Operations and Requirements DPO Assessment and Improvement

This paper presents the importance of recruitment, properly functioning succession plans and individual development plans; how required training needs are diagnosed; and how a combined simulator and training program is being developed to improve Dynamic Positioning Operator (DPO) understanding of the operation of these complex integrated systems. All are critical to safety, efficiency, and therefore, productivity and profitability. An advanced simulator will have the ability to present the DPO with a wide range of failure modes that cannot easily be duplicated on an operating vessel, but which have caused loss of location numerous times. These failures will be different from the types now used, akin to a thruster or engine tripping off line. They will allow the operator to ascertain that a thruster or engine is about to trip off line by recognizing some precursor to the failure. This same simulator can be used to effectively measure the skill level of DPOs, regardless of experience level