M.A.A.P. signs users agreement with D.N.V. Vice Admiral Eduardo Mar Santos (AFP, ret.)

It is the people who make the difference between safety and danger, the Norwegian Maritime Directorate (NMD) reported, stressing that human factors cause 66% of all vessels running aground, based on the statistical analysis during the period 1998 – 2008.

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) statistics indicated 75-95% of all accidents are due to human failure. Human error is the “Effect or Symptom” of deep-rooted problem in the human and organizational system. It is systematically connected to the features of people’s tasks, tools, and the environment in which they perform.

Recognizing this issue and its impact on the shipping industry, MAAP has joined hands with Det Norske Veritas (DNV) to further enhance MAAP’s maritime education and training courses for ship’s officers and shore-based managers through the use of DNV Navigator software and the DNV Web-based Superintendent Manual, said MAAP president Vice Admiral Eduardo Ma. R. Santos (AFP, ret.).

DNV Navigator is an award winning software which is in use on board more than 1,700 ships worldwide. Updated weekly it provides ship masters with crucial Port and Ship Reporting information at the right time during the navigation process – covering 2,500 ports of call in 180 countries with 900 national and international forms for port clearance. It is a maritime information ‘‘tool’’ that will be downloaded on to MAAP’s Full-Mission Navigation & Shiphandling Simulator (FMSS) for enhanced training of ships’ navigating officers in passage planning, arrival/ departure requirements and other Navigating Bridge features such as the modern Electronic Chart Display & Information System (ECDIS), according to Santos.

DNV Web-based Superintendent Manual has been developed by DNV in conjunction with the Norwegian Ship owners Association (NSA) and is based on DNV’s experience in managing maritime risk for over 145 years and with over 5,600 ships. Ship owners worldwide have been using this web-based manual for their ship superintendents. The manual has inputs from DNV, based on its vast research and ship-surveying experience, in key areas like new building, drydocking and procedures, hull and structure, equipment and machinery systems and components, rules and regulations, and ship management.

By also providing updates on related articles of interest, cases and topical news it is a rich online source of information and help for Ship Superintendents for carrying out their already complex task of managing sophisticated ships.

The use of these state-of–the-art ‘‘tools’’ in training are expected to greatly improve the ‘‘situational awareness’’ of the officers and contribute immensely towards improved operational safety and efficiency of today’s highly sophisticated ships that traverse some of the most congested waters in the world.

“The ultimate objective for DNV and MAAP is to take this initiative forward and work towards continual improvements in maritime training and operations, through added features, resulting in safer ships and cleaner seas,” added Santos.