Though not by design, June and December are great months to issue Newsletters; both months see the World celebrating religious and secular festivals of joy and light; it’s a time to focus on the positive, especially as we look forward to the New Year. The old year has brought challenges to our industry, not least with the continued low oil prices demanding budget controls at all levels; at Duke Austin & Co we sense that we have continued to consolidate our processes and bring about economies in preparation for these challenges.

Whilst struggling with tighter funding, OCIMF, Vetting Departments and Ship Operators through INTERTANKO, continue to provide an unparalleled level of self-regulation which has dramatically reduced the incidence of Marine Pollution. Complacency has no role to play in all this but we should not forget to celebrate the success of the system and our role in that success – however small it may have seemed to be.

In this newsletter, we focus on the compromise reached during vetting and thank David Savage for his excellent article “SIRE: the Trouble with Observations.” The article is abridged here but fully reproduced on our revamped website at www.dukeaustin.com >. It raises some interesting questions to which there seem no definitive answers; it’s a circle that cannot be squared!

At the Observatory, we welcome Mel back to work following maternity leave and are pleased that she will now focus on accounts as our Finance Manager. There is a palpable sense now that the team at the Observatory is complete and that we are ready to take on the challenges before us; it is an Admin Team with purpose. The analysis of client and contractor feedback shows that we are doing a good job but (and there is always a ‘but’ isn’t there!) we could do better. We welcome all feedback, good and bad.

We send our goodwill to you and your families for 2016.

A Letter from Willie...

Issue

7

Dec 2

015

Man overboard buoy stays on board

An officer was undertaking his inspections of the various lifesaving appliances on a relatively new (two years old) small coastal vessel. His inspection revealed that the starboard man overboard life-ring launcher, located after and below the bridge due to design considerations, was inadequate from a design standpoint. When activated from the bridge wing, the launching flap deployed to 90 degrees, the retaining chain being too short to allow a greater angle; this meant the life-ring would remain in its holder instead of falling into the water.

Lessons learned• Even after two years, this deficiency remained ‘hidden in plain view’. Flag inspectors, class surveyors, port state controls and even internal inspections had failed to catch this deficiency over the two year period.• Life saving appliances are a crew’s last chance at survival if disaster strikes. It is in the crew’s own best interests to ensure their proper functionality.

Shared Experience Tight coil/slow rescue

An inspector reports that as a cadet, one of his friends drowned after he fell from the gangway into the water. Since that time he has taken particular interest in lifebuoys with lifelines. Now, when visiting ships as a marine safety inspector and auditor, he often finds the lifebuoy line coiled as a tight ‘sausage’ (see below). When coiled in this manner it takes, on average, two minutes to unravel before the buoy can be thrown into the water.

Willie Austin – Director

The proper way to coil a rope for quick and easy use is illustrated in the pictures 1 through 5.

Welcome backWe welcome back Mel Goodwin who has returned to work after 12 months maternity leave following the birth of her second son, Dylan. Mel has returned to a new position to suit her shortened hours; whilst remaining Company Secretary, she is now the Finance Manager and will be responsible for accounts, invoicing and budgets. We always look forward to hearing what she and the boys are getting up to, especially at this time of year as the excitement builds and the holiday season approaches.

Electronic archivingExpeditor and Accounts Manager Rachel Lambert successfully completed her IAB Level 1; she is now working hard on gaining her Level 2 qualification. Rachel has also been archiving old company records and creating electronic archives for all other documentation. Like many of us, Rachel is looking forward to a restful Christmas full of fun with the family, good food and good wine after a rather hectic 2015.

Internal procedures live!Inspection expeditor Pam Wise has been getting to grips with our new management software and keeping our internal procedures up to date after it went live in October. It has been reformatted to a web-based system allowing it to be used on a wider range of devices in the field – or should we say, at sea!! Pam has also been working hard in her shop (GALLERY 131, Corve Street, Ludlow) and is looking forward to celebrating the 1st anniversary early in 2016.

Boot-CampDue to Mel’s return, Business Manager Kriss Randle has been able to focus more on the quality of our services, on communication with our Clients and with our suppliers; she is also attending meetings alongside Willie Austin

to understand how we can develop and provide a better service. Kriss has also started studying for a Diploma in Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Shipping which will give her valuable knowledge in promoting the business to a broader client base. Outside of work she has now joined the local early morning ‘Boot-Camp’; this always provides a source of entertainment for other staff when she limps in after sessions on a Tuesday and Thursday. Kriss is also looking forward to celebrating Christmas at home with her partner and Barney the dog.

Staff News

Issue 7 Dec 2015

As part of the DACo annual review, all clients are sent a Feedback Questionnaire asking to score six areas of performance.

The scores are graded 4 – excellent and 1 – poor. Within the feedback we also welcome comments that can help to continually improve our service to our clients. The graph below represents feedback in each area out of a total score of 40.

Feedback 2015

Statoil Visit: From Left Kriss Randle, Melinda Furuheim & Kathryn David.

0

10

20

30

40

Score

Some comments received from this recent feedback included:

“Attending surveyor was professional in his outlook”

“Continued good service provided”

“Health and Safety guidelines are above industry standards”

“Personnel at Duke Austin are knowledgeable and professional”

“Communications are effective and prompt, keep up the good work”

Factors considered by Oil Companies to determine spot charter acceptability are many, complex and not always consistent. A vessel’s vetting history, the Operator’s fleet performance, recent changes of Operator, Management, Class, Flag, Structure and Age considerations are all taken into account. Specific voyage risks - political/weather/war/piracy threats etc., - casualty data, Port State and TMSA results, the financial status of the Operator and other factors can be added. In many cases, however, the decision to accept or reject is strongly influenced by acceptable SIRE results. An acceptable SIRE result is critical.

