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Busy autumn ahead for IMCA's DP specialist - DEV imca
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Busy autumn ahead for IMCA's DP specialist

Published on 2 August 2013

Providing guidance on all aspects of dynamic positioning; technical reports and annual incident reports and analysis plays an important role in the work programme of the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA). Speaking at conferences, communicating valuable messages that lead to ever-greater levels of efficiency and safety are also key to the association’s work.

Marine Technical Adviser Ian Giddings has a busy autumn ahead of him as he will taking part in four events in Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Houston; as well as being at the IMCA Annual Seminar, being held in Singapore (6-7 November), where he will be facilitating a workshop on DP incident reporting..

“It will indeed be a very busy period, I am greatly looking forward to it,” says Ian Giddings.”First on the agenda is delivering a presentation”Dynamic Positioning Spotlight: A snapshot of the major challenges and developments in the DP industry” at the Asian Offshore Support Journal Conference on 10-11 September in Singapore.

“This will be followed on 12 September by”Setting the scene: Diligent incident reporting for significantly reduced safety risk” at the Asian Dynamic Positioning conference. The presentation will be followed by a presidential style debate where I have been asked to participate on such relevant topics as sea trials and FMEA regimes; the divergence of class trials and oil company requirements; DP tests and trails including simulation; how can regulation enhance safety to mitigate the risk of accidents; operational DP risk management; station keeping incident reporting for DP vessels; and safety and risk in DP.

“Then it is on to Abu Dhabi for the Middle East Workboats and Offshore Marine event (29 September – 2 October) where I will be speaking on”Regulatory issues facing the DP market”. The feedback received at all of these events is invaluable in helping to determine IMCA’s DP work programme. We thrive on communicating with members and non-members alike.

“IMO guidelines for vessels with dynamic positioning systems: the need for change”, the paper I will deliver at the MTS Dynamic Positioning Conference (15-16 October, Houston, USA) will demonstrate the strength of international and inter-association collaboration.

“The United States, the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) and IMCA submitted a paper to 90th session of the International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Safety Committee proposing amendments to the Guidelines for vessels with dynamic positioning (DP) systems (MSC/Cirs.645). The committee considered this proposal and added it as a new work item for the Ship Design and Equipment sub-committee. Because of the current list of work items this one will not come before this sub-committee until 2014.

“The original document was published in 1994, nearly twenty years ago, and, although the basic principles remain valid, it is in need of review and revision. My presentation will explore why and where changes and additions may be needed, recognising that it is believed that many vessels and their operators exceed the compliance requirements of this document by following the available guidance from IMCA, the Marine Technology Society (MTS), Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and others.

“These revisions will have implications for maritime authorities, classification societies and manufacturers, but once again these groups usually adopt standards and requirements which exceed those of these guidelines. Finally the paper will look at the relationship between this document, which deals with equipment, and the human factors or people, looking at training, experience, certification and procedures.”

Information on IMCA’s DP work programme and resulting documentation is at /marine-division/dynamic-positioning.aspx