The e-learning and video-based training technology company, Videotel, has launched a new virtual reality (VR) training title for tank cleaning
Ensuring cargo tanks are properly cleaned to receive their next cargo is a complex operation and is a vital part of safe operation on board, especially when carrying sensitive chemical cargoes. It will also help ship operators avoid potential claims running into millions of dollars due to cargo damage caused by failure to analyse tank washings correctly, leading to insufficient tank cleaning on board chemical tankers.
The effectiveness of tank cleaning for such cargoes is often assessed by visual inspection and a methanol wall-wash test which involves applying a solvent to selected areas of the cargo tank bulkheads. The solvent is then analysed for key quality parameters. If this onboard test is not performed properly or results read wrongly by crew, this could result in a vessel being deberthed and additional tank cleaning taking placed with the associated costs and time losses.
“By immersing the learner in the virtual reality environment, it is possible to give them a deeper understanding of the processes and procedures required to undertake a wall wash test effectively by giving the user a 360° visualisation with haptic motion controllers, providing an unrivalled simulation of the real-world task that a competent seafarer must perform,” said Videotel’s managing director Raal Harris.
“Chemicals are volatile and the carriage of a previous load can hugely impact the next one if the correct processes around tank cleaning are not followed. Using our VR training title means learning and assessment can reach higher levels of accuracy than could otherwise be attained as users learn by doing,” he continued.
Videotel’s VR training module Wall Wash Test - Protecting Your Cargo has been produced in association with the company’s VR content partners OMS, a professional maritime software development company.
Videotel was part of KVH Industries before being sold to Oakley Capital in May 2019 for a reported US$90M.
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