CONTINUING TO MEET TRAINING NEEDS

As each year goes by, the burden on the shipowner or manager seems to become heavier and heavier. Regulations, particularly those regarding crew training, are now extremely onerous as are the penalties when things go wrong.

The shore based employees of owners and managers now need extensive training to ensure that their companies are conforming to a whole raft of national and international regulations and conventions such as the MLC (Maritime Labour Convention) 2006 and the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, known better as the STCW Code. Companies have in place various training programmes for their seafarers designed to avoid almost every conceivable type of accident from collisions to personal injuries and errors leading to incidents such as oil spills. Never has there been a greater need to train, and that of course includes training the trainers so that they can do their jobs properly.

Videotel provides maritime training materials for oil, gas and chemical tankers, container, refrigerated cargo, passenger and roll-on, roll-off ships, offshore operations, pilots, surveyors, port and terminal operators, and more. It began making training products for the marine industry in 1973, at a time when major shipping companies needed to improve their onboard training and IMCO, the forerunner of the IMO (International Maritime Organization), wanted to see high quality training materials supplied to maritime colleges, especially in the developing countries.

Available in a multitude of formats, Videotel training programmes can be used by individual seafarers in their cabins, in classrooms or by managers in their offices. Many are also valuable as support material for the designated Safety Officer when holding the now statutory onboard training sessions.

Moving with the times

Of course, where IT is concerned, nothing stands still; indeed, quite the contrary. So while Videotel products are still available in VHS tape format for those ships which still have VCRs and as DVDs and CD-Roms for more up to date equipment including desk and laptop computers, Videotel now offers VOD (Videotel on Demand) and also NVOD (Network Videotel on Demand).

VOD is a computer system capable of carrying over 300 selected videos, CBT Computer Based Training) interactives and courses at any one time, containing the relevant training packages for the shipowner’s operational areas. It therefore offers a comprehensive and affordable solution to crew training and records the actual training conducted on board ship.

The VOD system comes with its own computer screen, keyboard and mouse. It is easy to install and once on board can be used to lead training sessions or for independent study.

VOD incorporates OTMplus (Onboard Training Manager Plus) which exports training data to company specific management systems and for additional support, FTA (Fleet Training Administrator) is available as its shore based partner.

Managing Director Stephen Bond has been at the fporefront of Videotel since the beginning. Based in London, Mr Bond has strong relationships with major and smaller maritime companies, and various connections within maritime institutes and government bodies.

“The key benefits of VOD are that it is easy to operate and immediately available to use on board, so it encourages officers to study more. It is also there to use instantly should urgent training be necessary. The tailored package is made up of titles selected to meet specific training needs, enabling crew training to meet legislative requirements and enhance personal professional development. With VOD, everything is in one place, compact, neat and tidy. Many titles include printable workbooks offering key learning points as further support to the videos. Furthermore it demonstrates to Port State Control and other shore based authorities that a company has a committed training structure.” says Mr Bond.

Moving to networking

With many modern ships built recently, especially cruise vessels, owners are now incorporating computer networking capabilities into their onboard IT systems. With passenger vessels, there is an increasing expectation that Internet access should be available from individual cabins just as it is from most hotel rooms ashore. Although this is expensive to provide, it can also be a useful revenue generator.

Recognising this, Videotel has introduced NVOD, a remarkably innovative and modern training delivery system that provides Videotel videos, interactive CBT and courses across a ship’s network, allowing crew to access training from multiple computers in multiple locations.

This training no longer needs to be done on a single machine or on an allocated computer. The NVOD server box is kept on board in a secure location such as a locked cupboard. Not only does this prevent tampering but it keeps everything in one place to simplify its management.

Wherever there is access to the ship’s network, access to NVOD is possible - including a laptop in a cabin. NVOD sits on the ship’s network and is accessed through an NVOD browser on the ship’s computers. From here, seafarers can select from any of the training titles in their chosen package and start training. The system even allows for multiple users to train at the same time on different subjects.

