Defence

Government stakeholders endorse DASA’s Get the Ship in Shape competition

Posted 18 February 2019

Government stakeholder teams from across the Ministry of Defence (MoD) have gathered in Portsmouth to discuss the future programme for the Get the Ship in Shape competition organised by the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA).

Above: Royal Navy Marine and the pegboard.
Courtesy DASA

DASA’s Get the Ship in Shape competition is part of a wider programme being undertaken by the Royal Navy to improve accounting and tracking of personnel on board Queen Elizabeth Class vessels to ensure provision of Duty of Care in emergency situations. The programme consists of support and preparatory work to permit the delivery of an innovative solution into service as fast as practicable.

Internal government stakeholders from across the Ministry of Defence (including the Royal Navy, the Defence and Security Accelerator, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Defence Equipment & Support Ships Team and the Directorate of Engineering & Safety Technology Office) gathered at HMS Queen Elizabeth to endorse the future plan for the programme. The group highlighted the importance of the programme in order to ensure Duty of Care for those on board by improving the current system.

Attendees discussed the future plans and the project timelines before touring problem areas within the ship that the competition addresses. The stakeholders identified the key practical issues which need to be addressed by the potential technological solutions, including:

The Gangway and Pegboards
Accounting for the personnel on board at any one time is undertaken primarily by the use of pegboards with a particular line for each member of Ship’s company, a T-card holder (for accredited visiting contractor / shore support staff) and a visitor log (for all other visitors).

Above: Ship gangway.
Courtesy DASA

Doors
A range of different doors are able to provide access to and from decks. Correctly identifying where and when personnel have joined or left the ship is of prime importance. Doors may be of different sizes, shapes, and with differing placement within the ship.

Above: HMS Elizabeth ship doorway.
Courtesy DASA

Boat Well and Rib Access
Access and egress are also possible via smaller craft and pontoons. In Man Overboard situations boats may be deployed rapidly to recover persons in the water. Any accounting tool must not impede the speed of the response and must be able to account for the on boarding of additional persons recovered from the water.