Count of Observations Unfortunately tanker vetting continues to be fixated by counting numbers of Observations as a measure of quality. Contd >

The Introduction Of Auto-VettingPost Erika, when Oil Companies were closely monitoring events in the Paris courtroom, it became apparent that their vetting processes were deficient. Contd >

Auto Vetting LimitationsAuto vetting uses algorithms where the VIQ questions are pre-assigned with Low/Moderate/High- Risk values. Contd >

Assessing the Risk – The Oil Company’s PositionAuto vetting systems are smart but lack a crucial component – the Mark 1 eyeball of an experienced mariner. Contd >

Assessing The Risk – The Operator’s PositionFor an Operator to use SIRE reports as accurate measures of risk, it is essential that every report is analysed relative to the risks identified, as well as the acceptability criteria of the Oil Companys’ vetting expectations. Contd >

SIRE - The trouble with observations

Issue 7 Dec 2015

By David Savage, Oceanfile Marine Ltd Beating the SystemOf course, cheating is easy and setting all Observation risk levels to zero will deliver risk-free results, but those tempted need to be careful. Contd >

Show Me, Prove It!Those Operators who are passionate about driving excellence, eradicating pollution and enhancing safety use the Big Data buried in SIRE to identify exactly where shortcomings lie and what corrective and preventative measures need to be taken. If risk ratings are honestly applied, they will deliver statistics to support the Company’s policies that constantly drive improvements. In such cases they can be confident when confronted by Auditors who demand...

“Show me – Prove It!”

View the report in full here >

Emergency drill feedbackOur routine and regular Emergency drills, carried out with associates and sub-contractors have thrown up some interesting “What If……….?’s” Below we note some tips in regards to.

Data ProtectionPlease ensure that job related data is either backed up to hard drive or Cloud in case of loss or theft:Here are some options of clouds that have been tried and tested… www.dropbox.com cloud.google.com/storage-nearline www.apple.com/uk/icloud

Driving LicenceUse the following link for replacing a lost or stolen Driving Licence. www.gov.uk/apply-online-to-replace-a-driving-licence

Moving walkways & Escalators In the past few months we have had two incidents involving moving walkways & escalators. Seemingly every day routines that have resulted in injury to two inspectors who then needed time off to recuperate. We thought the following “safety tips” should be shared:

HSSE• Ensure there is adequate room for you and your luggage

• Avoid distraction and stay focused on obstacles when getting off

• Always be aware of the end approaching (they move faster than you think!)

• Never answer your phone when on any form of moving stairs/walkway

• Heavy baggage should be easily handled on and off

• Be aware of those around you who may not be as able to move on and off

Duke Austin & Company LtdThe Observatory, Frith Common, Tenbury Wells, Worcs WR15 8JX, UK

T +44 (0) 1584 881555 W dukeaustin.com

It has been a busy second half of the year organising inspections, with Inspectors being audited to retain their accreditation. Tony Lewis, Gordon Mackay, Francesco Costagliola di Fiore and William Austin were all audited under the SIRE system and we are pleased to say that all auditees have passed and will maintain their accreditation for a further 3 years.

The end of November sees an OCIMF Refresher Course in London and four of Duke Austin’s affiliated inspectors are to attend. Refresher Courses are designed to update inspector knowledge and for some, it will provide the opportunity to attend a specially designed Electronic Chart & Data Information System (ECDIS) Course. No doubt, this will also be the ideal opportunity to catch up with news of colleagues and friends from around the world; being a ship inspector is a fairly isolated existence and courses and audits are a welcome break to this.

Matt Endres, from Australia visited the office in November; Matt has a combined Chief Engineer’s Certificate and is looking to gain experience and train as a SIRE inspector. He attended vessels in NW Europe area with our inspectors as an Observer to get a ‘feel’ for the SIRE process, prior to attending the ECDIS & SIRE New Inspector course in London. Having missed his son’s 1st birthday on 21 November, he will be keen to return to Australia for the holidays and await his results and audit before starting work in the Australasia region.

We looked forward to catching up with Eamon Connolly when he visited the office. It is always a great opportunity to share experience and to see how we can provide a better service to the inspectors in the field. We are always very conscious of the time out that is needed for the inspectors to come to the ‘wilds’ of Worcestershire and hope that this will fit in with their busy schedules.

Inspector NewsOne of our retired colleagues, Colin Lighten, called in on his way to the Athelian Apprentices Association annual ‘get together’ in Cardiff at the end of October. Colin remains in good health using his retirement to improve his golf handicap. Bearing a box of ‘Krispy Kreme’ doughnuts he was more than welcome to a coffee and a ‘catch-up’ before venturing into Wales.Willie and Lara were very pleased to have Sunday lunch at home with old colleagues Brian & Anne Roberts and John & Helen Hammond, all of whom are doing well. Brian has now fully retired and they enjoy a hectic time being grandparents and trips out in the campervan. John is now a Marine Safety Advisor in Milford Haven, and enjoying the routine involvement onboard vessels and using his wealth of experience; he also enjoys the demands of grandchildren!

Willie Austin, Matt Endres, Kriss Randle and Pam Wise

Mel Goodwin, Eamon Connolly and Pam Wise