Seaways – August 2019

Feature: Gaining momentum in DP

22   | Seaways | August 2019 Read Seaways online at http://www.nautinst.org/seaways

Gaining momentum in DP

Captain Andy Goldsmith AFNI

Technical Adviser – Marine, IMCA Association (IMCA)

S

o far 2019 has proved to be an exciting year for dynamic

positioning (DP) at the International Marine Contractors

Association. The level of interest in DP activities seems to be

on the increase; we have been invited to participate in more

DP-related events than in previous years; we have seen an increase

in DP reporting; and we have launched a new accreditation scheme

which has been in development for some time.

Our DP Practitioner Accreditation Scheme, which aims to improve

the consistency and conduct of DP trials throughout the industry,

was introduced in May 2019. M3 Marine and IMCA DP Committee

member Joey Fisher explained: ‘The need to implement a standard

approach and improve consistency was identifi ed after a series of

incomplete and inadequate DP trials resulted in errors and diffi cult

conversations between DP vessel operators, clients and DP consultants.

The root cause of these issues seemed to be a lack of knowledge and

experience.’

We saw immediate interest from the DP industry worldwide. Already

more than 600 people have downloaded application packs and a

signifi cant proportion of the submitted applications have met the entry

requirements.

Getting member input

The scheme was discussed during the IMCA Marine Technical

Seminar, in Singapore in November 2017, in the context of a session

focused on ‘Accreditation for DP Assurance and Trials Practitioners’.

Through this session and other exercises, the views and ideas of IMCA

member companies, many of them represented by Nautical Institute

members, were gathered and used to develop this scheme.

During this seminar, DP professionals were brought together in

workshops to debate the requirements for creating a leading DP

practitioner accreditation process. The three main benefi ts of the

scheme were:

1. A method of appointing accredited DP professionals with a
   recognised level of DP knowledge to vessel owner and client
   companies.


2. A scheme that would be approved and run by DP vessel operators
   who are responsible for conducting DP trials and are most affected
   by inadequate DP trials being carried out.


3. Such a scheme should promote IMCA DP guidance documents and
   raise the profi le of the organisation within the industry.
   This session included four workshops, which covered:
   O Identifying positives and negatives for the scheme
   O Determining the criteria for entry qualifi cations and experience
   O Identifying CPD requirements
   O Detailing the examination requirements for accreditation.
   The workshop generated a lively debate and produced many ideas
   that were taken forward into the scheme as it was developed. Following
   the workshops, IMCA’s Marine Division Management Committee
   appointed a workgroup of DP experts from member companies to
   develop the scheme.

The Accreditation Scheme

The vessel operator has overall responsibility to ensure that an effective

DP annual trials programme is developed and implemented. It is also

the vessel operator’s responsibility to ensure appropriate competence

and experience levels of vessel crew, individuals, organisations and

third parties involved in developing, conducting and witnessing trials.

IMCA’s DP Practitioner Accreditation Scheme is designed to

establish a recognised level of knowledge for DP practitioners

responsible for that all-important role of developing, witnessing and

reporting DP trials, and those responsible for the management of the

DP assurance processes.

There are two categories of accreditation:

O DP Trials and Assurance Practitioner – an individual actively

involved in producing, witnessing and assessing the results of DP

failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) proving trials and DP

annual trial programmes

O Company DP Authority – the responsible individual managing DP

assurance processes for a vessel operator or end charterer.

The DP system FMEA provides the data for the DP annual trials

programme. Therefore, having a robust and high-quality FMEA

permits a higher quality DP annual trials programme. IMCA and its

members believe it is vital that DP practitioners attending vessels for

trials and those conducting DP assurance duties are accredited by

an internationally recognised scheme. This approach ensures that

the requirement of the Oil Companies International Marine Forum

Developing the DP Practitioner Accreditation Scheme