Section 5 Integrated Bridge Navigation System – IBS notation

5.1.1 Where it is proposed that the bridge navigation functions are so arranged as to form an integrated bridge system, the requirements of Pt 7, Ch 9, 5.2 General requirements are to be complied with.

5.2.1 For assignment of the notation IBS, in addition to satisfying the other requirements of this Section:

1. the layout of the bridge and the equipment located on the bridge is to satisfy the requirements of a relevant international or national ergonomic or human-centred design Standard or an acceptable equivalent; or

2. the notation NAV1 is also to be assigned and the layout of the bridge and the equipment on the bridge are to satisfy the requirements Pt 7, Ch 9, 1 General requirements to Pt 7, Ch 9, 4 Systems; or

3. where the bridge is not intended to operate a periodic one man watch, the layout of the bridge and the equipment on the bridge are to satisfy the requirements of Pt 7, Ch 9, 1 General requirementsto Pt 7, Ch 9, 4 Systems, with the exception that the requirements of Pt 7, Ch 9, 4.3 Communications may be relaxed.

5.2.2 Where Pt 7, Ch 9, 5.2 General requirements 5.2.1.(a) is applicable, the submissions required by Pt 7, Ch 9, 1.2 Information and plans required to be submitted 1.2.1 are to include evidence demonstrating satisfaction of the requirements of an identified relevant Standard.

5.2.3 To satisfy Pt 7, Ch 9, 5.2 General requirements 5.2.2, the evidence submitted is to:

1. be submitted to LR for assessment, including identification of testing necessary to verify compliance in the submitted test schedules; or

2. include relevant statutory documentation demonstrating compliance with the relevant identified standard to the satisfaction of the National Administration. Such documentation is to be submitted prior to the assignment of the IBS notation. This may necessitate co-ordination of classification and statutory Surveys, particularly for new construction, before the IBS notation may be assigned.

5.2.4 Where Pt 7, Ch 9, 5.2 General requirements 5.2.1.(c) is applicable, the submissions required by Pt 7, Ch 9, 1.2 Information and plans required to be submitted 1.2.1 are to include plans and information for the consideration of LR which demonstrate that the applicable requirements of Pt 7, Ch 9, 1 General requirementsto Pt 7, Ch 9, 4 Systems have been satisfied.

5.2.5 The design features for computer hardware, local area networks and software required by Pt 6, Ch 1, 2.10 Programmable electronic systems - General requirements, Pt 6, Ch 1, 2.11 Data communication links, Pt 6, Ch 1, 2.13 Programmable electronic systems - Additional requirements for essential services and safety critical systems and Pt 6, Ch 1, 2.14 Programmable electronic systems – Additional requirements for integrated systems respectively are to be complied with. Alarms and warnings associated with hardware and data communication are to be incorporated in the centralised alarm system required by Pt 7, Ch 9, 4.1 Alarm and warning systems.

5.2.6 Failure of a part of the integrated bridge navigation system is not to affect other parts except for those that directly depend upon the information from the defective part. Following such a failure, it is to be possible to operate each other part of the system separately.

5.3.1 Two independent gyrocompasses are to be available to provide heading information to the system. The heading signal from each gyrocompass is to be continuously available for display and for providing input to all relevant items of navigational equipment.

5.3.2 Only one gyrocompass is to be used by the integrated bridge system at any time for main display and control purposes. The navigating officer is to be able to switch between compasses at any time. The non-selected compass is to be automatically used as the independent heading source for the off-course warning required by Pt 7, Ch 9, 3.1 Navigation workstation 3.1.9.

5.3.3 It is to be possible to compare readings from each gyrocompass via the navigation workstation displays.

5.3.4 Automatic comparison between the gyrocompasses is to be provided and an alarm given if the difference between heading signals exceeds a pre-set value.

5.3.5 The capability to receive and utilise differential GPS corrections (or an equivalent) is to be included in the integrated bridge system.

