DCN December Edition 2019

WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY
Sydney’s classy
new simulators
The training arm of the Australian
Maritime College has unveiled new
simulator technology at its Sydney
campus, writes Paula Wallace
Ports Australia chief executive Mike Gallacher was on hand to
launch a new world-class maritime training facility at Darling
Harbour by AMC Search in October.
AMC Search is the training and consultancy arm of the
Australian Maritime College, located in Tasmania.
Training simulators like those at the new Maritime Simulations
Unit provide familiarisation and emergency training that helps
keep maritime workers and the goods they transport safe at sea.
“I’m told by the experts in the industry, when you go through
this facility and you apply for a job particularly overseas, the
moment you say you’ve been through AMC it’s like ‘how quick can
you start’,” Mr Gallacher said.
“This facility here, a $500,000 investment, will pay for itself not
just in terms of bringing people here but will pay for itself in terms
of what it provides in the safety, certainty and training for people
in this sector.”
The AMC facility in New South Wales is linked to the National
Centre for Maritime Simulation in Tasmania. It combines replica
ship and vessel communications equipment with highly realistic
ocean, coast and port backdrops for immersive maritime training
from the security of dry land.
“This facility is placed within two hours of 70% of the
Australian population and... you have to agree with me that
this facility is quite outstanding and the reputation of AMC is
outstanding,” Mr Gallacher said.
Sydney’s maritime bridge simulator
AMC Search understands financial and time constraints
can make it difficult for organisations to travel to
Launceston in Tasmania for maritime simulation services
at its world-class Centre for Maritime Simulation. That
is why it has installed a maritime bridge simulator in its
Sydney Study Centre for training and engineering services.
Powered by Kongsberg Maritime Polaris software, the
bridge simulator can deliver ship handling and navigation
training to local manning agencies, port operators, tourism
and shipping companies.
The system can also be used for marine and offshore
engineering projects including port infrastructure
developments and channel design.
The facility provides access to an extensive library of
ship and port models developed by Kongsberg and inhouse
at the AMC.
BOOSTING SAFETY
AMC principal Michael van Balen says the new facility will boost
safety in the maritime industry by making simulated training
accessible to more people.
“Familiarisation with equipment and processes as well as the ability
to practice emergency situations in a safe but realistic environment are
key to keeping people safe at sea,” Mr van Balen says.
“Our new Maritime Simulations Unit aims to enhance maritime
safety across NSW and the rest of Australia by extending the reach
of the pedagogical expertise and simulation software developed
over decades at the AMC in Tasmania to organisations in the
important maritime hub of Sydney.”
The Maritime Simulations Unit includes the latest Kongsberg
and Transas simulation solutions for training in vessel navigation,
vessel traffic services (like air traffic control) and emergency and
distress calls. It also provides access to an extensive library of vessel
and port models developed in-house at AMC and previously only
available in Tasmania.
Sydney’s VTS and GMDSS simulators
AMC Search is Australia’s only AMSA-accredited Vessel
Traffic Services training provider, and its VTS simulator
supports a highly realistic training environment for VTS
operations and management.
The VTS Centre of Excellence fully meets requirements
for simulation as identified in the IALA Recommendations
for VTS Training and supporting guidelines on the use of
simulation training in VTS.
Sydney also now boasts Australia’s only fully functional
Global Maritime Distress and Safety System simulator.
The simulator accurately imitates actual ship-to-ship
communications and ship-to-shore stations using highly
realistic simulated terrestrial and satellite communication
systems, e.g. SART on radar.
AMC
48 December 2019
thedcn.com.au