To assist shore based management in controlling and monitoring fleet training activity, Videotel has also developed webFTA (Fleet Training Administrator), an online progression from the original FTA product which enables access to seafarers’ results and performance from anywhere there is an Internet connection. The web based application also allows for greater automation to reduce the workload for office staff.

webFTA is an onshore records management program that offers a custom made solution for fleet training administrators. It allows access to all training records on all ships and offers a variety of data assessments tools to make life easier. webFTA works by importing training records data from OTMplus, its onboard partner.

“Working from a central database makes operations run smoother for everyone. This simple to use system saves time tracking crew training and processes audits quickly. Multiple reports can be generated and export or printed for further analysis. webFTA also has the facility to add certificates and on shore data, keep a record of seminars and crew attendance, and set rank related pass rates. webFTA also allows administrators to view an individual’s records and see what training is missing. It has scheduling features to organise the frequency of rank specific training and statutory and non-statutory onboard tasks. It also helps show adherence to the ISM Code and a clear training structure to Port State Control.” explains Mr Bond.

FTA also works with Videotel training programs SETS Plus and MEETS.

Staying ahead of the game

Via its London-based team, many of whom have seafaring experience/have held senior management positions in shipping companies or maritime organisations, Videotel maintains close contact through networking with the IMO and other maritime regulatory bodies. The knowledge gained in this way is used to identify and develop new training programmes and to know when existing products would benefit from updating.

One recent addition to the Videotel catalogue, dealing with the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, provides an excellent example of a new programme designed to appeal to a broad audience including flag States, port States, labour supply countries, shipping and ship management companies, manning agents and, of course, seafarers. To ensure a high degree of accuracy and authority, the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 training package was developed with the assistance of the Bahamas Maritime Authority, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the International Shipping Federation (ISF), the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA), the Anglo-Dutch seafarers’ union Nautilus, the Paris MOU and leading ship manager V Ships.

Videotel’s Maritime Labour Convention 2006 programme provides an outline of the purpose of the convention, what it contains and how it works. Implementation and enforcement are dealt with in some detail and that it encourages thought and understanding about what the convention means for the individual and their role within their respective companies or organisations.

Another relatively new product launched by Videotel, dealing with piracy, has already been updated, such are the changes happening as a result of the Somali phenomenon, which has seen piracy become a multi-million dollar industry largely immune to existing international legislation. Piracy & Armed Robbery Edition 2 was released at the end of 2009 and covers a number of key topics including:

- Piracy as a problem;
- Where piracy occurs;
- Shipping industry anti-piracy strategy;
- How to deal with a pirate attack;
- Medical and psychological problems arising from an attack.

As with all Videotel programmes, assistance in its production was sought and received from the major maritime organisations and leading shipowner/ship management companies, which in this case included the piracy experts at the International Maritime Bureau and shipowners with direct experience of piracy attacks that resulted in ships being detained while ransoms were negotiated.

Staying safe and staying legal

Two more programmes that were released in recent months, that were produced in association with the P& I club Steamship Mutual, are Vessel General Permit and The Mooring Series Edition 4. While one addresses an important aspect of shipboard safety, the other concerns itself with new environmental regulations in the US. Both are of great interest to the insurance industry – hence the involvement of the Steamship Mutual – as crew injuries and pollution account for a large proportion of the overall claims bill for the clubs.

Vessel General Permit (VGP) is a system of environmental regulation designed to reduce pollution by vessels visiting US ports or operating in US waters. Even for the best managed vessels, VGP provides a significant challenge, requiring a detailed review of environmental protection procedures, vessel inspection schedules, manning levels, crew training and qualifications, recording and documentation.

Meanwhile The Mooring Series Edition 4 covers various aspects of mooring ranging from the theory of mooring, where various forms of mooring arrangements are explained, through to safe mooring practice and maintenance of mooring systems. Mooring is very much a routine practice, especially on coastal cargo vessels, ferries and cruise ships where ships are in and out of port on a daily, even hourly basis, and over familiarity with set procedures, time pressures and tiredness are just some of the factors that can lead to lack of attention and corner-cutting. Sadly, when an incident occurs, it usually results in horrendous injuries that are often fatal.

By committing itself to assisting the industry with its shore based and shipboard training requirements, Videotel is shouldering a significant responsibility but it is one that the company’s management team is happy to take onboard. Training is after all more of a vocation than a career.