Ardmore Shipping has always put seafarer safety first and, although it has a very low incident/injuries rate, the company is always looking to reduce risk for its crew. In light of this, Ardmore has created a new 3D training program based on real-life scenarios to prioritize the safety of its people and its fleet.

Ardmore Shipping developed a new learning medium in 2021. This training method involved the recreation of actual incidents and near misses in the format of 3D animated videos. The videos are created digitally, and can be specific to a vessel or scenario. The core objective of this initiative is to encourage seafarers to recognize areas for improvement, learn from past actions and have the opportunity to ask questions. These videos provide a clear visual overview of incidents/near misses and enable the crew to have a better understanding of how incidents have, or could, happen. The format of 3D learning ensures they can see the whole scenario as a whole and is an effective learning method, which can contribute significantly to avoiding similar incidents in future.

As an example, the first two videos created depicted a mooring operation scenario and a heavy weather-related injury. Both scenarios were chosen as they can be common occurrences that might be experienced by crew. The videos are kept short as to enable quick and easy share with every crew member in the fleet, either through WhatsApp, or any other online medium where crew can have direct access anytime as per their convenience.

All efforts have been made to ensure such videos are as accurate as possible to the actual near-miss event or real life accident. This will result in crew becoming more conscious of the risks involved and will raise their level of situational awareness while performing similar tasks in future.

Mark Cameron, COO at Ardmore Shipping, commented on the new program: “Ardmore Shipping is always looking for new ways and processes to develop advanced training for both our shore and sea staff, but in a format which is simple and easy to digest for crew of all nationalities, backgrounds, and experience levels. Safety is of utmost importance, and being able to provide training which is as close to life as possible, or recreating various scenarios, ensure we improve skill and understanding both on specific ships or in particular circumstances. This new approach can contribute significantly to protecting seafarers, vessels, and cargo operations, and we look forward to developing further programs in the future.”

When Ardmore Shipping recognizes areas for improvement on certain vessels, a training video can be created to help that vessel and crew improve knowledge and expertise to reduce risk onboard. If you’d like to learn more about Ardmore Shipping’s safety initiatives, read more here: https://ardmoreshipping.com/ardmore-shipping-wins-at-maritime-and-port-authority-singapore-international-safetysea-awards-2022/