5.3.6 As a minimum, the following information is to be displayed at the navigation workstation via visual display units:

• Steering mode.
• Gyro heading.
• Course to steer.
• Rate of turn.
• Rate of turn order.
• Speed and distance (from log and from GPS).
• Speed order.
• Waypoint bearing, distance and ETA.
• Water depth and alarm setpoint.
• Position fix from each available system.
• Main propulsion and thruster indication, see Pt 6, Ch 1, 2.6 Bridge control for main propulsion machinery and Pt 5, Ch 7, 5.3 Controllable pitch propellers and transverse thrust units.
• Steering indication, see Pt 5, Ch 19, 5 Electric power circuits, electric control circuits, monitoring and alarms.
• Wind speed and direction.
• Time, see Pt 7, Ch 9, 3.2 Voyage planning workstation 3.2.2.

5.3.7 Additional information such as machinery monitoring, fire detection, cargo control, etc. may also be provided via additional pages on the visual display units.

5.3.8 The centralised alarm system and the watch safety system required by Pt 7, Ch 9, 4.1 Alarm and warning systems and Pt 7, Ch 9, 4.2 Watch safety system respectively are to be incorporated as functions of the integrated bridge system and are to be presented to the navigating officer via the conning display. The presentation and display of alarms and warnings is not to mask, obscure or degrade essential information displayed to aid navigational functions and maintain awareness of the navigational information, see also Pt 7, Ch 9, 5.5 Alarm management.

5.3.9 A route planning capability is to be provided by the integrated bridge system. This is to allow a voyage to be pre-planned as a series of waypoints and turn radii. It is to be possible to edit a voyage plan at any time without affecting route control and monitoring.

5.3.10 An automatic track following capability is to be provided in conjunction with the pre-planned route. The position fix used by the system is to be based at least upon GPS or equivalent, and is to be cross-checked by dead-reckoning, based upon speed over ground provided by the ship's log. In areas where differential corrections are available, it is to be possible to utilise these in the track following system.

5.3.11 In the event of failure of the track following capability the current heading or rate of turn is to be maintained until manually altered by the navigating officer. The quality of position fix input to the system is to be monitored, see also Pt 7, Ch 9, 3.1 Navigation workstation 3.1.10 and Pt 7, Ch 9, 4.1 Alarm and warning systems 4.1.2.

5.3.12 The integrated bridge system is to incorporate a display, which combines simultaneously the ECDIS high resolution colour representation of a nautical chart with a continuously updated record of own ship's position, pre-planned track, and radar targets in the vicinity. The entire tactical situation is to be displayed for the navigating officer in such a way that any risk from approaching, overtaking or crossing vessels may be assessed. Factors affecting the vessel's freedom to manoeuvre, such as water depths, channel boundaries, separation zones and other traffic are to be shown on the display.

5.3.13 The following alarms are to be provided and included in the centralised alarm system specified by Pt 7, Ch 9, 4.1 Alarm and warning systems 4.1.1:

• Off-track
• Waypoint approaching, see Pt 7, Ch 9, 3.1 Navigation workstation 3.1.10.
• Position fix inaccurate/lost.
• Loss of heading input.
• Loss of log input.
• Equipment or sub-system failure.
• Gyro mis-match.

5.3.14 Manual adjustment of any of the facilities of the integrated bridge system is to reset automatically the watch safety interval timer.

5.4.1 Integrated display and control functions are to adopt a consistent man-machine interface philosophy and strategy. Particular consideration is to be paid to symbols, colours, controls, and information priorities.

5.4.2 The size, colour and density of text and graphic information displayed on a visual display unit is to be such that it may be read easily from the normal operator position under all operational lighting conditions.

5.4.3 Means are to be provided for the manual adjustment of the brightness of each visual display unit.

5.4.4 All information is to be presented on a background of high contrast, emitting as little light as possible by night.

5.4.5 Paged displays are to be presented in a way which allows the operator to find quickly the information needed. An overview page is to be easily available to remind the operator of the paging system.

5.4.6 Pages are to have a standardised format. Particular types of information and functional areas should be presented in a consistent manner, e.g. in the same position on different pages.

5.4.7 Each page is to have a unique identifying label on the screen.

5.4.8 Keyboards are to be divided logically into areas enabling rapid access to a desired function. Alphanumeric, paging and specific system keys are to be grouped separately and grouping is to be identical at all operator interfaces.

5.4.9 Soft keys may be used for display control and operation of systems non-critical to the safe operation of the vessel, otherwise dedicated controls are to be used.

