TRAINING IS THE KEY TO SECURE SHIPPING

New measures to enhance maritime security throughout the world are now enshrined in the ISPS Code. The standards imposed under ISPS should make the shipping industry more secure against the threat or likelihood of attack, assuming that the measures mandated are understood and carried out by properly trained and motivated personnel.

Complying with ISPS will not make a ship safe from attack by terrorists or pirates, but it should help to reduce the likelihood of such an attack taking place. And ensuring that all shore and ship based staff understand their role and their duties within the terms of the code will help ensure that responsible owners and operators are best prepared for whatever security related risk they encounter.

Proper training is the key to security, just as it is the single most important factor in safety related issues in shipping. Responsible owners and operators, often with the full endorsement and encouragement of like minded flag states, recognise that ISPS is not just another box ticking exercise. It is about responsibility - responsibility for life and responsibility for property and the environment - and everybody connected with the maritime adventure has a key role to play.

Videotel has produced a Shipboard Security Officer course [link to Shipboard Security Officer], which has been approved by some of the world's leading flag States, complies fully with the ISPS Code, and is intended for those who have to carry out the role of Security Officer on board. Its aims are to ensure that the user is trained within the current legislative framework and to provide a record of this training.

The course can be used on board ship or ashore and is designed for individual self-study. It was produced by Videotel in association with IMO, and with other organisations such as OCIMF, INTERTANKO and INTERCARGO. The Shipboard Security package allows shipowners to demonstrate that security responsibilities are being met while ensuring that seafarers get a realistic and flexible approach to training.

Again working in co-operation with IMO, and with a number of leading international port security authorities, Videotel has also produced an interactive, computer based training course which could form the basis of official Port Facility Security Officer [link to Port Facility Security Officer] accreditation, as called for under the ISPS Code. The course is divided into eight modules, each with its own test section so that users can assess their level of understanding.

On completion of the course, the user will be able to undertake a formal assessment which, depending on local government requirements, could form the basis of official PFSO accreditation.

Videotel has also produced a Know Your Port video for port workers covering global port security and the potential threats faced by ports throughout the world. The training course and the video operate in harmony to provide a complete training package designed to increase awareness and to improve security.

More is now demanded from shipping, both by international law and by industry regulation, in terms of ensuring that the threat of terrorism is properly and professionally addressed. Lives depend on how the shipping industry responds to the threat, and that response cannot be truly effective unless there are sufficient numbers of properly trained personnel able to monitor, understand and enforce the regulations. Education and training have a key role to play in that vital process.

I would welcome your views: mail@videotelmail.com