Flag administrations and training requirements

There is a wide range of disparity in the training requirements both type specific and generic according to the flag administration

There is a wide range of disparity in the training requirements both type specific and generic according to the flag administration. UK MIN 405 is probably the highest level. With many administrations little or no generic training is required. If you go to each administration web site one would be able to find the requirements.
Once ECDIS is used as the Primary means of navigation or the sole means on Paperless bridges the gaps in training may impinge on safety. Some administrations only require the training on the ship type where the carriage of ECDIS is mandatory, which means that for several years vessels under these flags may have a paperless bridge on a ship type where carriage is not yet mandatory with inadequately trained officers.

One has to look closely at the wording of each administration to build the picture. We have already had ECDIS assisted incidents - Cosco Busan and others - as ECDIS use increases without training there may be more such incidents. STCW 2010 will mandate the Generic but even then the flag has it's influence and the Type Specific Training training is very much up to the flag. It would be interesting to see one paper with requirements of all flags. The NI document on ECDIS familiarisation is a useful read perhaps for companies designing generic training.

 

RESPONSE

While there is no one document with requirements for all flags, ECDIS Regs.com provides a full, free-to-access library of publications and documentation of regulations pertaining to ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System) and related subjects