IMO WORK PROGRAMME. Proposal to develop requirements for knowledge, skills and training for officers on WIG craft

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1 INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION E IMO MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE 76th session Agenda item 20 MSC 76/20/6 11 July 2002 Original: ENGLISH WORK PROGRAMME Proposal to develop requirements for knowledge, skills and training for officers on WIG craft Submitted by Australia and the Russian Federation Executive summary: Action to be taken: Paragraph 11 SUMMARY In order to properly address the safety of WIG craft following the finalisation of Interim Guidelines for Safety of WIG Craft by DE 45, Australia and Russian Federation propose that the STW Sub-Committee should be tasked with a work programme item Requirements for Knowledge, Skills and Training for Officers on WIG Craft Related documents: DE 45/27, paragraphs 6.8 and 6.10 and annex 5 Background 1 Australia and Russian Federation welcome the finalisation of the proposed Interim Guidelines for Safety of WIG Craft by the 45-th session of DE Sub-Committee, as culmination of a long and difficult development process. Noting that these Interim Guidelines have been developed to reflect the principles of risk management, we consider that the hardware standards on which the proposed Interim Guidelines concentrate are only one of three types of measures that may be used to reduce risk levels, the other two being implementation of appropriate operating procedures and the skills of the craft s crew. 2 Bearing in mind that appropriate procedures constitute part of the WIG craft s Safety Management System, we consider that it is essential for the Interim Guidelines to be complemented with high priority by an agreed set of skills or competencies for the crew of the craft. 3 In considering this matter, the Committee should note that WIG Craft usually fulfil actions limited by water-borne taxiing and flight above water at very low altitude. It has been mutually agreed between IMO and ICAO that these craft lie within the international maritime jurisdiction and are subject to the Collision Regulations unless they achieve flight at an altitude of 150m when they would become subject to ICAO jurisdiction. For reasons of economy, this document is printed in a limited number. Delegates are kindly asked to bring their copies to meetings and not to request additional copies.

2 MSC 76/20/ In view of the peculiarities of craft involved and their operating environment which falls between conventional aviation and maritime operations, the skills required by operators of these craft are likely to consist of a blend of maritime and aviation skills. Accordingly, the development of skill requirements should start from first principles and should not necessarily seek to build on an existing maritime qualification. It is likely that an aviation pilot s qualification may be at least similarly suitable to a marine qualification as a basis for operating a WIG craft. Knowledge and skills associated with both of these qualifications could be adapted to take into account the specific capabilities of WIG craft, together with features of their operation on the water and at all flight altitudes of which a craft is capable. Where a WIG craft has such a capability, the required set of knowledge and skills should include operations beyond the action of surface effect. 5 Further, the configuration of these craft is usually such that their propulsion systems are located outside the craft and/or are inaccessible by personnel during normal service. It is therefore likely to be found that the carriage of a dedicated engineering officer will not be justified and that appropriate engineering knowledge and skills will generally need to be held by the deck officers who work in a cockpit environment. 6 As may be inferred, from the preceding paragraphs, the output from this work item should be a list of skills or competencies which is not necessarily built up from those skills/competencies specified in the STCW'78 Convention, as amended. These should be sufficiently well developed to form the basis of curriculums for training of officers for WIG craft but should not prescribe lengths of service as pre-requisites for issue of internationally-recognized qualifications, in view of the embryonic state of development of these craft in some countries and the significant differences between these craft, their operations, and established marine and aviation precedents. Proposed new work programme item 7 It is proposed that a new work programme item Requirements for Knowledge, Skills and Training for Officers on WIG Craft should be adopted to address this matter. The required information in accordance with the Guidelines on organisation and method of work, as amended, is shown at Annex. Proposed initial action on this matter 8 In view of the shortness of time between MSC 76 and STW 34, Australia and Russian Federation propose to submit to STW 34 under any other business a paper providing proposals for initial action on this matter in anticipation of this proposal being approved by MSC 76. Based on the outcome of this consideration, we would then intend to make a detailed submission to STW Schools for training officers of WIG craft already exist in some countries, including Australia and Russian Federation. The sponsors intend that their submissions to STW on this matter should be based on the curriculums of those courses and practical experience with WIG craft operations. However, it is also considered that international standards should be developed to provide a recognised level of safety for WIG craft and other vessels engaged in international voyages. Existing and new schools should therefore adapt their courses to meet the international standards, when developed as proposed, for personnel operating WIG craft on international voyages or in waters used by other vessels engaging in such voyages.

