The UK P&I Club reveals its concerns about ECDIS

The UK P&I Club recently completed a series of three short articles which provide a user friendly guide to the mystery surrounding electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS). These have now been consolidated into a 16-page booklet "ECDIS - Navigational and claims issues" that is available in hard copy from the Club or as a .pdf file from the club's website.

While the booklet is not really intended for navigators, it should, the Club believes, be of great value to anyone in shipping who needs to be aware of what ECDIS is and the implications of any ECDIS-associated errors and oversights.

All three articles can be downloaded individually or in the 16-page combined format from the Loss Prevention section of the UK P&I Club website http://www.ukpandi.com/loss-prevention/lp-reports.

Whilst welcoming the new mandatory requirement to have ECDIS as the principal means of navigation on board merchant vessels, the Club is warning shipowners and managers about potential problems associated with its implementation.

Karl Lumbers, a Director of Thomas Miller P&I Ltd, Managers of the UK P&I Club, states:

"ECDIS is not an easy ride. There are still thousands of seafarers who will need to be trained and safety management systems will need to be revised. It will in many cases restrict the flexibility owners/managers currently enjoy to switch officers between the different ships in their fleets and we have seen already that Port State Control inspectors will be looking closely at ships' ECDIS arrangements to ensure compliance. There is a sharp learning curve ahead and if you haven't yet really started on the journey, you will have to move very quickly indeed. The risk of a vessel detention for non-compliance is very real."

Lumbers also points out that risks will need careful and meticulous management:

"Although ECDIS should make the navigation of ships so much easier, we expect that its incorrect use will feature regularly in accident inquiries. Humans tend to put a great deal of trust on machines but machines sometimes fail. There will still be a need to look out of the bridge windows regularly.

"Of course, when an incident does occur, we know that investigators look first at data records. It is imperative that data is stored safely. If it can't be found, there is an immediate suspicion of guilt. Who is going to believe that the data was erased accidentally?"

In conclusion, the UK P&I Club stresses that it is very much in favour of ECDIS becoming a fixture on ships' bridges, it's just that like all things new, it comes with a learning curve during which time incidents and errors are more likely to occur. It is important that both those on the bridge and those back in the office are alert to this fact and use every means possible to have the right management systems in place.

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Notes to editors:

UK P&I Club

The United Kingdom Mutual Steam Ship Assurance Association (Bermuda) Limited is generally known as the UK P&I Club. As a mutual association, the UK Club has no outside shareholders and no financial links with other organisations. Since its establishment in 1869, the Club has existed solely for the benefit of its members. Its structure as a mutual insurance association enables it to respond to the changing needs of its assureds and allows it to provide superior service, attention and coverage.

The UK P&I Club is directed by the members. Overall control lies with the directors, elected by the members from amongst themselves. The directors normally meet four times a year to formulate policy on calls, the scope of cover, finance, underwriting and claims matters, reinsurance and issues affecting the P&I world. They resolve specific claims which may not fall clearly within the cover.

Thomas Miller, the Club's managers, are organised to respond promptly to requests for assistance and to provide informed advice and help with members' claims. Individual support goes far beyond that normally provided by a commercial insurer.

The UK Club's size and the scale of the managers' operations has enabled the latter to develop specialist skills and expertise seldom seen in marine P&I.

In 350 ports around the world, on-the-spot help and local expertise is always available to members and the masters of their ships from the Club's 460 correspondents and claims handling services and advice from the network of offices and branches in London, Piraeus, New Jersey, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Beijing and Shanghai.

Thomas Miller

The Thomas Miller Group manages a number of world-leading mutual insurance organisations or "clubs," providing insurance for shipping, transport and professional indemnity risks; and captive insurance companies in the Isle of Man and Bermuda. Thomas Miller provides risk management consultancy services and, through its regulated specialist subsidiaries, delivers a full investment management service to mutual clubs, captives and other clients. The firm incorporated in 1999 and is owned and controlled by its 550 employees worldwide.

Downloads

Please click on this link to view and download the 16-page ECDIS brochure: