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VDRs: MAKE SURE THAT THE CORRECT DATA IS RECORDED
Published: 1 August 2015
Members are reminded that the use of VDRs on ships is subject to the regulations contained in Chapter V of SOLAS.
To fully protect a Member’s interests following a collision it is important that accurate information is available. On ships that are required to be fitted with VDR or S-VDRs, Members are advised to ensure that the required data items are recorded and to be fully aware of the requirements of SOLAS.
The Club has recently handled a collision case where the ship’s VDR did not record any radar, despite one of the radars being in use. As a result, the Club was put at a disadvantage in investigating the circumstances and causes of the collision. In addition, the failure to record was possibly in breach of SOLAS.
Current Marine Safety Committee (MSC) Resolutions in force relating to performance standards of VDRs and S-VDRs are Resolution A.861(20) and Resolution MSC.333(90). Guidelines on VDR ownership and recovery are provided in MSC/Circ.1024.
Section 5.5 of Resolution MSC.333(90) lists the data items which are to be recorded and includes under Section 5.5.7.(Radar) the electronic signals of the main displays of both ship’s radar installations as required by SOLAS regulations. The recording method should be such that, on playback, it is possible to present a faithful replica of the entire radar display that was on view at the time of recording, albeit within the limitations of any bandwidth compression techniques that are essential to the working of the VDR.
For VDRs that were installed before 1 July 2014, Resolution A.861(20), as amended by Resolution MSC.214(81), lists data items which are to be recorded by the VDR.
Section 5.4.7. provides:
‘This should include electronic signal information from within one of the ship’s radar installations which records all the information which was actually being presented on the master display of that radar at the time of recording. This should include any range rings or markers, bearing markers, electronic plotting symbols, radar maps, whatever parts of the SENC or other electronic chart or map that were selected, the voyage plan, navigational data, navigational alarms and the radar status data that were visible on the display. The
recording method should be such that, on playback, it is possible to present a faithful replica of the entire radar display that was on view at the time of recording, albeit within the limitations of any bandwidth compression techniques that are essential to the working of the VDR’.
S-VDRs fitted both before and after 1 June 2008 are also required by Resolution MSC.163(78)/MSC.214(81) to record radar data similar to that of VDRs under Resolution A.861(20), as amended by Resolution MSC.214(81), which is quoted above.
VDRs and S-VDRs under Regulation 18.8 should be subject to an annual performance test conducted by an approved testing or servicing facility to verify the accuracy, duration and recoverability of the recorded data. A copy of the certificate of compliance issued by the testing facility, stating the date of compliance and the applicable performance standards, must be retained on board the ship.