3 - 3 - MSC 76/20/6 10 Any standards developed under the proposed work programme item would also be available for implementation under national rules to voyages undertaken by WIG craft on other waterways. Action requested of the Committee 11 The Committee is invited to consider the foregoing and add to the work programme of the STW Sub-Committee, as a high priority item, Requirements for Knowledge, Skills and Training for Officers on WIG Craft. ***

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5 MSC 76/20/6 ANNEX PROPOSED WORK PROGRAMME ITEM REQUIREMENTS FOR KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND TRAINING FOR OFFICERS ON WIG CRAFT Information provided in accordance with guidelines on organization and method of work, as amended 1 With regard to the information under paragraphs 13.1 and 13.2 of the Guidelines: 1.1 Scope of the proposal; Development of a list of skills/competencies for officers operating WIG craft. The basis of this scope is explained in paragraphs 1 to 6 of the covering paper to this Annex. 1.2 Need or compelling need, as required in paragraphs 13.1 & 13.2; DE 45 finalized Interim Guidelines for Safety of WIG Craft which are based on a risk management approach. Risks associated with operation of these craft cannot be managed without reference to the skills/competencies possessed by the officers operating these craft. Those skills/competencies will need to be developed from first principles as there is no ready-made base qualification that can be adapted for this purpose from either the maritime or aviation systems. Accordingly, there is a compelling need to codify those skills/competencies to fill this void. 1.3 Analysis of the issues involved, having regard to both the costs to the maritime industry, as well as the associated legislative and administrative burdens, at a global level; The first issue requiring analysis is safety, which cannot be satisfactorily addressed or its cost quantified without reference to the (currently indeterminate) skills of the operating personnel involved. Apart from the cost of development of the list of skills/competencies, the cost to the maritime industry in general will be nil. It is intended that the output from this work will be recommendatory, in keeping with the status of the Interim Guidelines developed by DE. Accordingly, the global administrative and legislative costs resulting from the proposal can only be negative (i.e. benefits rather than costs) as the availability of such guidelines should avoid the need for individual Administrations to develop such guidelines. 1.4 Benefits which would accrue from the proposal; As outlined in relation to 1.3, added to which is the desirability of these internationally agreed skills leading to international recognition of qualifications certifying possession of those skills.

6 MSC 76/20/6 ANNEX Page Priority and target completion date; Due to its pivotal role in the management of risk in operation of WIG craft, the proposal qualifies for high priority under clause 5.2 of Appendix 1 to the Guidelines on organisation and method of work as it is a measure aimed both at substantially preventing maritime casualties and at improving the safety of WIG craft crews and personnel. It also is a measure required to take into account the introduction of new technology in maritime transportation, which would of itself restrict the matter to low priority under paragraph 5 of Appendix 1 to the Guidelines on method of work. However, in view of the fact that this matter is an important outstanding measure in relation to securing the safe operation of WIG craft, the high priority should be accorded to it. Despite the fact that finalisation of the Interim Guidelines has taken about 10 years, we consider that this matter should be completed by three sessions of STW, commencing with first detailed consideration at STW 35 in 2004 as outlined in paragraph 8 of the covering paper. This estimate takes into account the unusual nature of this task compared with matters traditionally addressed by STW. 1.6 Specific indication of the action required including draft texts of the proposed requirements, if possible. Refer to paragraphs 8 and 9 of the covering paper. 2 Remarks on the criteria for general acceptance, as provided in paragraph 4 of appendix 1 to the Guidelines: 2.1 Is the subject of the proposal within the scope of IMO s objectives? The proposal is made fully in accordance with Article 1(a) of the IMO Convention which states that one of the Organization s purposes is to provide machinery for co-operation among Governments in the field of governmental regulation and practical matters of all kinds affecting shipping engaged in international trade. Further, Article 3(a) of the IMO Convention states that one of the functions of the Organization is to consider and make recommendations upon matters arising under Article 1(a)..that may be remitted to it by Members, which is precisely the intent of this request by Australia and Russian Federation. 2.2 Do adequate industry standards exist? No. 2.3 Do the benefits justify the proposed action? Yes.

7 MSC 76/20/6 ANNEX Page 3 3 Identification of which committee/subsidiary body(ies) are essential to complete the work: 3.1 Estimation of the number of sessions needed to complete the work. Three sessions of STW commencing no earlier than STW 35 as outlined in 1.5 above.