Industry Partners
GLOBAL TRAINING PARTNERSHIP
IDPOA is pleased to join forces with GlobalMET - the Global Maritime Education and Training Association.
AWARDING SUCCESS
We were pleased to hear news that one of our Corporate Supporters, has been recognised at the Lloyd's List awards ceremony in Dubai.
INSPECTING ONLINE
The International Marine Contractors Association's (IMCA) 'Common Marine Inspection Document' (CMID) is now available electronically.
COMPETENCE IS KEY
Improving your workforce is important, and knowing the steps to take and the benefits derived are the keys to progress. Greater worker competence, more productive people, fewer risks and fewer injuries, with less downtime. These are the positive changes which drive more efficient projects, and value to clients. They are also the reasons the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) continues to focus on their competence assurance and assessment framework.
DEEPWATER ASIA CONGRESS 2010
As with the success of previous Deepwater Asia conferences, the 3rd Deepwater Asia Congress 2010 will be held on April 26th-29th in Shanghai.
GREAT CALL OF CHINA
Norwegian classification society DNV has recently established a Greater China Offshore Committee.
OUTSTANDING SERVICE
We hope the celebrations don't go on long enough to delay any DP Certificates, but we are pleased to announced the Nautical Institute is the 2010 winner of the Samuel Plimsoll Awards for Outstanding Service.
BIBBY SUCCESS
One of our Corporate members, Bibby Offshore in Aberdeen in the UK, has been awarded OHSAS 18001:2007 certification for its health and safety management system.
LOGGING JAM
The Nautical Institute has created an important new area just for DP on their website.
SMART WAYS
Smart companies take intercultural diversity as a serious success factor. One such company is Converteam.
COMMON INTEREST
The International Marine Contractors Association has witnessed significant growth in the levels of interest in their Common Marine Inspection Document (CMID) and particularly in the new electronic version, the e-CMID, which was launched in late 2009.
LOGICAL PROBLEMS
A new generation of diving support vessels (DSVs) is providing challenges for inspectors.
DOUBLE JEOPARDY
Juggling more than one task can cause real problems for offshore vessels. The risks associated with simultaneous marine operations (SIMOPS) in support of offshore oil and gas exploration and production, for example, related construction and survey activities, can be great and potentially dangerous.
AND THE WINNERS ARE...
The International Dynamic Positioning Operators Association (IDPOA) is delighted to announce the winners in the International Dynamic Positioning Excellence Awards 2010.
The awards recognise and celebrate excellence across the DP industry in categories which reflect the scope of this hugely specialised area.
As well as celebrating the professional success of individuals the awards honour and acknowledge developments in training, equipment and operations.
LURE OF RIO
Converteam Group opened an office in Rio de Janeiro to meet demands for production platforms and rigs for the pre-salt area.
BIG SUCCESS
The second European Dynamic Positioning Conference, organised by Riviera Maritime Media and held in association with the Dynamic Positioning Centre, was a resounding success, fully vindicating the decision to expand the event’s format and add a second day writes David Foxwell, editor of OSJ.
ALL CHANGE
The Nautical Institute is improving its Dynamic Positioning Services to better assist DP Operators.
NEW PERMIT GUIDES
Hot work; confined space entry; work where stored energy needs isolating or making safe; working over water; work with hazardous substances; working on critical safety systems; working at height; working in trenches; and diving are just some of the offshore tasks requiring a Permit to Work.
MIST MANAGEMENT
IMCA has reminded members that the target date for existing personnel working on the UK Continental Shelf to have undergone the Minimum Industry Safety Training (MIST) assessment for experienced workers is
1 January 2011
.
Main Elements of MIST
As previously advised, the main aim of MIST is to ensure that personnel on offshore installations have a common understanding of the hazards of the offshore working environment, to avoid needless repetition each time personnel go onto a platform.
Training can be provided by an OPITO approved training establishment or through an OPITO approved in-house training programme. Existing in-house training can be assessed and approved by OPITO for internal use only, free of charge.
New personnel are required to undergo a two day training course. However, for existing offshore workers, there will be a short computer-based assessment which will incorporate any necessary refresher training, and personnel will need to undertake a refresher programme every four years.
The programme is being managed through the Vantage system, and platform personnel will therefore need to have completed the MIST assessment before being permitted to travel offshore.
Application to vessel personnel
There has been some confusion about how MIST would apply to contractors’ personnel on vessels within the 500 metre zone, and the IMCA secretariat recently met with Step Change and Oil and Gas UK to try to clarify this point.
Step Change and Oil and Gas UK confirmed that the scheme was never intended for vessel personnel. However, as MIST is not a legislative requirement, it will be up to the duty holder to decide who should be covered, and members should therefore confirm with their individual clients that vessel personnel will not be expected to comply. In addition, although MIST will be recorded through the Vantage system, Step Change and Oil and Gas UK do not anticipate that the scheme will result in personnel being stopped from travelling through heliports without MIST, unless MIST is a requirement of the charterer of the transport.
Members are therefore encouraged to confirm requirements with clients.
IMCA is now represented at meetings of the Step Change Leadership Team, which is overseeing the MIST initiative, so if there are any difficulties with the roll out for experienced personnel which you would like IMCA to raise, please contact
emily.comyn@imca-int.com
.
ALL WORKED OUT
IMCA announced something of a dichotomy in its recent ROV survey: With less people seemingly doingmore work.
DIVING RISING
A peak of close to 4,000 diving personnel was employed offshore world-wide during 2009 by members of the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA).
IMCA LIMITED
To be better prepared for the future, the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has incorporated a new company IMCA Trading Ltd.
