms become defective or require planned or unplanned maintenance. Step 2 - Critical equipment and systems identified in the ship safety management system. Step 3 - Risk assessments made before routing planned maintenance of critical equipment including alternative backup, any modification to procedures, additional safety measures. Stage 4 - No out of service times due to failure to manage maintenance of critical equipment. Maintenance deadlines are always met. A ship-shore process tracks testing of onboard systems. SUBHEAD Reliability and maintenance stands Stage 1 - 10 to 15 per cent outstanding maintenance tasks Stage 2 - 6 to 10 per cent outstanding tasks Stage 3 - 2 to 6 per cent outstanding tasks Stage 4 - under 2 per cent outstanding tasks SUBHEAD Navigation safety Stage 1 - Chart correcting, passage planning, under keel clearance checking, navigation with pilot onboard, heavy weather procedures, restricted visibility procedures, when to call the master procedures are included in safety management system. There are onboard audits of chart corrections and passage plans. A member of shore staff is identified as being responsible for maintaining nautical standards on vessels Stage two - Document defects and corrective actions in navigation equipment - have staff available on payroll or under contract that can fix things. Navigation audits checked by random visits from shore staff, covering chart corrections and adherence to passage plans. Chart supply automated by recognised chart agent. Stage three - Company uses electronic charts, kept fully corrected. Senior officers receive formal ship handling training before promotion to master (eg simulation training). Ship operators provide bridge team training courses for all deck officers. Checklists cover mast pilot information exchange, taking over watch and navigation in restricted visibility, contingency plans for navigation and machinery failure. Stage four - Ship operator arranges random navigation reviews with external company. Deck officers undertake bridge team management simulator training. SUBHEAD Cargo and ballast Stage one - A system to monitor cargo and ballast plans including adherence to seasonal load line zones, port restrictions and shipboard limits, including maximum cargo capacities and loading rates. Senior officer onboard is responsible for cargo and ballast. Stage two - Ballast procedures include heavy weather ballasting. Cargo and ballast spaces regularly inspected and maintained, with a standard format for records including photographic evidence. The accuracy of the loading computer can be demonstrated. Stage three - If there is no online gauging of tank contents, there is regular updating of the loading computer, to compare real and calculated draft / trim. Junior officers can get involved in cargo and ballast operations. Stage four - The company is involved in development of innovative technology - officers attend shore courses to ensure familiarity with operational and emergency procedures such as consequences of overfilling and structural damage. SUBHEAD Mooring Stage one - Documented procedure for annual maintenance of mooring equipment. Test kits to make sure OCIMF guidelines are met. Stage two - Procedure to monitor changes in environmental conditions which could lead to the ship breaking out of its berth. Procedure for inspection and replacement of wires, ropes and tails. Stage three - Risk assessment of mooring arrangements ensuring equipment layout minimises risk of injury Stage four - Process to ensure that power supplies for mooring equipment are adequately protected. SUBHEAD Change management - shore Stage one - Process defining the level of authority required for approval of a change and a documented procedure for change management. Stage two - Risk assessment can be used with any change - training needs from changes are identified - records are kept - there are documented handover procedures for shore staff and ship crews - there is a familiarisation process for shore and ship crews. Stage three - All applicable drawings, procedures and documents are updated following any change - there are provisions for familiarisation of crew with newly acquired vessels Stage four - Annual review of the impact of changes to the ship operator's roles and responsibilities. For major changes there is a review of the impact on the organisation. SUBHEAD Change management - ship Stage one - All changes to procedures and equipment subject to risk assessment Stage two - Documentation supporting a change includes the reason for the change and an understanding of the safety and environmental implications. Stage three - The company identifies personnel affected by the change and ensures that they understand it. Potential consequences of a change are identified. Stage four - If a change is not completed within a set time frame then the change must be reviewed. SUBHEAD Incident evaluation procedures Stage one - Procedures to notify the fleet of safety related issues and a procedure to report breaches of regulations, which a designated person on ashore assesses to determine which authorities should be notified. Stage two - All incidents and accidents including near misses are investigated promptly to a timescale. The person leading the investigation is not connected with the incident. Stage three - Root causes and factors of any incident are clearly identified without blaming individual seafarers for what they did ("no blame culture"). Fleet has safety bulletins or circulars and annual statistics. Stage four - Procedures to share lessons with industry groups, including class societies, professional associations and equipment manufacturers. Incidents and investigations reported to oil vetting departments. SUBHEAD Incident investigation training Stage one - Ship and shore teams are taught how to conduct an investigation, including at least two staff members per vessel. Stage two - External training in incident investigation. Stage three - Investigation training supported by practical experience - new staff receive incident investigation training Stage four - Refresher training SUBHEAD Safety management on shore Stage one - Shore managers visit the ship to monitor safety standards and training. Formal safety meetings during shore management visits. A work permit system on the ship including hot work and enclosed space entry. Stage two - A risk assessment program for identifying hazards and risks, including health and hygiene and new tasks. Stage three - Shore based management review the validity of risk assessments and ensure they are applied. Stage four - Onboard risk assessments to ensure standards are consistent. SUBHEAD Safety management onboard Stage one- Ship safety officer makes regular safety inspections- deficiencies which cannot be immediately rectified are reported to shore - there are onboard safety meetings. Stage two - A system to make sure ship crew are complying with safety measures. Safety training needs for individual employees are established. Stage three - Ship management team promote safety culture involving all crewmembers - officers and crew go on safety courses. Stage four - Safety best practise identified on individual ships is transferred across the fleet - there is a system for ship staff to communicate ideas. SUBHEAD Environment management Stage one - All sources of marine and atmospheric pollution are identified; effluents discharged are within permitted levels Stage two - Plans for further reduction of pollutants and a system to identify the actions to comply with new regulations. Stage three - Effluent reduction progress is reported. Company business plan has pollutant reduction targets. Stage four - Company has ISO 14001 and a five year environmental operations plan. Environmental performance benchmarked against the fleet and oil / marine industry. SUBHEAD Emergency preparedness Stage one - Ship and shore contingency plans which identify roles, responsibilities and record keeping procedures in an emergency, including effective calling systems and communications links, and 24 hour cover. Stage two - Company provides emergency response facilities including an incident room with fax, phone, computer network, satellite or cable TV. Individuals are trained in emergency response roles including media training. A 24-hour damage stability and structural integrity assessment service provided by naval architects or class society. Stage three - Stand-ins are included in practise drills. Stage four - Arrangements are made to include external resources in an emergency such as salvage, towing, media consultants.