TVIB News Tava Foret

TVIB STAFF NEWS: Addition of Member Services Manager Position

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We would like to welcome Clint Smith to the TVIB team in the new role of Member Services Manager. In this role, Clint will be focused on the core processes tied to the member experience and will be responsible for coordinating TVIBs cloud-based technology platforms, our education and training initiatives, and the auditor/surveyor oversight program. He will also serve as the Quality Management System (QMS) representative and will manage the internal audit program of our QMS. Clint will serve on the Staff Certification Committee (SCC) and support the Operations Team by participating in our 24-hour response activities to assist TPO customers with CG-835V/Marine Casualty concerns and related TPO activities.

Clint retired from the U.S. Coast Guard as a Lieutenant Commander in 2019. During his 20+ year Coast Guard career, he served in various positions, including Deck Watch Officer and Coast Guard Boarding Officer, onboard several Coast Guard cutters engaged in search and rescue, law enforcement, and aids to navigation.

He spent 14 years in the Marine Safety field as an Investigating Officer and Marine Inspector and held positions in the Gulf and Western Rivers Regions. As a Marine Safety Detachment Supervisor, he oversaw Coast Guard Marine Safety and Security Regulatory Compliance for all vessels and facilities in two states. As the Chief of Prevention, he managed both U. S. and foreign vessel inspections and regulatory compliance for 144 facilities in one of the Nation’s busiest ports. He’s conducted hundreds of safety and security inspections on U.S. and Foreign vessels, pollution investigations, marine casualty investigations, and container inspections. Clint’s most recent assignment was at Coast Guard Headquarters with the Mission Management Systems Staff, where he managed and audited the Coast Guard’s Prevention Quality Management System. Clint formed QCI Maritime Services in 2019 and performed surveying, auditing, and consulting services for the towing industry.

Clint holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Information Sciences from The University of Alabama. He is certified by Exemplar Global as an ISO-9001 Quality Management System Lead Auditor and holds certifications as both a TVIB Lead Auditor for Vessels and Management and Subchapter M Annual Surveyor.

Clint is located in Birmingham, AL. After a few years of working in the field as an independent auditor and surveyor, we’re glad to have Clint back on the team where he can use that experience to help us build upon our current programs in our ongoing effort of continuous improvement. Please be sure to welcome him when you get a chance, you will find his contact information on the website under  Our Staff.

TRAINING: LAST CALL Subchapter M Auditor Course (TSMS)

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The registration deadline for the TSMS Auditor Training Course is fast approaching. The dates for this course are April 11-12, 2023. If you have expressed interest in becoming an External Auditor, this is the course for you.

The TSMS Auditor Certification 2-day virtual course focuses on training external (third-party) auditors how to use the TVIB audit process, which was developed to meet ISO 19011 Guidelines for Auditing Management Systems and tailored for the unique situations auditing under Subchapter M and the RCP.

Who Should Attend

  • Auditors who wish to become certified by TVIB to perform American Waterways Operators (AWO) Responsible Carrier Program (RCP) audits and Subchapter M TSMS audits. If you’re interested in certification, you will need to complete and submit the auditor member application and application fee. Your application must be screened by the TVIB Certification Committee and approved prior to attending the course. Those individuals who want the training without becoming certified are not required to submit a TVIB membership application.
  • Marine executives, HSE managers, operations managers, safety consultants and regulators seeking more in-depth information about the AWO RCP and Subchapter M.
  • Individuals who are interested in obtaining Subchapter M and/or the RCP training without becoming a certified auditor are welcome to attend the class.

This course meets the requirements of 46 CFR 139.130(b)(4) for those seeking to perform external audits under a TPO.

CICK HERE TO REGISTER

SUB M: Is your internal auditor properly trained and free from conflicts of interest?

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46 CFR Subchapter M 138.310(d)(2) requires those performing internal audits to have completed an ANSI/ISO/ASQ Q9001-2000 or ISO 9001:2008(E) (incorporated by reference, see § 136.112 of this subchapter) internal auditor/assessor course or Coast Guard-recognized equivalent.

 

This is NOT the same as an ISO 9001 Lead Auditor course. The curriculum of an Internal Auditor course is different than a Lead Auditor course, just as an internal audit should be very different than an external/third-party audit.

TVIB has worked with ACTSafe Training for the past several years to support the Marine Internal Lead Auditor (MILA) course that is a Coast Guard-recognized equivalent that meets the requirements of §138.310(d)(2).

 

UPCOMING MILA COURSE: March 21st-22nd  REGISTER HERE

 

Additionally, in accordance with §138.310(d)(3) internal auditors may not be the designated person, or any other person, within the organization that is responsible for development or implementation of the TSMS; and §138.310(d)(4) requires that the internal auditor must be independent of the procedures being audited, unless this is impracticable due to the size and the nature of the organization.

It is in an organization’s best interest to use an auditor that is independent of the procedures being audited to avoid a case of “the fox watching the hen house.” The objectivity of the internal auditor is critical to an unbiased review of the organization’s TSMS. The purpose of the internal audit is to ensure the organization has the proper controls, governance and risk management processes in place, according to the Institute of Internal Auditors.

An easy or insufficient internal audit does the operator no favors. The internal activity, on the vessel and in the office, is designed to identify any gaps or deficiencies, to ensure compliance and improve the TSMS.

 

Please feel to reach out to our staff if you would like to discuss the differences between internal and external audits and the required training for those auditors.

Phone: 832-323-3992