Seaman Useful Acronyms Vocabulary

Useful Acronyms & Abbreviations

AORE

Atlantic Ocean Region East

AORW

Atlantic Ocean Region West

AVR

Automatic voltage regulator

CEN

Comite Europeen de Normalisation - European Committee for Standardization

COSWP

Code Of Safe Working Practice for Seamen

CSWIP

Certification Scheme for Welding & Inspection Personnel

CTDS

Conductivity temperature density sensor - Type of probe to determine change in sound velocity

DC

Daughter craft

DDA

Defence Diversification Agency - UK Ministry of Defence research department available to commercial users

DESIGN

Diving Equipment System Inspection Guidance Note (click for details)

DGPS

Differential GPS - improved GPS using fixed points to sidestep degrading by military

DOC

Document of compliance

DOP

Dilution of precision - geometric element contribution to the uncertainty of a position fix

DP

Dynamic positioning

DPO

Dynamic positioning system operator

DQI

Data quality indicator

DRMS

Distance root mean square - expression of accuracy of position fix

EGNOS

European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service - Improvement to GPS in European areas

EPIRB

Emergency position-indicating radio beacon

ERP

Emergency response plan

FM

Frequency modulation

FMEA

Failure modes and effects analysis

FPSO

Floating production, storage and offloading

FRC

Fast rescue craft

FSVAD

Flag state verification and acceptance document

GLONASS

Global Navigation Satellite System (Russian)

GMDSS

Global Maritime Distress and Safety System

GPS

Global Positioning System (satellite-based navigation system)

HDOP

Horizontal dilution of precision

HF

High frequency

HiPAP

High Precision Acoustic Position (improved USBL)

HLO

Helideck landing officer

HPR

Hydroacoustic position reference

HRL

Hyperbaric rescue lifeboat

HSE

UK Health & Safety Executive

IADC

International Association of Drilling Contractors

IAGC

International Association of Geophysical contractors

IALA

International Association of Lighthouse Authorities

ICE

Institute of Civil Engineers

ICS

International Chamber of Shipping

IHO

International Hydrographic Office

ILO

International Labour Organization

IMCA

International Marine Contractors Association

IMDG

International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code

IMO

International Maritime Organization

INMARSAT

International Maritime Satellite Organisation

IOPP

International Oil Pollution Prevention certificate

IOR

Indian Ocean Region Inmarsat satellite

ISM

International Safety Management

LBL

Long baseLine transducer - Uses ranges from a spread of transponders

LCD

Liquid crystal display

LSA

Life saving appliance

MARPOL

Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Oil Pollution) Regulations

MCA

UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency

MDE

Marginally detectable errors

MF

Medium frequency

MRU

Motion reference unit - as VRU, can also measure heave

MSK

Minimum shift keying

MTSAT

Japanese Multifunctional Transport Satellite System

NMD

Norwegian Maritime Directorate

NMEA

US National Marine Electronics Association

NPD

Norwegian Petroleum Directorate

OPITO

Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation

OSD

Offshore Safety Division (UK HSE)

OTF

On-the-fly processing - allows ambiguities in data to be resolved in a very short time

OWS

Oily water separator

PC

Personal computer

PPE

Personal protective equipment

PRC

Pseudo range correction

PRS

Position reference system

PTW

Permit to work

RCI

Rated capacity indicator - used by crane operators to adjust loading factor

RDF

Radio direction finding

ROV

Remotely operated vehicle

RTCM

Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services

SART

Search and rescue transponder

SBL

Short baseline - uses spread of transducers on vessel to single transponder on sea bed

SBV

Standby vessel

SL

Source level - quantifies sound radiated in a specific direction

SMS

Safety management system

SNR

Signal-to-noise ratio

SOLAS

International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea

SOPEP

Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Response Plan

SPL

Sound pressure level

SPOT

Generic term for high power regional spot beam satellite service

SSBL

Super-short baseline - as USBL

STCW

International Convention on Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping

UDU

Universal display unit

UHF

Ultra high frequency (300mhz-3000mhz)

UKOOA

UK Offshore Operators Association - now renamed Oil & Gas UK

UMS

Unattended machinery space

USBL

Ultra-short baseline - measures range and angle transducer to transponder

UTM

Universal Transverse Mercator - projection system to transform geodetic co-ordinates to two dimension system for representation on a chart

VAC

Voltage AC

VBS

Virtual base station

VDC

Voltage DC

VRU

Vessel reference unit - device measuring pitch and roll, needed with USBL and SBL

VSD

Variable speed drive speed control electric motors

WAAS

Wide Area Augmentation System - improvement to GPS in USA, Canada and Gulf of Mexico

WOAD

World Offshore Accident Databank

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