AMC PERTH
Australia’s national institute for maritime education, training and research, the Australian Maritime College (AMC), has set up camp in Perth.
SIMULATING DEBATE
The Nautical Institute has launched a new guide to help field experts who are called to teach on simulators, but who do not have teaching experiences.
MAINLAND PRESENCE
First mainland Australia DP training facility opens for business.
COMPETENCE GUIDELINES
A competent workforce is obviously more productive, operating with reduced risks, shorter downtimes and fewer injuries. All personnel involved in good industry competence schemes know a rigorous assessment procedure is in place against which their skills, experience and knowledge will be measured.
SAFETY SEMINAR
Striving for the highest possible standards, with a balance of risk and cost in relation to health and safety, is a key objective of the International Marine Contractors Association’s (IMCA).
RECORD BREAKER
A record breaking 160 delegates gathered for the 2010 Safety Seminar in Singapore on the theme ‘Safety is our Common Language’.
IMCA PRESIDENT
Biennial board changes at IMCA see Andy Woolgar of Subsea 7 SA, take on the role of President of the Council of IMCA
SUBSEA CHIEF
Aberdeen based research organisation National Subsea Research Institute (NSRI) has appointed David Pridden as CEO. Pridden is well known to the UK's subsea community.
TIME CHANGES
The Nautical Institute has also revised its rules on "DP TIME PRIOR TO BASIC COURSE PROPOSAL"
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
The Nautical Institute has revised its "MINIMUM QUALIFICATION PROPOSAL".
DESIGN DEVELOPS
Guidance notes published by the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) under the general heading of ‘DESIGN’ – Diving Equipment System Inspection Guidance Notes – have played an important role in the offshore diving industry for many years.
Addressing the configuration of diving systems as utilised in the industry, they cover the four types of diving system – air, saturation, surface supplied mixed gas, and mobile/portable surface supplied diving systems – now revised guidance on annual auditing of diving systems has been published.
“The aim of these documents is to be a comprehensive reference source addressing the philosophy of what equipment and layout is required for safe diving operations, plus the examination, test and certification necessary to meet good diving industry practice,” explains IMCA’s Technical Director, Jane Bugler. “They provide a common standard for auditing diving systems and form the basis for annual diving system audits which enable the verification of the completeness, certification and planned maintenance of such systems.”
It is now common practice for each diving system to undergo a comprehensive audit annually and for the DESIGN documents to be kept up-to-date and available for review and inspection by clients and others wishing to spot check one or more items within the audit document. The latest in the series ‘Annual Auditing of Diving Systems’ (IMCA D 011 Rev 1) sets out guidance on how the DESIGN process is carried out, and bears in mind the wide number of individuals and organisations interested in the outcome.
“These include diving contractors commissioning new build diving systems and those maintaining, testing and certifying diving systems; clients; procurement and supply chain personnel contracting in third party services; as well as contractors supplying third party services,” says Jane Bugler. “The list doesn’t stop there; it also includes consultancies and agencies providing diving system auditors; diving system auditors themselves; personnel involved in quality assurance and quality control; and organisations conducting diving industry training courses.
“There are four key issues that play critical roles in the quality of DESIGN audit reports – selection and competence of diving system auditors; accuracy, completeness and traceability of information; management and quality control of the DESIGN process; and time allowed for auditors to undertake the audit – our documentation takes each of these areas into consideration.”
FASCINATING INSIGHT
Our good friends at GCaptain have recently featured a range of fascinating video interviews with many survivors of the Deepwater Horizon. The latest is with Senior Dynamic Positioning operator Yancy Keplinger the rig’s most veteran watchstander on duty at the time of the incident.
IMCA GUIDANCE
Reliable and robust methods of positioning are vital for safe vessel operations at offshore installations. Dynamic positioning (DP) has played an increasingly important role over the past 35 years, with various manufacturers’ systems available around the world.
TICKET CHECKER
The Nautical Institute has proudly announced the launch of its new DP Operators certificate ticket checker.
TOPICAL THEMES
The highly topical theme of this year’s International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) Annual Seminar – the future of marine and subsea operations – has resulted in the publication of a highly relevant and thought provoking programme.
TRIAL GUIDANCE
The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has released new guidelines on DP Trials.
POINTON'S PROGRESS
Congratulations to Captain Mark Pointon, MNI, DP Training Manager, on his appointment as Chief Instructor for Farstad's DP training centre in Perth, Australia.
NEW ROLE
The Nautical Institute is pleased to announce the appointment of Miss Regina Bindao, MBA as the Accreditation Services Manager for the Institute with immediate effect.
MEMBERSHIP BOOM
Congratulations to the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) as the organisation has reached a milestone with over 800 member companies from 61 countries.
LOOKING BACK
Annual dynamic positioning (DP) trials for DP vessels will come under the conference spotlight when Ian Giddings, Technical Adviser - Marine, International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) speaks at the 15th Marine Technology Society (MTS) DP conference 11-12 October 2011 in Houston, Texas.
MIND YOUR LANGUAGE
Eight key publications from the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) have been translated into both Latin American Portuguese and Spanish and are now available for downloading on the IMCA website.
TECHNOLOGY IN FOCUS
As befits the 50th anniversary of the advent of dynamic positioning (DP), the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has turned the spotlight on this invaluable technology.
WELCOME ONBOARD
Farstad Shipping is the most recent addition to the impressive line up of IDPOA corporate members.
RECORD BREAKER
The Dynamic Positioning Conference, held in October 2011, broke previous attendance records selling out before the actual event with an attendance of over 350, including 31 active licensed DP operators.
THE FUTURE
USA hosted the nineteenth International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) annual seminar with its theme ‘The future of marine and subsea operations’.
