IAIN Corporate Member ECDIS Ltd report that they have extended their Type Specific ECDIS ACAT (Annual Competency Assurance Training) portfolio to include the new JRC 7201/9201 and Furuno FMD ECDIS equipments (demonstrated in the nearby illustration).

Available online as well as by the new offline downloadable version, ECDIS ACAT is used daily by shipping companies globally. At an average of only £8 per officer per year, the not-for-profit ACAT courses are fast becoming an essential tool for refreshing all training crew in the safe and efficient use of their onboard ECDIS systems.

Commented George Ward, Project Support, ECDIS Ltd: ‘The idea of ECDIS ACAT came from the realisation that crew may use their ECDIS systems for many years after their initial generic training. Companies and vessels have no way of keeping track of their knowledge and ensuring the safety of their crew. With ACAT, ship managers can review, in real-time, the competency levels of their crew by seeing where their weaknesses are. There is significant evidence now that albeit trained and certificated, crews still do not understand the key navigation menus which is failing them during inspections. These modules train them in the top 20 inspectors’ questions.’