“Very professionally done”

“We would recommend everyone to buy and view it”

“A breath of fresh air”

“Moves the discussion further forward”

“You’ve set the bar very high for this sort of training aid”

“It’s a very good tool, useful product, and it’s been extremely well produced”

“I congratulate you for being so thoughtful and realistic”

These are just some of the quotes from maritime industry leaders and press who gathered together in Soho last Wednesday 20^th March to attend the premiere screening of Walport’s ‘The Human Element’ film.

The Human Element film, developed jointly by Walport and Pukka Films, was adapted from the award-winning book by the UK’s Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) and, at the screening, MCA’s Marc Williams commented: “We’ve learnt how to identify problems in human behaviour and how to employ procedures to help cope in high-pressure situations. But it is important we don’t lost sight of the fact that the human element also contributes to our successes.”

Walport’s Training Producer, Chris Young, spoke after the film, saying: “The Human Element film, along with the accompanying in-depth training booklet, is aimed at creating greater operational mindfulness, thereby allowing safety, rather than danger, to emerge from human behaviour. We set out to make people really think about their actions and we think we have adapted a great book into a fantastic training aid for maritime staff at all levels.”

For more information on the film please click HERE.

Ends.

CONTACTS

WALPORT MARITIME TRAINING FILMS

Walport Training Film Producer / Chris Young

chris.young@walport.com

www.twitter.com/WalportMaritime

+44 (0151) 243 1601

Head of Marketing / Sue Henney

sue.henney@headlandmedia.com

www.twitter.com/sue_hen

+44 (0)151 243 1605

ABOUT US

Walport Maritime Training Films from Headland Media provides fleets around the world with an excellent range of maritime safety training films to support the regular on-board training of the modern seafarer.

The Walport brand started life in the 1950s, sending movies to crew around the world but, by the 1990s, they had identified a requirement for safety training videos that were competitively priced, easily understood by any nationality, and, equally important, that were interesting.

In 2008, Walport International Limited was acquired by Headland Media. Headland Media has provided an array of services to ships since 1984 and is an international media company that provides news, sport, entertainment and training content to the shipping industry, retail and hotels.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgE0vZik7bw

Walport Maritime Training Films launches its latest film, ‘The Human Element’ at an exclusive premiere screening in London on Wednesday 20^th March. The film, which has been approved by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA), offers a unique insight into the role of human behaviour in safety at sea.

The Human Element has been developed jointly with Pukka Films, from the award-winning book, published in 2010 by a consortium comprising the MCA, The Standard Club, BP Shipping and Teekay Marine Services; it takes the concepts of the book and develops them, building on the key insights and principles, making them easy for the seafarer and management alike to put to practical use. The DVD is presented in a modular fashion and includes detailed facilitators’ notes, designed to promote thought and discussion amongst viewers between each of the modules. The notes are straightforward to use and greatly assist participants in engaging with the content of the film.

The film is unique in that takes a holistic approach to safety. Walport Training Producer, Chris Young commented: “The premise of the film encompasses the idea that safety is not in the poster on the wall or in the safety handbook. Instead, it is a living thing that emerges moment by moment from our collective behaviour.”

The film has been produced in conjunction with the MCA, The Standard Club, BP Shipping and Teekay Marine Services, and both the film and the comprehensive facilitators’ notes aim to create greater operational mindfulness, thereby allowing safety, rather than danger, to emerge from human behaviour.

Walport Maritime Training Films is delighted to have produced the film with award winning Pukka Films and is confident that this is an exciting new concept in safety training films which is suitable for crew members and shore staff at all levels.

For more information, visit TheHumanElementFilm.com

 Industry Recommendations for ECDIS Familiarisation  

21.11.12

The Nautical Institute announced today (Wednesday 21 November) the publication of Industry Recommendations for ECDIS Familiarisation to promote clarity around Generic Training and Familiarisation regarding Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS). The guidance has been issued by the ECDIS Training Group – an industry body made up of leading international shipping organisations and co-ordinated by The Nautical Institute.

