DNV GL certifies first ECDIS to meet new standards

FEBRUARY 2, 2016 – All vessels must have ECDIS meeting new IHO and IEC standards by a deadline currently set as September of this.

The new generation of the Transas ECDIS is the first system in the market certified by DNV-GL according to the latest IHO and IEC standards and DNV-GL has  now issued an official certificate for the Transas Navi-Sailor 4000 ECDIS which successfully passed type-approval in November 2015.

New IHO editions of S-52 and S-64 and new ECDIS testing specification IEC 61174 entered into force in August 2015 and require all vessels to be updated with the new software by the deadline which is currently set as September 2016.

The new standards developed by the IHO and IEC are intended to overcome ECDIS anomalies and are based on the feedback from ECDIS users with an aim to improve safety of navigation and daily work with ECDIS.

Better and clearer display of charted information in combination with less audible alarms will improve the user’s experience, reduce stress, alarm fatigue and workload while operating an ECDIS.

Transas CEO, Frank Coles comments: “Maintaining a quality certified ECDIS is critical for the future of the safety of navigation. Transas intends to lead in this respect.  Companies should choose their supplier with care or they could find the ECDIS is not compliant going forwards.”.  

Through the company’s fit and function program Transas is ready to upgrade all systems in an easy and cost-effective way. Transas has published a “Guideline to the new ECDIS Standards” that provides detailed information on how to comply with the new requirements.