Siem Offshore is deploying computer-based crew competence assessments on its fleet of offshore support vessels to raise safety standards
It has started installing Kongsberg’s Competence Assessment Tool (K-CAT) on its fleet of 35 offshore subsea construction vessels and anchor-handling and supply tugs under a Nkr700,000 (US$67,500) contract. This allows online assessment of personnel for pre-employment evaluation through to crew competence verification.
Siem Offshore is using K-CAT’s range of competence assessments to determine how well personnel understand dynamic positioning (DP) systems on its vessels, gauging the knowledge level and practical expertise of DP operators.
Siem Offshore is also applying International Marine Contractors’ Association (IMCA)’s M 117 (Training and Experience of Key DP Personnel) criteria to benchmark bridge officers, engineers, electro-technical officers and DP company authorities. Siem Offshore vessel manager Bernt Morten Tallaksen said K-CAT is also being used to accurately ascertain the suitability of prospective job candidates.
“We have chosen to invest in this mode of assessment to simply and fundamentally prove we have the most qualified and competent DP key personnel on board our vessels,” he said, adding this was in strict adherence to IMCA M 117 parameters.
“We have already found the focused relevance of the K-CAT question banks to be very advantageous in this regard,” Mr Tallaksen continued.
“This enables us to ensure the work our vessels perform is carried out to the highest standard with respect to crew safety and the ocean environment.”
Verification of crew competence is increasingly being recognised as important to improving safety and efficiency of complex onboard operations.
K-CAT helps fleet managers precisely identify competency gaps and tackle any shortcomings at source by implementing targeted training programs.
This is why Siem Offshore intends to use K-CAT throughout the fleet, said Mr Tallaksen. “We will be deploying K-CAT on all our vessels in future, as a means of comprehensively educating our key DP personnel and cementing a principle of continual operational improvement,” he said.
Siem Offshore is one of Kongsberg’s pilot customers for K-CAT.
Kongsberg Maritime DP operator and product advisor Irene Bøen expects more shipping and offshore support vessel companies will deploy online competency assessment and training tools in the future.
“Due to the coronavirus, the focus on online assessment has increased over the last couple of months and it is now essential for a lot of our customers to get remote training in place,” she said.
“We see our competence assessment tool becoming a worthwhile asset in many other maritime contexts as the convention of remote training and e-learning spreads, allowing personnel to safely gain hands-on experience wherever they are located.”
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