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Changes in regulation impacting DP under the conference spotlight

Published on 23 April 2013

There are many recent changes in regulation and others on the horizon that will impact on dynamic positioning (DP). For this reason, Ian Giddings, Technical Adviser (Marine) at the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) will deliver a presentation ‘Guidance on the changes in regulation and legislation impacting on DP’ at the fifth European Dynamic Positioning Conference being held in London on 20-21 June 2013.

“I will look at some of these changes and their impact on the sector, in particular on people and equipment,” he explains.”Firstly there are the changes to the dynamic positing operator (DPO) training, experience and certification with now two systems available and a third likely in the near future. With the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) including guidance on the training and experience of personnel operating dynamic positioning systems in the revised STCW Code it seems this area will grow. Furthermore it has led to the need to revise IMCA’s document ‘The Training and Experience of Key DP Personnel’.

“Also regulations and guidance covering both DP equipment and operations have been looked at by many parties. The revision of IMO MSC/Circ. 645 Guidelines for vessels with dynamic positioning systems has been placed on the IMO Ship Design and Equipment sub-committee work agenda. This has been, and will be, supplemented by addition of some documents such as the Marine Technology Society’s DP operations guidance and the revision of IMCA’s ‘Guidelines for the Design and Operation of Dynamically Positioned Vessels’ and of the ‘International Guidelines for the Safe Operation of Dynamically Positioned Offshore Supply Vessels’.

“Finally with many flag states and maritime administrations looking at their own regulation and guidance on DP, revising existing guidance and producing new guidance where necessary, during my presentation I will look at some of these locally based regulations, as well as some of the guidance available for use worldwide such as the revised NWEA guidelines, now entitled ‘Guidelines for Offshore Marine Operations’.”

Ian Giddings will also be speaking on the importance of IMCA Station Keeping Incident Reporting at DPBrasil, the 1st Brazilian Conference on Dynamic Positioning, being held in Rio de Janeiro 23-25 April 2013.

Full information on IMCA’s continuing work on DP and list of guidance documents, technical reports and database of incidents on DP vessels is available on the IMCA website at www.imca-int.com where documents can be downloaded free of charge by members and non-members alike.

Further information on the European Dynamic Positioning Conference is at http://www.rivieramm.com/events/european-dynamic-positioning-conference-2013-47/event-home-663