Høvik, Norway: A new global system of competence standards to ensure that ships’ crews from different nations, different cultures and different training institutes all have a common, acceptable level of knowledge, skills and attitudes is currently being developed.
Standards for ships and organisations have been the class societies’ focus for a long time. The class system for achieving these purposes are well known and well respected in the shipping industry and society at large. DNV is now introducing a similar system to increase the focus on the crew – the people onboard the ship.
The trend in the industry is for the ship's crew to be drawn from newer seafaring nations and to have examinations from training institutes which are of more recent origin. Another trend is the steady decline in accidents caused by mechanical causes, while those due to human errors show an upward trend.
Tor Svensen, COO DNV Maritime says: “The new DNV Standard for Certification of Learning Programmes will be offered to training institutes and maritime academies around the globe. DNV will not provide the training but will – based on the standard – ensure that the content of the teaching and training process and the result of the final examination meet an acceptable, common level set by the standard.”
Similarly, DNV is working on standards for the individual positions on-board and on-shore.
Tor Svensen adds: “This will be the first global system for classifying maritime competence. It includes competence standards that can be applied globally and certification which is internationally recognized.”
The new DNV standards will incorporate the requirements for safe and efficient operations set out in statutory requirements of the IMO and other authorities, including the STCW Code (International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers).
But the standards will go beyond these to include more specific competence for individual positions. The standards will also be used for testing and assessments on a global scale, making it possible to compare competence levels of crews from around the world.
Each seafarer trained in a course certified by DNV will be awarded a certificate when he/she has passed the relevant DNV-approved examination. The certificate usually has to be renewed every three years. This ensures that the competence is maintained and that new requirements are met at all times.
The new standards pertain to specific jobs or positions on-board ships and on-shore. Some of them are already available, while others are under development. Expert committees, representing all parts of the shipping industry, have been established in the USA, Netherlands, Korea and Norway in order to ensure the quality of the standard.
For more information:
Please contact information manager Per Wiggo Richardsen, +1 281 721 6600 or cell phone +1 832 605 2718.