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Simulators show the future of offshore safety

Accidents in the offshore sector caused by stressful environments should be easier to prevent than ever before thanks to new and improved simulators, says a maritime expert at Maersk Training.

The comments came as Tony Greener, a Senior Maritime Instructor at Maersk Training, was speaking at the annual Kongsberg Maritime User Conference in Gateshead on the subject of Engine Resource Management Training.

Taking place at the Hilton Hotel, Gateshead, this year’s conference saw international delegates, including around 150 who had travelled from Europe, head to NewcastleGateshead for the three day event which mainly discussed the need for, and use of, bridge and engine room simulators.

Tony, who has been with Maersk Training for 2 years, following 16 years Technical Management of a large fleet, said: “Communication barriers and a lack of a planning can really work to exacerbate what is already a stressful situation and that’s why we see both small and large scale problems occur. Modern marine simulators are extremely sophisticated and coupled with theoretical training they really are the best way to make sure seafarers are equipped to deal not only with resource management but with people management too.”

In a presentation that looked at the history of resource management and staff training, from the sinking of the Titanic and the KLM air disaster right through to 2012’s Costa Concordia disaster, Tony put his experience as a Chief Engineer and Technical Manager before the gathered delegates in a bid to demonstrate the importance of marrying traditional training with the simulators that Kongsberg are known for manufacturing.

He added; “It’s absolutely vital that we train officers to a high standard of competency so that they can work together to maximise their resources and make sure that everybody is aware of the responsibilities that come with working on the deck, bridge or in the engine room. Kongsberg’s simulator systems are a great way to instill these practices but with a simulator you only have to press the reset button and everything will be fixed instantly, we simply don’t have that luxury when working at sea and that’s why offering the very best of training is so important.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Maersk Training .