IMO ECDIS Model Course (1.27) revision ensures that navigators understand & can demonstrate ECDIS competency in the context of navigation.
Competency in the use of ECDIS is essential for maritime safety, and following this revision, any Generic ECDIS Courses of less than 40 hours including robust evaluation, will not meet STCW requirements.
Concerns have been raised about Administrations that are accepting courses that do not meet this IMO Guidance, which could cause ECDIS training compliance issues for seafarers and owners.
A recent report on ECDIS navigational and claims issues by the UK P&I Club concluded that ‘with traditional damage defences of navigational error, heavy weather and crew negligence now being subjected to additional scrutiny, the ECDIS revolution may be the catalyst which sparks a new cycle in the claims sector and one which may be even more costly than the introduction of the technology itself.’
The primary change to the model course is a more detailed account of the time needed to address each element of training and assessment.