The ECDIS validation project created by EU part-funded STM (Sea Traffic Management) aims to reduce the workload for crew members and also decreases the risk of accidents.
System features
The Baltic Navigational Warning Service system sends navigational warnings directly to the ECDIS on board with digital communication machine to machine. The Validation Project’s advocates say the new service allows warnings to be sent only to those affected and to be deleted when no longer relevant, creating a greater accuracy, relevance and less administrative burden leading to increased safety at sea.
The purpose with the Baltic Navigational Warning service is to provide the ship, with only those warnings that are relevant for the route they are taking and for the time they are taking it. The warnings will be displayed directly in the ECDIS on board and automatically deleted when they are no longer valid.
Reduces risk of accident
Navigational Warnings relevant for the chosen route and time will be sent directly to the ECDIS on board the ship. Navigational warnings in areas not affected by the route will not be received.
The new service reduces the workload on board as there is no need to manually plot positions or areas received by Navtex or voice communication. It also claims to potentially reduce human errors as warnings are provided digitally and seamlessly shown directly in ECDIS, possible human errors, misunderstandings and manual plotting errors can be avoided.
Björn Andreasson is the Testbed Manager for the STM Validation project, “The new service is being verified by ships in the STM Validation project and also in the European Maritime Simulator Network. The mariners participating in the simulations were very positive. Not having to receive navigational warnings by Navtex only and manually transfer them was a great relief for the participants. An Officer on Watch said in the debriefing afterwards that he now could fully focus on safe navigation knowing that the navigational warnings of relevance would show up directly in the ECDIS on board”.
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Source: Maritime Journal
