Eric Ramírez Barreto 🌊

For large marine projects, proper risk management can be the difference between a successful project and putting a company out of business. It is crucial to consider not only the risks associated with the work under your contract's scope but also potential damages to existing adjacent or related infrastructure. The numerous environmental and external factors make it extra challenging. A great example is one of our cable replacement floating bridge projects, in which weather monitoring was paramount. Each cable had to be fully replaced under predefined sea conditions to maintain the stability of the bridge. Also clear storm weather conditions were essential to prevent any potential flooding of the bridge pontoons.

Planning on large projects is crucial. It helps in understanding the project, defining key stages, identifying restrictions and main potential issues, focusing on the 80/20 critical items, and aligning the revenue flow with the project progression and safety concerns, to name a few. For marine projects, it aids in developing and obtaining buy-in on work plans, identifying schedule conflicts and critical tasks, planning tide-dependent work, addressing environmental constraints, de-risking specialized marine equipment, managing long lead items and supply chain issues, and anticipating availability conflicts, delays, liquidated damages (LDs), and future project commitments.

Gain valuable insights, guidance, and career support from experienced marine engineers. Find mentors through professional associations, your workplace, or online platforms. Mentorship fosters learning, expands your network, and keeps you informed on industry trends. Remember to be clear about your goals and respectful of their time. Build a mutually beneficial relationship for shared growth.

Following online sources is a fantastic way to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in marine engineering. Some of the benefits are: Convenience and Accessibility: Timeliness and Regular Updates: Engagement and Community: Here are some specific examples of high-quality online resources to follow: Blogs: Marine Tech Blog (https://www.marinelink.com/) The Maritime Standard (https://www.themaritimestandard.com/) Seatrade Maritime (https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/) Remember, it's important to critically evaluate the information you encounter online. Look for sources with a good reputation, established authors, and evidence-based content.

I completely agree that joining professional associations is an excellent way for marine engineers to stay informed, and advance their careers. Additional references: The International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU): https://iamu-edu.org/ (focuses on maritime education and training) The American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE): https://www.sname.org/ Marine Technology Society https://www.mtsociety.org/ The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA): https://www.imca-int.com/ By actively participating in professional associations, marine engineers can gain a significant advantage in their careers, staying current with industry trends, expanding their network, and contributing to the advancement of their field.

In todays day keeping up to date is more a matter of internst and desire than of access to infomraiton. There are some many groups, online panles and conferences with great content about the latest developments, let alone access to online journal and publications as well as simply stay informed via post of relevant profesionals in your industry!