Philip Wake MSc FNI, Chief Executive of The Nautical Institute, presented the Group’s findings at today’s ECDIS Revolution conference in London and thanked its members for their efforts in producing what he described as “an invaluable point of reference for those keen to establish and follow best practice in relation to ECDIS”. He added: “As our industry moves away from depending solely on paper charts, this guidance provides important clarification in terms of the competencies required for what has become a vitally important navigational and decision support tool. The ECDIS Training Group first came together in 2011 to tackle this issue and we are indebted to them for having applied their expertise for the benefit of all of us in the maritime community”.

As part of its guidance the ECDIS Training Group recommends that companies should establish clear guidance for the use of ECDIS within their Safety Management System procedures. It has also produced a Familiarisation Checklist that details tasks officers of the watch of ships using ECDIS should be able to demonstrate competency in. The checklist covers the following areas: initial preparation, basic operation, charts, navigation tools and functions, route planning and route monitoring.

The organisations supporting this guidance are: BIMCO, GlobalMET, International Federation of Shipmasters’ Associations, International Group of P&I Clubs, International Maritime Pilots’ Association, International Chamber of Shipping, InterManager, INTERTANKO, International Shipping Federation, Marine Accident Investigators’ International Forum, Oil Companies International Marine Forum and The Nautical Institute.

A copy of Industry Recommendations for ECDIS Familiarisation is available on The Nautical Institute’s ECDIS forum at www.nautinst.org/ECDIStraining

The Institute also publishes a range of best practice guides for navigation including:
From Paper Charts to ECDIS

ECDIS and Positioning

Radar and AIS
These are available from The Nautical Institute at: www.nautinst.org/PUBS

The document follows the standard format for these publications, with anonymised accident report summaries followed by easily digested safety lessons that can be learnt from each incident. There are also interesting introductions to the relevant sections from leading mariners.

The case that particularly caught my attention was No. 12, an incident that involved a bulk carrier that ran aground in a relatively narrow channel.

I shan’t recount the tale here, but in summary there was a failure by the Bridge team to correctly handle the situation as it developed, and in particular their use of ECDIS.

As the MAIB say in ‘The Lessons’ section;

… the vessels master and bridge watchkeepers lacked an understanding of the ECDIS equipments safety features and/or their value.

This is of onterest to myself personally because I’ve just completed almost six months of work researching, writing and finally making a training film for those using ECDIS, and throughout the entire process what struck me was that this is a very powerful technology, potentially of great benefit, provided those who use it are full aware not just of its strengths, but of its weaknesses. And of how important it is that new procedures are adopted and practiced if it is to be used safely. Trusting ECDIS, “because it’s a computer”, is a passage to disaster.

I a non-maritime example of this mindset almost every day. I am, for my sins, a smoker. When I go and stand outside for my infusion, the street I stand on recently became ‘One Way’. The number of vehicles that still regularly turn into the street – the wrong way -  is astonishing and, if I look carefully, I can guarantee you that almost without exception the drivers that make the mistake are blindly following a Sat-Nav. They turn because the computer told them to, even though there are signs and the council altered the layout of the road to make it more apparent and a more diffucult manoevure.

Perhaps they should incorporate the following into the Highway Code here in the UK (again from the MAIB article):

Effective position monitoring is fundamental to navigational best practice.

Navigational aids are there to help, but their limitations need to be identified and taken fully into account.

ECDIS is a genuinely useful advance, just like Sat-Nav. But it carries the same risks if not used with a suitably cautious approach.

(You can see a trailer for our ECDIS training film here)

Ask any ship manager about ECDIS and they will have a story or two to tell, and they won’t all be good ones! ECDIS is a major development in the way we navigate our ships, but it’s a complex subject – one that is frequently not understood sufficiently, leading to a host of problems from wasted money to grounded vessels.

