New RAMSIG co-chairs championing concerns
The three new co-chairs of the Ship Repair, Maintenance and Safety Special Interest Group (RAMSIG) on engaging existing membership, growing the community and increasing interaction.
UK-based head of maritime safety Darren Minty MSc CEng CMarEng, US-based program manager David Anderson and UK-based consultant Danny Shorten explain how they seek to continue providing a forum for members interested and involved in ship repair, maintenance and safety. All long-standing members of the Institute and the Special Interest Group (SIG), each is honoured to carry the baton passed on by former chair Martin Shaw.
1.Could you share your career paths and involvement with the IMarEST and RAMSIG?
Darren Minty: I’m a former Royal Navy engineer responsible for the operation, maintenance and repair of warship systems and now a marine safety engineer. I achieved CEng in 2014 and RAMSIG has always been important to me, as the performance of equipment is a fundamental aspect of the wider safety system (both people and equipment).
David Anderson: I’m a marine engineer based in the US. I graduated from a maritime school in 1991. I sailed as a licensed engineer aboard cargo ships for several years before coming ashore as a Marine Superintendent. I came across IMarEST during my postgraduate studies at Newcastle University (UK) and joined the organisation around 2007. I started looking at the SIG NEXUS groups and came across RAMSIG as it was just starting up.
Danny Shorten: I’ve been an apprentice, test technician, field engineer, Lloyds surveyor grade lubricant analyst, senior grade then specialist maintenance management consultant, business owner and now principal consultant condition monitoring with British Engineering Services Asset Reliability. I’m interested in change for benefit hence my membership of RAMSIG.
2.How were you appointed as co-chair and what does it mean for you?
Darren: I was appointed alongside David and Danny. It’s a wonderful opportunity to continue driving and shaping the RAMSIG agenda with the wide range of people that engage.
David: I’ve been involved with RAMSIG from the beginning when Martin Shaw was first starting it up. I’ve been contributing to the NEXUS group and volunteered to take on the co-chair role in order to support the industry and my peers.
Danny: There was a line of people and when the question was asked they all stepped back apart from me! Well, no, not really! I offered to participate as the previous chair was inspiring and a leader for change.
3.What does RAMSIG do and who does it interact with it inside the IMarEST and beyond?
Darren: All newly appointed co-chairs, each of us have our own views for the future of RAMSIG. I hope we can strengthen and develop links with adjacent SIGs and external organisations in pursuit of differing viewpoints.
David: RAMSIG supports its members and industry by providing expert knowledge on technology, regulatory requirements, commercial best practice and other topics within ship maintenance and repair. RAMSIG interacts with other SIGs for example Human Element and Ballast Water Treatment.
Danny: RAMSIG is a group of marine individuals that sees reliability and maintenance as a core activity within maritime operations but also recognises that in the face of much technological development, there is still room for improvement in machine reliability. We intend to open discussions to explore the issues and solutions without additionally burdening the crew and/or ship commercial flexibilities.
4.How will you work together as co-chairs?
Darren: Danny, David and I each have different backgrounds, interests and networks. Good ideas don’t come solely from the three of us; we welcome input, contributions and challenges!
David: With one co-chair in the US and the other two in the UK, we need to work closely using shared documents and web meetings. We plan to meet as regularly as possible as chairs and then at least once per quarter with SIG members.
Danny: By sharing the lead role between meetings and perhaps by championing different causes within the reliability and maintenance optimisation field.
5.What have you identified as your vision for RAMSIG?
Darren: RAMSIG builds on the excellent leadership and work to date and progresses a couple of specific areas. I don’t have a monopoly on good ideas so my vision is for a collaborative development of ideas by engaging existing membership, growing the community and increasing interaction.
David: Keeping our industry members engaged with topics and providing timely correspondence from the chair. We expect to pull in industry experts from Classification societies and Flag State bodies and beyond to provide live webinars on topics that will help educate both the shore side engineer and shipboard staff members.
Danny: My personal mission is to target the elimination of unnecessary maintenance by improving the day-to-day knowledge of equipment condition, promoting optimal maintenance scheduling at the ship level and by enabling the crews ability to maintain appropriately.
6.Any advice for members who'd like to become more involved in the IMarEST but don't know how?
Darren: Everyone is welcome so please come and say ‘hello’ through chats, meetings and webinars! It’ll be great to foster an environment where everyone feels they can engage but if you’d rather just listen and send me an email or chat message, then that works too!
David: Yes, stay engaged on NEXUS discussion boards - a great tool to get questions answered by peers and post experiences to share with the group.
Danny: Get on NEXUS. Join in the conversation and become as involved as you can! It'll lead you to what you want to discuss and be informed by and it’ll guide us, your committee to move on the issues that matter to you!
To become a member of the IMarEST Ship Repair, Maintenance and Safety Special Interest Group, log into My IMarEST, click on My Special Interest Groups and then tick the boxes of the SIGs you’d like to join. You can then also join the group(s) on Nexus, our networking platform.