Page 90: of Marine News Magazine (November 2015)

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DYNAMIC POSITIONING

An OSV engaged in offshore DP operations ity to conduct safe DP operations. Currently, I’m afraid to say, most DPO’s have never read IMCA or MTS guidance in regards to safe DP operations. The OSVDPA scheme will make DPOs know this guidance and create the next generation of quali? ed, and competent DPOs.”

First and foremost, OSVDPA wants the certi? cation scheme to be based upon what is practical and relevant.

Because of that, the assessment can be done on board or in a simulator. On board assessments will require the pres- ence of a quali? ed on-board assessor. But, for mariners

Credit: OSVDPA where no assessor is on board, or if they don’t have the time pletely agree that sea time and gaining experience is very on the vessel, the OSVDPA scheme allows the assessment important – critical – to making a good DPO. After all, an to be done in a simulator.

assessment is just one moment in time. But we also under- Smith explains, “We have within our assessment item stand that you need to prove that you’ve done something bank more than 200 items, and we provide instructions for during your assessment that you haven’t just been riding how the assessor can mimic or simulate a fault. You have to around, playing on your phone.” Smith adds, “We require remember that a lot of these DP systems which are coming you to gain experience. That means a requirement to spend out today have a simulator function built into it.” sea time – at the DP console for 270 hours, in addition to, Importantly, what the OSVDPA organizers have discov- or concurrently, with that 90 days of sea time. Once you get ered is that, sometimes, simulator activities aren’t necessarily done with that, you then have to prove you’ve gained some relevant to what the operator is doing on a day-to-day basis. knowledge. You prove that by passing an assessment.” And, that’s because the simulator might not have the fea-

Separately, Captain Joshua Summers, a Master, Senior tures or functions that the on board equipment is ? tted for.

DPO and DP Advisor from Seacor Marine also spoke to For example, and before OSVDPA was founded, DPO’s

MarineNews in October from his vessel stationed offshore serving on an OSV were being assessed or trained in a sim-

West Africa. Summers, whose current DP competency ulator that was set up to mirror a drill ship. Smith adds, “It’s certi? cate was issued by the Nautical Institute, is widely not relevant. So we don’t see how that’s a good assessment. recognized as one of the most experienced DP operators Again, we want assessments to be practical and relevant to on the water. According to Summers himself, he’s been DP what these guys are doing.” quali? ed for 15 years, but on paper, certi? ed for just three. The sticking point for some of this involves the avail-

Summers addresses the scheme from the mariner’s per- ability of Quali? ed On Board Assessors (QOBA). And, spective, adding, “The OSVDPA system is competency OSVDPA is set to train them. Getting there won’t be easy.

based and addresses the shortcomings that currently exist on The long-term goal of the OSVDPA and its membership board DP vessels. For example, the OSVDPA pushes hard is to ensure that all companies have at least one assessor that’s on DPOs’ understanding and using the industry guidance capable of bringing all DP operators along to the organi- and decision support tools created by IMCA and MTS. zation’s exacting standards. Smith says OSVDPA is here to

The OSVDPA goes much deeper than the NI scheme or add another certi? cation option. That said; he also insists the DNV scheme in this area and will improve DPO’s abil- that the OSVDPA standard, for OSV operators, is going to

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