This film is not just for the Officer of the Watch, but is equally applicable to their shore-based colleagues. As a ‘Primer’, it’s aimed at officers and crew that are about to undergo training (generic or type-specific) or those whose job – onboard or ashore – doesn’t justify the cost of a training course but who need to understand the technology. As a ‘Reminder’, it’s intended for those that have already been trained and may have been working with ECDIS for some time, but not necessarily correctly. Or safely.

We discuss the basics of navigating and working with ECDIS, including the new skills and procedures that are needed:

• The regulations: The mandatory carriage requirements for ECDIS (including SOLAS Chapter V and the Manila Amendments to the STCW code) and flag-state rules.
• The technology: What is ECDIS?
• Electronic charts: What is the critical difference between a Raster (RNC) and a Vector (ENC) chart? Why does it matter? What are the implications? What does RCDS mean?
• What sensor inputs are required? What happens if GPS is lost?
• Navigating with ECDIS: How does ECDIS affect the job of navigating your ship? The new procedures necessary for safe electronic navigation.
• Bridge Procedures for ECDIS: What to do when things go wrong, monitoring the accuracy of sensor input, the watch handover, software and system updates etc

We discuss the importance of maintaining your situational awareness – continually confirming that “ECDIS is correct!” and the film stresses the crucial importance, using real world examples, of the potential danger to the OOW of blindly trusting ECDIS – “it’s a computer, it must be right!”

Made with the assistance of renowned Southampton-based training provider ECDIS Ltd the film is generic in its nature and the lessons learned can be applied by anyone involved with e-navigation, regardless of the specific equipment they are using.

This film is an invaluable training resource. Whether you’re new to ECDIS or you already have experience of the technology, the message is the same; “ECDIS is about more than just knowing where the menus are; it’s about knowing where YOU are.”

To order your copy of this training resource, please click here.

If you’d like to receive a FREE evaluation copy of this major new film, please complete the form above and we will contact you to confirm your details for delivery. Alternatively, you can email nick.brown@walport.com.

Walport are happy to support a new initiative for seafarers – the Crewtoo social network.

Started in 2011, originally as a purely email-based network, Crewtoo now has its website up and running – Crewtoo.com – where seafarers can signup for free and join the 1700+ that are already members.

Crewtoo :

• Allows you to post comments and update your profile from your ship;
• Helps you find colleagues you worked or trained with and have since lost touch;
• Helps you find and chat to other Crewtoo members;
• Allows you to share your opinions with the community;
• Lets you keep up to date with Maritime news as it happens;
• Lets you take part in Crewtoo polls and votes.

There are plans for further development of the site, but for now the main goal is to spread the word and get as many seafarers to join as possible, making it the first truly global ‘seafarer-only’ social network.

If your crew’s are allowed internet access, however limited, why not pass the link along? The site has been deliberately designed to be low-bandwidth (I know, because I sat in as a tech adviser on the early design meetings) so it won’t cost you the earth, and it will help with crew morale and retention.

For more information, you can read the Crewtoo ‘About us‘ page …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkoAiBC6NUo

… or you can watch it directly on YouTube

FPD’s are discusssed in our ‘Lifeboat Drills – Preparing for Safety‘ DVD.

The film discusses the importance of carrying out, attending and learning from regular and safe lifeboat drills and includes advice on using FPD’s.

The film addresses the unacceptably high number of incidents in which crew have been injured, sometimes fatally, while participating in lifeboat drills. You can find out more about this film by clicking here.

The size of the world shipping fleet

• Top 20 Flag States
• World Fleet – Pie ChartWorld Fleet
• Worldwide Supply of Seafarers
• Top 20 Ship Owning Countries

The page concerned is HERE.

Nick’s suggestion of a ‘super-numerary Captain’, distanced from events but ready to take command should the worst happen, is a possible solution to consider for the future. Read on and discuss ..

“Should we be so eager to criticise and condemn those who have exhibited poor judgement or even dereliction of duty under the most testing of circumstances ? Who among us can, with any certainty, assert that they would not suffer the same collapse of character that appears to have beset Captain Schettino ? The history books unfortunately, yet unsurprisingly, are full of Schettinos.

