Shipboard standard lack raised to IMO

SEVERE incidents on ships, delays and costs to shipowners, and cybersecurity problems will grow without a standard on software maintenance of shipboard equipment, the Baltic and International Maritime Council (Bimco) and Comite International Radio-Maritime (CIRM) said recently.

“The industry has been living in a world of hardware. But software has been integrated into most physical equipment on the vessels, and the systems and procedures to manage the software have not kept up with technical developments, and it creates problems,” Bimco Secretary General and CEO Angus Few said in a statement.

This concern has been presented by the two associations to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations body in charge of maritime safety, security and environment protection.

According to Bimco, ship operators should have a complete list of what software versions are currently running on their ships’ equipment, with a feature of doing a complete roll-back to an earlier software version if an update goes wrong, which will enhance safety. All equipment should also be able to display the current software version.

“It is our hope that Bimco members will use suppliers who use this standard and that the shipowners will adhere to it as well, for example, by ensuring that there is an updated software log on board,” Frew said.

Bimco said the IMO will consider the recommended standard at the Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue (NCSR) meeting in February 2018.