Accidents in enclosed spaces are frequent, often fatal – but crucially, also avoidable. Today, Videotel Marine International joins forces with Mines Rescue Marine to launch a brand new training series, Entry into Enclosed Spaces. The programme delivers a hard hitting message to both ship board and shore based personnel that will ensure that when working in enclosed spaces the correct equipment is used and good safety procedures become second nature.

“There is no excuse for the unacceptable casualties we have seen recently,” says Stephen Bond, Deputy Chairman, Videotel. “Again and again we hear of seafarers coming to grief in enclosed spaces. These incidents could have been avoided by an understanding of the dangers of entering enclosed spaces and the critical importance of following proper procedures. We are convinced that the Entry into Enclosed Spaces Training Series will help save lives.”

“We are delighted to have been able to work with Mines Rescue Marine to create this programme. For over 100 years, their Mines Rescue Service has developed its specialist skills, experience and knowledge gained from working in a difficult and potentially dangerous environment to effect the rescue and escape of mineworkers from underground. This experience has proven invaluable in helping to construct the training programme, ensuring it is both realistic and practical.”

With comprehensive written material including case studies and student exercises, the package consists of 6 programmes covering awareness; preparation and procedures; equipment; enclosed spaces entry; emergency procedures and rescue; and the correct use of breathing apparatus. It is available in a range of formats – interactive CD-ROM, through Videotel on Demand (VOD) and VHS/DVD with supporting booklets.

Entry into Enclosed Spaces is launched at midday today onboard the HQS Wellington by Captain Terry Jewell, Master of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners.[download id=”318″]

Videotel Marine International, in association with the Chemical Distribution Institute (CDI), is pioneering a new voluntary Crew Knowledge and Proficiency (CKP) Testing System by randomly testing officers’ operational knowledge. These short tests are designed to complement the crew’s existing training programme and provide strong evidence of continuous objective assessment of officers.

Capt. Milind Karkhanis, Vice President, Videotel Training Services, has been instrumental in working with CDI to develop this project. “What the industry needs is a globally consistent system of quality measurement,” he says. “With this system, the individual ship operator can benchmark the CKP of his officers against the world chemical and gas tanker fleet average. This provides a genuine measurement of performance, allowing those fleets demonstrating high quality standards to receive the recognition they deserve.”

Chief Officers, Second Officers, Third Officers, Second Engineers, Third Engineers or their equivalent ranks are eligible to undertake the testing. Selection of the Officers is made randomly by computer and the checks are carried out on a one-to-one basis onboard by an Inspector via pre-determined questions programmed into a laptop. A CKP Review Committee has been set up to review the progress, results and statistics of the CKP database on a quarterly basis.

CKP Testing constitutes part of Videotel’s VOA (Videotel Online Assessment), an internet based program designed to help assess the competency of individual seafarers by delivering assessment based questions. Assessments can be set up by selecting questions from an extensive and growing database which, in turn, can then be assigned to selected seafarers. The assessments are completed on line enabling employers to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their seafarers both prior-to and during employment. The results demonstrate how they are progressing and identify further individual’s training requirements as part of a company’s overall competency management programme.[download id=”312″]