28 Great Lakes Pilots Trained

MarineSafety International, Inc., in conjunction with the Great Lakes International Marine Training Center at Georgian College, Owen Sound, Ontario, recently completed a joint training venture. Twenty-eight members of the Great Lakes Pilot Association (GLPA) were trained in Bridge Resource Management (BRM) and the operation of the Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS). Five courses with a maximum class size of six were conducted during January, February and March. Training meets the requirements of Transport Canada requirement TP13117 and was audited by members of Transport Canada’s Marine Safety Division.

The course consisted of classroom instruction, facilitated discussion sessions, case study analysis, computer lab practicals on the newest Offshore Systems Limited (OSL) ECDIS programs, and three simulator exercises conducted on the Georgian College bridge simulators designed to reinforce the principles of BRM. Captain Fred Bronaugh, the senior BRM/ECDIS instructor at MarineSafety International’s Newport facility, instructed the course and Captain Jim Lowe of Georgian College facilitated the simulator sessions.

Videotel Marine International, a leading provider of video and CD-ROM-based distance training packages, has recently completed a series of three training packages made with the aid of the Ship Operators’ Cooperative Program (SOCP).

SOCP a partnership of approximately 30 U.S. commercial, educational and governmental maritime organizations striving to improve the safety and efficiency of on-board operations.

The three packages in the series are: Safe Use of Rigging Equipment, Safe Hotwork Procedures, and Safe Isolation of Machinery (Lockout/Tagout).

The videos were produced with help of CSX Lines, International Maritime Organization, Intrepid Ship Management, Lothian Shipping Services, MarAd, Maritime Institute of Technology, OMI Corporation, and Wallem Shipmanagement.