5.4.10 Functions requested by the operator are to be acknowledged and confirmed by the system on completion.

5.4.11 Interfaces are to incorporate the capability for operators readily to decline or override automatic ship control functions critical to safe operation. See Pt 6, Ch 1, 1.2 Documentation required for design review 1.2.2 regarding submission of information on safety functions and overrides.

5.4.12 Default values, where applicable, are to be indicated by the system when requesting operator input.

5.4.13 If an input error is detected by the system, it is to allow the operator to correct the error immediately.

5.4.14 The system is to require confirmation from the operator for critical actions, e.g. they should not rely on single keystrokes.

5.4.15 Input error messages are to guide the correct responses, e.g.:

5.4.16 All functions of the integrated bridge system are to remain available in the event of a single failure of an operator interface. This is to be achieved through redundancy in the integrated bridge system interfaces.

5.5.1 All alarms provided on the bridge are to be included in the centralised alarm system required by Pt 7, Ch 9, 4.1 Alarm and warning systems 4.1.1.

5.5.2 In general, the alarm system is to be in accordance with Pt 6, Ch 1, 2.3 Alarm systems, general requirements, A.1021(26) Code on Alerts and Indicators, 2009 and MSC.302(87) Performance Standards for Bridge Alert Management.

5.5.3 Alarm management on priority and functional levels is to be provided within the integrated bridge system. Alarms and other alerts are to be prioritised according to the urgency and type of response required by the bridge team, as follows:

1. Emergency alarms — alarms which indicate that immediate danger to human life, or to the ship and its machinery exists, and that immediate action must be taken.

2. Alarms – conditions requiring immediate attention and action by the bridge team:

   • to avoid any kind of hazardous situation and to maintain the safe operation of the ship, including escalation of unacknowledged warnings; or
   • alerts which indicate that a caller is in distress or has an urgent message to transmit.

3. Warnings – conditions or situations which require immediate attention for precautionary reasons, to make the bridge team aware of conditions which are not immediately hazardous, but may become so.

4. Cautions – awareness of a condition which still requires attention out of the ordinary consideration of the situation or of given information.

5.5.4 Appropriate alarm management is to be provided. This includes prioritisation, distribution and recording of alarms and other alerts as required.

5.5.5 Within each priority, alerts are to be arranged in groups in order to reduce the quantity of information presented to the operator. More detailed information on the group alarm is to be readily available from the integrated bridge system on request.

5.5.6 Group alarms may be arranged on the bridge to indicate machinery faults, but alarms associated with faults requiring speed or power reduction or the automatic shutdown of propulsion machinery are to be identified by separate group alarms or by individual alarm parameters.

5.5.7 The following alarms are not to be grouped:

• Emergency alarms.
• Separate group alarms associated with faults requiring speed or power reduction or the automatic shutdown of propulsion machinery.
• Steering gear alarms.
• Navigation light power supply failure alarms, see Pt 6, Ch 2, 15.6 Navigation lights 15.6.8.

5.5.8 Alerts are to be displayed in order of priority. Within the priorities, alerts are to be displayed in the order in which they occur. The visual display units are to provide immediate display of new information, regardless of the information display page currently selected. This may be achieved by provision of a dedicated alert monitor, a dedicated area of screen for alerts or other suitable means.

5.5.9 Unacknowledged alarms are to be distinguished by either flashing text or a flashing marker adjacent to the text, and not merely by a change of colour. Acknowledged alarms are to be distinguished by either steady illuminated text or a steady illuminated marker adjacent to the text.

5.5.10 The centralised alarm system is to be capable of displaying at least 20 items simultaneously. There is to be a clear and unambiguous indication that there are additional items requiring attention when the display does not show all active alerts simultaneously, and it is to be possible to display the additional messages and to return to the display containing the highest priority items by single operator actions.

5.5.11 Alerts are to be acknowledged individually. It is to be possible temporarily to silence all audible signals with a single operator action.

5.5.12 The characteristics of audible warning and, where provided, caution signals are to be such that it is possible to differentiate these from audible alarm signals.

5.6.1 All equipment forming part of the integrated bridge navigation system is to be regarded as navigational equipment and, as such, is to have power supplies in accordance with Pt 7, Ch 9, 4.4 Power supplies.