Listening to the media reports from Italy this past week I’m sure can’t be the only one who has had an unnerving sense of déjà-vu. Ship in trouble, Captain vilified for his performance. I have a recollection of a Greek cruise accident in the past 10 years where the Captain left the ship to ‘direct operations from ashore’ whilst all his passengers remained onboard in considerable peril. Even in that most famous of wrecks, the Titanic, it is notable that in all the subsequent inquiries and in all the eyewitness accounts Captain Edward Smith plays little more than a walk on part during the unfolding tragedy and is not seen by anyone for hours – and this in a time when honour and duty were far more keenly observed than they are today.

Should we continue along the well-worn path of simply trusting in a) the infallibility of Captains and b) their courage and strength of character in the face of – often self-inflicted – adversity ? Einstein once said words to the effect of ‘to keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result is the definition of insanity’. Maybe he had a point. Perhaps we should consider a new approach to post-disaster management, particularly if we’re going to let 4,000 people get on one ship. Passengers – and crew – have an absolute right to expect the very best from their senior officers and to trust to luck that your man will rise to the challenge is not much better than a roll of the dice.

Responsibility can help to focus the mind. Culpability, on the other, is likely to have the polar opposite effect. One can only wonder at the thoughts clouding Schettino’s mind last Friday night but I would imagine that ‘What have I done ?’, ‘What will they do to me ?’, ‘What will the company say ?’, ‘How did I let this happen ?’ must have figured quite prominently. Can a man who has taken his ship to the brink of tragedy really be expected to be the best person to rescue the situation with cool and rational thinking ?

If cruise ships were to carry a super-numerary Captain, one who has taken no part in the ships’ day-to-day operation or decision making processes and could in no way be held culpable for any accident that took place, wouldn’t he be better placed to exercise command and control should the unthinkable happen ? He would have the responsibility for managing the situation but without carrying the burdens of the ‘I’s’ in an emergency. It could be argued quite powerfully he would have the far more reliable and clearer judgment required by the situation. Of course contemporary experience is vital and therefore the practice would require that every Captain sail alternate tours as a Captain then as a super-numerary. Equally, such a practice would not reduce the importance of sound command and navigation decisions by the acting Captain but like it or not Captains are human, mistakes will be made and we can be absolutely sure that Costa Concordia will not be the last example we see of such incidents.

Cruise ship Captains are often regarded, unhelpfully, as omnipotent demi-gods and, like most rock stars, I have seen many who ultimately believe their own ‘press’. It’s why the media and public wail and howl so when one is found wanting of the honour and fortitude we romantically assume they all have. It is hardly surprising that a man like Schettino has been described as having an ego. I can barely think of one I sailed with that didn’t fit that description. With adulation comes ego, with ego self-belief and with self-belief an unhealthy sense of infallibility. All cruise companies, understandably, actively promote and cultivate this Captain worship and thereby, perhaps unwittingly, increase the risk factor of a Captain getting too big for his boots. I suspect few of us would be immune to hundreds or even thousands of people every week treating us like royalty – or better. As a Radio Officer I used to get dressed in my finest uniform once a week and take a bow in front several hundred fresh faces then go on to host a table in the dining room and am all too aware of the little ego thrill that can bring. Multiply that a thousand-fold and you come close perhaps to what a Captain experiences day-in day-out.

I am reminded of a conversation I had with my 5 year old son a few years ago. My daughter, then about 2 and a half, had been crying for some time at that volume and pitch only a youngster can sustain. Unable to calm her down my blood pressure was reaching hospitalisation levels. My son was sitting next to us, seemingly oblivious to the incessant noise and I asked him if his sister’s crying wasn’t driving him mad like it was me. He simply shrugged and said ‘I don’t mind’ and went back to fiddling with whatever toy had his attention. He was neither culpable nor responsible for his sister’s troubles and consequently felt no stress or anxiety at the sound of her wailing and went about his business as if she wasn’t even there. How I envied him that day.”

Thank you Nick.