1 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its seventieth
session 7 to 11 December 1998, approved the Guidelines for the on-board
use and application of computers given in the annex. Also, the Committee,
at its sixty-ninth session (11 to 20 May 1998), approved MSC/Circ.854 on Guidelines for shipboard
loading and stability computer programmes and instructed the Secretariat
to annex them to the aforementioned Guidelines for the on-board use
and application of computers, once approved. The former have, therefore,
been attached to the latter and are set out in the appendix to the
annex.
2 The advent of inexpensive personal computers
has resulted in rapidly-growing usage aboard merchant marine vessels
for many shipboard applications, including cargo loading and trim
and stability calculations. To the extent that these programmes rely
upon human input of data and interpretation of output, they are potentially
vulnerable to human factor errors. Although such errors will most
likely emerge in the user such as shipboard officers, the actual roots
of the errors might be found in other shoreside sectors; software
developers who might not anticipate human factor needs, or shipping
company management.
3 Requirements as to the performance of such software
will depend on the person/organization involved as follows:
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For users (ship officers): greater
consistency among programmes from different vendors, which will make
familiarization and proficiency easier and faster to achieve;
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For ship owners/operators: availability
of well-conceived software products that include appropriate materials
for training and also documentation for revising programme or data
when necessary, for instance to reflect any changes in the ship's
weight and moment characteristics;
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For software developers: the benefit
of a broader experience base than just their own corporate experience,
and a consistent uniform standard reflecting customer expectations;
and
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For Administrations: assurance
that sophisticated programmes are developed and introduced into service
and that they will reflect human factor considerations and minimize
chances for human error.
4 These Guidelines for the on-board use and application
of computers have been developed to provide an international standard
for the design, approval and testing of such systems and should be
construed as supplementary to the relevant regulations of the SOLAS
Convention. However, it should be noted that certain applications
of computers are defined in Performance Standards adopted by the Organization
which take precedence over these Guidelines.
5 Taking into account that the number and types
of computer-based systems available for on-board use is strongly increasing,
that such systems are under fast development and the fact that they
have considerable effect on the safety at sea, the international harmonization
should be beneficial to manufacturers, ship builders, ship owners
and ship operators, maritime administrations and organizations acting
on their behalf, seafarers, passengers and other users of marine services.
6 The Guidelines are not intended to prohibit
the use of any existing computer-based systems on board existing ships
if such systems do not fully comply with these Guidelines. Many existing
ships have operated their computer-based systems successfully and
safely for a long period of time, and their operating history should
be considered in evaluating their suitability to continue contributing
to their safe operation.
7 For existing systems, the Guidelines should
be made applicable to a reasonable extent when major modifications
are carried out.
8 Where these Guidelines refer to the Administration,
this is the flag State Administration or a recognized organization
authorized to act on its behalf in accordance with SOLAS regulation XI/1.
9 Member Governments, CIRM, IEC, IACS, ICS and
all other interested parties are requested to bring the attached Guidelines
to the attention of all concerned.