DP Thought and practices

DP Standards

There are international standards for the design and operation of DP vessels. The main
reference standards have been established by the International Maritime Organisation
(IMO) and by the major Classification Societies.

In addition there are various international industry standards that have been developed
over the years, the principal sources of which are the International Marine Contractors
Association (IMCA) for equipment and technical standards and the Nautical Institute for
DP operator training standards.

Further guidance for accepted industry operating standards are contained in the
following documents which should be read in conjunction with this Section.

IMCA Guidelines for the Design and Operations of Dynamically Positioned Vessels

IMCA Guidelines for the Safe Operations of Dynamically Positioned Offshore Supply
Vessels

IMCA Guidelines for Diving Operations from Vessels Operating in Dynamically

Positioned Mode.

Documentation for DP Vessels

 IMO MSC Circ. 645 (1994)

IMCA Circulars M103 (1999) and M117 (1996)

Any DP vessel/barge contracted by, or on behalf of, R G Howell shall have a structured
and documented Safety Management System (SMS) enabling Company personnel to
effectively implement the Company health, safety and environmental policies. Two of
the key elements of success are the competence of personnel and the identification of
risk.

Audits and Assurance

Vessel Safety Management Systems require inspections and audits, and any vessel
chartered by, or on behalf of, R G Howell (RGH), shall be subject to inspection and
audit. The first stage of this process is for the Operator of the vessel to supply RGH with
basic information on their SMS and the levels of inspection.

All DP vessels must be approved by RGH marine Assurance Department prior to

commencing work at any RGH worksite.

It is recommended that vessel Owners are members of the IMCA so that they can be
kept advised of any industry standards and, in particular, the networking of DP incidents
and statistics. The following documents are required for review of a DP vessel, the five
bullet points in bold are always required:

Copy of the latest valid independent DP FMEA

Confirmation that no major changes to DP systems have been carried out since the
FMEA, or if so, details
Copy of the current valid independent DP annual trials

Copy of the valid independent marine safety audit report. (Preferably

IMCA/UKOOA or similar standard)

Copy of the marine crew qualifications and experience (ie CV-type

document, particularly with reference to experience on the proposed vessel)
If possible a brief matrix of crew courses attended
 Record of any DP failures in the last 6 months and the actions to prevent
recurrence.

Depending on the amount of information available for review and the findings, a visit to
thevessel may be necessary.

If a vessel visit is necessary, information will be gathered by:

Review the minutes of safety meetings for any accidents and in particular any
recurring actions that have not been addressed, assess the trends in ccidents/incidents

Brief and informal discussions with officers and crew to determine the level of afety
culture

Review the Permit to Work System, risk assessments and their control

Review the effectiveness of the application of the Safety Management System

Review the planned maintenance system in place, reasonably up to date and spot
heck being followed.

Review the Companys Marine and DP Operations Manual/Procedures

It is useful to know the type of workscope that the vessel is to be carrying out,
particularly critical operations in order to decide if any limitations on the vessels use
should be recommended. As the review progresses it may be necessary to request
additional documents or information to clarify certain points.

After the above review process the Marine Assurance Department will advise those
concerned and the vessel operators whether the vessel is acceptable and if any
restrictions on operations areto be imposed. This advice will be for the specific
workscope.

DP Classification (IMO)

International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has defined three equipment classes:

Equipment Class 1

Loss of position may occur in the event of a single fault.

Equipment Class 2

Loss of position should not occur from a single fault of an active component or system
such asgenerators, thrusters, switchboards, remote controlled valves, etc. but may
occur after failure of a static component such as cables, pipes, manual valves, etc.

Equipment Class 3

Loss of position should not occur from a single failure including a completely burnt fire
sbdivision or flooded watertight compartment.

A single fault includes a single inadvertent act by any person onboard the DP vessel.

Classification Society DP Rules

All major Classification Societies have developed their own rules for DP vessels based
on the IMO guidelines. The major classification societies are the American Bureau of
Shipping (ABS); Lloyds Register of Shipping (LRS); Det Norske Veritas (DNV)