Compliance with Subchapter M is a challenge for towboats in the US. Our goal is to make tracking the information critical for compliance easy for our BargeOps customers. Major new features just released in BargeOps do just that!
BargeOps now helps our customers meet Subchapter M requirements. In BargeOps 5.3, we added the ability to create daily vessel logs using BargeOps Onboard. These new daily vessel logs are referred to as the Towing Vessel Record (TVR). The TVR will be based on data captured in BargeOps Onboard from deck log activity entries, including several new Deck Log Activity Types specifically added to enhance Subchapter M compliance, and from the automatic logging of boat position information provided by the GPS.
For some, the enhancements to BargeOps and the Towing Vessel Record mean cost savings by eliminating the need for other tracking systems. For example, one of our customers was able to eliminate reliance on the a third party forms system and it’s annual licensing costs that was being used to create their daily vessel logs. For others, tracking this information using BargeOps is more efficient than using manual methods or even other software systems which require additional data entry. BargeOps captures the information and incorporates it right into the Towing Vessel Record and into your compliance reports.
BargeOps added new Deck Log Activity Types and expanded the details in others to better track critical information and improve Subchapter M compliance. These new activity types include:
- Change Watch
- Fuel Purchase
- Tests and Inspections
- Disposal
- Safety Orientation
- Safety Meeting
- Monthly Vessel Inspection
- Navigational Equipment Failure
For more details about what’s tracked under these activity types, click here.
Knowing who made the entries into the Towing Vessel Record is critical. BargeOps Onboard tracks who makes changes to the TVR by requiring a the user to sign off on any changes. In addition, an audit feature stores the original values and new values when changes are made to the Towing Vessel Record for fields configured for auditing. This further supports regulatory compliance.
Of course, updated BargeOps reports complement the tracking of all this new information. For example, the BargeOps Deck Log Activity Report has been updated to display this new information by boat and by date. A new Fuel Report is also available to report on gas and gear inventory, purchased, and amounts used for the report period. Need to print a copy of the Towing Vessel Record? That’s as easy as pushing a button.
