THE POSISTIVE USE OF VDR ANALYSIS

Capt.Nikos A. Aslanis,MBA,AFNI,MRIN,Hon. Chairman of NI Greece (Hellenic)Branch

The main advantages of VDR / SVDR analysis, is that by studying / evaluating fleet relative data on a regular basis can arrest a casualty from its occurrence at near-miss stages, helping ship management companies to get useful evidence and suggest improvements, thereby training the manpower (shore & ship) on compliances and good practices.

In particular an effective, accurate and proper documented VDR / SVDR analysis report, can be considered as very efficient tool for, ship management companies, in the following fields:

1.  Providing valuable information about near-misses o/b.

2.  Assisting for creating procedures to avoid accidents.

3.  Design “tool” for training schemes.

4.  Effective controlling of performance productivity.

5.  Assisting in safety improvement.

6.  Minimization of running costs including Fuel savings / equipment statuses etc.

There are further advantages when VDR / SVDR analysis reports are carried out by a third-party.

Personality and bias can be removed from the assessment process and an impartial assessment of both company procedures and bridge team performance made.

Analysis of the assessment and recommendations for improvement can then be made to managers ashore as well as to masters and officers at sea.

Following the lead of the Aviation Industry and requirements of VIQ -7, Chapter 4.11 and TMSA 3 there arose a need to download VDR data and view it.

VDR Review

It is a very good tool to verify that company’s SMS for safe navigation is implemented. 

It is felt that during external or internal audits the entire bridge team is at its heightened state of alert and this does not depict the actual condition of the state of navigation on the bridge. 

VDR reviews are ideally undertaken after passage of vessel through Confined waters, high traffic density areas, berthing etc. 

Key safety triggers employed are: 

·        Noncompliance with Master’s and Company’s standing instructions.

·        Setting of navigation equipment, alarm settings and alarm management.

·        Action taken in various situations.

·        Large angles of helm given in speeds half ahead or greater.

·        Engine movements more than slow astern in sea way or more than half astern in harbor limits.

The scope of VDR Review is: 

1.  Evaluation of all sensors, collection of data and compliance with MSC Circular 163 (78), IMO Resolution A 861(20).

2.  Safety of Navigation, compliance of BTM.

3.  Compliance with the passage plan, speed and UKC.

4.  Audio- Communication with VTIS, pilots and Internal.

5.  Appropriate use of navigational equipment (PI, plotting targets, Radar alarm volume, CPA/TCPA settings, use of Radar, AIS overlay etc.)

6.  Conduct of vessel in restricted waters or other restricted conditions (early detection, action, speed/ helm control etc).

7.  ECDIS usage and markings.

8.  Compliance with VIQ 7.0.

The OCIMF had published “Recommendations on the proactive use of voyage data recorder information” in Oct 2012.  

The aim of this this publication was to create awareness about recoding and analysis of VDR information.  

This information can be used in recognizing undesirable navigational events and appropriate corrective action is taken to prevent its recurrence. 

It is said that “..greater attention is given to the recording and analysis of VDR information in order that undesirable events are recognized and corrective action is taken…” 

The following figure shows analysis of tanker incidents during the period 1970 to 2019 indicates that navigational accidents involving collisions, contacts or grounding have consistently accounted for half of accidents.

Data Courtesy ITOPF Oil Tanker Spill Statistics 2019.  

This analysing practice is used in Aviation Industry since 1970 by reviewing Flight Data Recorders (FDR) fitted on aircrafts.  

The Insurance company research in 1996 says that the accident rate was significantly lower for those “operators” that has analyzing their FDR for longest period of time.  

In addition to safety it has significant maintenance & fuel saving cost benefits in the industry. Since Jan- 2005, it was mandatory to analyze such data as part of accident prevention & flight safety program (ICAO—Int. Civil Aviation Organization).

Benefits of VDR Analysis, Remote Audit and Assessment

1.   The routine use of the VDR data ensures that the VDR is functioning correctly, and the crew know how to save and download data, so that VDR data should always be available for any subsequent incident

2.   No impact on Bridge Team by presence of the auditor, enables actual routine practices and procedures to be reviewed

3.   Known/fixed fee costs (i.e. saves on the variable travel and waiting times/costs of conventional audits) 

4.   Choice of the time period/location for the audit (i.e. the client chooses the approach to a particular port, or transit through a TSS etc. to target known or suspected problem areas/ships for the audit)

5.   Depth of review – e.g. the data can be paused/replayed by the auditor more than once to check exactly what’s happened, in a way that’s not possible with a conventional audit