The BAM harmonizes the priority, classification, handling, distribution and presentation of alerts, to enable the bridge team to devote full attention to the safe operation of the ship and to immediately identify any alert situation requiring action to maintain the safe operation of the ship. It is also clearer to define who is responsible for handling alerts. The BAM should provide:

-the means used to draw the attention of the bridge team to the existence of alert situations   

-the means to enable the bridge team to identify and address that condition

-the means for the bridge team and pilot to assess the urgency of different alert situations in cases where more than one alert situation has to be handled

-the means to enable the bridge team to handle alert announcements

-the means to manage all alert-related states in a distributed system structure in a consistent manner.

A central alert management human machine interface (CAM-HMI) for presenting alerts as individual alerts or as aggregated alerts supports the bridge team in the immediate identification of any abnormal situation, of the source and reason for the abnormal situation and supports the bridge team in its decisions for the necessary actions to be taken.

IEC 62923-1:2018 specifies the operational and performance requirements, methods of testing, and required test results for the bridge alert management (BAM) in support of IMO resolution MSC.302(87).

IEC 62923-2:2018 specifies standard alert identifiers and reserved cluster identifiers to be used when applying bridge alert management.

From 29 August 2021, Navigation/radio communication equipment will be installed on board EU vessels (as per SOLAS) is required to be compliant with Bridge Alert Management (BAM) according to IEC 62923-1 and IEC 62923-2 under the EU Marine Equipment Directive (MED). Additionally, marine manufacturers should have valid MED certification to be permitted to place their products on the European market.

Familiarization on-board is required for Navigation Officers in order to be well understood the related method of BAM operation, the presentation of alerts, and the configuration of the bridge alert management. The implementation of the aforementioned resolution will increase the standard of communications equipment on-board and will rise the safety at sea.

Source: www.imo.org, MSC.302(87)

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