The Maritime Safety Committee, at its ninety-fifth session (3 to 12 June 2015), approved the ECDIS – Guidance for Good Practice (MSC.1/Circ.1503), drawing together relevant guidance from seven previous ECDIS circulars into a single, consolidated document.
The undeniable safety benefits of navigating with Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) were recognized through Formal Safety Assessments submitted to the Organization and experience gained by the voluntary use of ECDIS for many years. ECDIS was mandated for carriage by High-Speed Craft (HSC) as early as 1 July 2008. Subsequently, the mandatory carriage of ECDIS for ships other than HSC (depending on the ship type, size and construction date, as required by SOLAS regulation V/19.2.10) commenced in a phased manner from 1 July 2012 onwards.
ECDIS is a complex, safety-relevant, software-based system with multiple options for display and integration. The ongoing safe and effective use of ECDIS involves many stakeholders including seafarers, equipment manufacturers, chart producers, hardware and software maintenance providers, shipowners and operators, and training providers. It is important that all these stakeholders have a clear and common understanding of their roles and responsibilities in relation to ECDIS.
ECDIS was accepted as meeting the chart carriage requirements of SOLAS regulation V/19 in 2002. Over the years, IMO Member States, hydrographic offices, equipment manufacturers and other organizations have contributed to the development of guidance on a variety of ECDIS-related matters. Over the years, IMO has issued a series of complementary circulars on ECDIS.
While most useful IMO guidance on ECDIS was developed in this incremental manner, the information needed to be consolidated, where possible, to have ECDIS-related guidance within a single circular, which could be easily kept up to date without duplication or need for continual cross-referencing. Such consolidation of information offers clear and unambiguous understanding of the carriage requirements and use of ECDIS. 6 The consolidated guidance termed “ECDIS – Guidance for Good Practice” is set out in the annex to this circular. Ship operators, masters and deck officers on ECDIS-fitted ships are encouraged to use this guidance to improve their understanding and facilitate safe and effective use of ECDIS.
This circular revokes MSC.1/Circ.1391, SN.1/Circ.207/Rev.1, SN.1/Circ.266/Rev.1, SN.1/Circ.276, SN.1/Circ.312, STCW.7/Circ.10 and STCW.7/Circ.18.
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