ABOUT GMDSS
GLOBAL MARITIME DISTRESS AND SAFETY SYSTEM
Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) is the internationally agreed-upon set of safety procedures, types of equipment and communication protocols used to increase safety and make it easier to rescue all distressed ships, boats and aircrafts.
According to IMO (1999) the GMDSS represents a worldwide network of automated emergency communications for ships at sea. SOLAS convention Chapter IV states that all ocean-going passenger ships and cargo ships of 300 gross tonnage and upwards are required to carry radio equipment that conforms to international standards.
The main purpose of GMDSS is to prevent unanswered distress calls and delay in Search and Rescue actions when distress situations occur. GMDSS assures “... that any emergency at sea will result in a distress call and the response to that call will be immediate and effective” (IMO, Shipping Emergencies - Search and Rescue and the GMDSS, March 1999).
The SOLAS convention Chapter IV Radio communication, Regulation 7 Radio equipment: General, lists all radio equipment required onboard the vessels.
GMDSS CONSISTS OF
- Digital selective calling (DSC) - a standard for sending pre-defined digital messages from ship to ship, ship to shore and shore to ship. Based on VHF, MF and HF Maritime radio communication.
- Emergency position indicator radio beacon (EPIRB) – automated identification and locator device for Search and Rescue operations.
- Maritime Safety Information (MSI) - designed to give mariners information relating to navigational safety warnings, meteorological warnings, meteorological forecasts relevant to vessels within specified coastal areas, search and rescue information and other urgent safety related messages.
- NAVTEX - One of the international automated services for delivery of navigational and meteorological warnings, forecasts and urgent maritime safety information to ships (MSI).
- Search and Rescue locating equipment (SAR) – automatically leading Search and Rescue units to the position of distress by signaling search and rescue radar transponders.
- IRIDIUM & INMARSAT – Global mobile satellite communication systems providing two-way data and messaging.
DSC is considered the automated watch on distress channels running on VHF, MF/HF radios. The satellite communication is based on satellite network that reaches up to sea area A3. Emergency Position Indicating Radio beacon’s (EPIRB) and Search and Research transponders (SART) are sending out distress and locating signals under emergencies.
EPIRB’s are small portable devices using the global COSPAS-SARSAT Satellite System and sending signals on the 406MHz frequency, whereas the SART devices are portable radar transponders operating on the radar ”X” and ”S” frequency bands. The Search and Rescue transponders can stay afloat, when a ship has sunk and are also used on life boats. EPIRB automatically send distress signals, when coming in contact with water.
Ship Radio Inspection & Survey
APPROVED RADIO INSPECTORS
Certified radio service suppliers have undergone training in the conduction of radio inspections.
We refer to the AIS and GMDSS Radio Surveyor Course at MARTEC.
This course is recognized by all classification societies and all participants receive a radio inspectors certificate approved by DNV after successful completion of the course. Find more information on DNV’s approval of service supplier here.
Martec is the maritime and polytechnic College in Frederikshavn & Skagen for maritime training and education.
HOW TO CONDUCT A GMDSS INSPECTION
All communication and safety equipment on board vessels are required to undergo annual inspections such as GMDSS radio survey and VDR/SVDR annual performance testing (APT). These inspections should comply with SOLAS chapter IV, Functional Requirements of all communication and safety equipment onboard vessels.
TEST EQUIPMENT FOR CONDUCTING RADIO INSPECTIONS: FUTRONIC MKII
Danphone’s Futronic test box for radio inspections is based on SOLAS Chapter IV requirements for radio equipment and capable of testing all regulated radio and safety equipment related to the GMDSS other than INMARSAT with approved self-test functionalities.
Futronic meets SOLAS Chapter IV, Functional Requirements, to the communications equipment onboard vessels by providing efficient and accurate testing on:
VHF radios
DSC data, ATIS, frequency, power, VSWR and deviation.
Measuring frequency and power simultaneously.
MF/HF radios
Measuring DSC data and frequency simultaneously.
NAVTEX receivers
Reception of transmitted NAVTEX messages.
AIS transponders
Measuring AIS data, frequency, power and VSWR simultaneously on:
- Class A & B transponders
- AIS base stations
- Aircraft Search and Rescue transponders
- Aids to Navigation devices (AtoN)
Search and rescue transponders
Measuring Data & frequency on:
- EPIRB
- Man Over Board (MoB) devices
- AIS SART beacon data & frequency
Furthermore, Futronic MKll complies with DNV’s regulations for test equipment (Service Suppliers Engaged in the Inspection and Testing of Radio Communication Equipment and Automatic Identification System on Vessels, March 2014; 2.9 Equipment and 2.11 Minimum required instruments).
SEA AREAS
The GMDSS operates over 4 sea areas of coverage from shore to ship. The 4 sea areas are classified as: A1, A2, A3 and A4.
Sea area A1: Covered by VHF radio enabling Digital Selective Calling (DSC) and Radio Telephone (RT). Determined range of approximately 20-30 nautical miles.
Sea area A2: Covered by MF radio also enabling DSC and RT. Determined range up to 150 nautical miles.
Sea area A3: Covered by HF radio and Inmarsat geostationary satellite enabling DSC and satellite communication 70°N and below 70°S.
Sea area A4: Categorized as the polar regions above 70°N and below 70°S. This area requires HF radio with DSC.
