4 Operational Requirements
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Circulars - Maritime Safety Committee - MSC/Circular.645 – Guidelines for Vessels with Dynamic Positioning Systems – (Adopted on 6 June 1994) - Annex - Guidelines for Vessels with Dynamic Positioning Systems - 4 Operational Requirements

4 Operational Requirements

  4.1 Before every DP-operation, the DP-system should be checked according to a vessel specific “location" check list to make sure that the DP-system is functioning correctly and that the system has been set up for the appropriate equipment class.

  4.2 During DP-operations, the system should be checked at regular intervals according to a vessel specific watchkeeping checklist.

  4.3 DP operations necessitating equipment class 2 or 3 should be terminated when the environmental conditions are such that the DP-vessel will no longer be able to keep position if the single failure criterion applicable to the equipment class should occur. In this context deterioration of environmental conditions and the necessary time to safely terminate the operation should also be taken into consideration. This should be checked by way of environmental envelopes if operating in equipment class 1 and by way of an automatic consequence analysis if operating in equipment class 2 or 3. The necessary operating instructions, etc., should be on board.

  4.4 The following checklists, test procedures and instructions should be incorporated into the DP operating manuals for the vessel:

  • .1 Location checklist (see 4.1).

  • .2 Watchkeeping checklist (see 4.2).

  • .3 DP-operation instructions (see 4.3).

  • .4 Annual tests and procedures (see 5.1.1.3).

  • .5 Initial and periodical (5-year) tests and procedures (see 5.1.1.1 and 5.1.1.2).

  • .6 Example of tests and procedures after modifications and non-conformities (see 5.1.1.4).


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