Surveys

      Types of ship survey

 

Initial survey - A complete inspection of all the items relating to the particular certificate before the ship is put into service to ensure they are in a satisfactory condition and fit for the service for which the ship is intended.

Periodical survey - Inspection of the items relating to the particular certificate to ensure that they are in a satisfactory condition and fit for the service for which the ship is intended.

Renewal survey - As per periodical survey but leads to the issue of a new certificate.

Intermediate survey - Inspection of specified items

Annual survey - General inspection of the items relating to the particular certificate to ensure that they have been maintained and remain satisfactory for the service for which the ship is intended.

Additional survey - Inspection, either general or partial according to the circumstances, to be made after a repair resulting from casualty investigations or whenever any important repairs or renewals are made.

2 List of certificates required on board ship relating to harmonized system of survey and certification (some depend on type of ship)

• Passenger Ship Safety Certificate, including Record of Equipment
• Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate
• Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate, including Record of Equipment
• Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate, including Record of Equipment
• Cargo Ship Safety Certificate, including Record of Equipment
• International Load Lines Certificate
• International Load Lines Exemption Certificate
• International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate
• International Pollution Prevention Certificate for the Carriage of Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk
• International Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk
• International Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Liquefied Gases in Bulk
• Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk

The harmonized system

In practice, many Administrations and classification societies already operate a form of harmonized survey and certification. Moreover, a resolution adopted by the IMO Assembly in 1991, and amended in 1993 (Resolution A.718(17), as modified by resolution A.745(18)), allowed for Governments which had ratified the 1988 SOLAS and Load Lines Protocols to implement the harmonized system ahead of the entry into force date of the protocols.

The harmonized system provides for:

• a one-year standard interval between surveys, based on initial, annual, intermediate, periodical and renewal surveys as appropriate;
• a scheme for providing the necessary flexibility for the execution of each survey with the provision that the renewal survey may be completed within three months before the expiry date of the existing certificate with no loss of its period of validity;
• a maximum period of validity of five years for all certificates for cargo ships;
• a maximum period of validity of 12 months for the Passenger Ship Safety Certificate;

• a system for the extension of certificates limited to three months to enable a ship to complete its voyage (or one month for ships engaged on short voyages);
• when an extension has been granted, the period of validity of the new certificate is to start from the expiry date of the existing certificate before its extension.

The main changes to the SOLAS and Load Lines Conventions are that annual inspections have been made mandatory for cargo ships and unscheduled inspections have been discontinued. Other changes refer to survey intervals and requirements.

ESP

The Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF), which hasconsultative status within the International Maritime Organization(IMO), played a significant role in supporting the development of theIMO Resolution A744 (18) “Enhanced Programme of Inspectionsduring Surveys of Bulk Carriers and Oil Tankers” (ESP) referred to inMARPOL Regulation 13G. This enhanced survey requirement hasundoubtedly improved the safety performance of those ships whichhave now been subjected to more rigorous inspection.However, whilst ESP adequately addresses the critical structural areasof the ship, the failure of critical systems can also lead to significantincidents relating to safety of life or oil pollution. Recognising thepotentially serious impact of such marine incidents, the IMO and theInternational Association of Classification Societies (IACS), and themarine industry in general, have over the years developed legislationand guidance aimed at ensuring safe ship operation and protection ofthe environment. Tanker owners generally operate with strictmaintenance and inspection policies, and within the unified controlsimposed by the IMO, their Flag States and the Classification Societies.However OCIMF considers it timely that the industry as a wholereassesses the extent to which the enhanced survey requirements ofMARPOL continue to meet the needs of the industry and of those otherparties which are similarly concerned with the safety of transportationof oil by sea.To this end OCIMF has, since the introduction of ESP, continued tomaintain a regular dialogue with the Classification Societies throughthe auspices of IACS, and has fully supported the development of amore rigorous and effective scope for Classification Society unifiedinspection requirements and ultimately, it is hoped, the enhancedsurvey requirements of MARPOL.

Special survey

A ship is built under the supervision of its classification society, with its surveyors in attendance in the shipyard. They ensure that the ship is built in compliance with the drawings and plans, that the components are of an acceptable quality and the standards of the shipyard are acceptable. Then the society issues its “Certificate of Class for Hull and Machinery” along with trading and statutory certificates from the flag state of the ship. It is the Certificate of Class that is the basis for underwriters to insure the ship. If it ceases to be valid, the vessel’s insurance would no longer be in place. These certificates are valid for five years, but each year, during a window of three months before the date and three months after (because of the nature of the ship’s voyages) an Annual Survey must be carried out by the classification society surveyors. The major societies all maintain a network of surveyors to undertake this work, and the surveyors, on completion of their Annual Survey, will endorse the ship’s Class Certificate.

Besides this annual inspection the survey “cycle” also includes a Special Survey which must take place every five years and is a far more thorough inspection of the ship, its machinery and fabric. And as the ship ages, each Special Survey will become more stringent, with a closer inspection of more parts of the ship. Special Surveys are costly, invariably requiring time in a drydock with the ship out of service for some time, depending on what the classification surveyor discovers in his inspection.

The Special Survey will see machinery dismantled to examine it for wear and tear, the thickness of the plate checked for corrosion to ensure that it remains within acceptable limits. Damaged structure will be cut out and replaced with new material, worn components and parts renewed. The opportunity will be taken to examine parts of the ship that cannot be inspected in normal circumstances. The propeller will be removed and the tail shaft drawn out to examine the bearings, while underwater apertures that admit cooling water into the ship will be closely scrutinised. The anchor will be lowered to the bottom of the drydock and the cable ranged to empty the cable locker. All the ship’s systems like refrigeration, electrical, control engineering and main and auxiliary machinery will be examined. The bearings of the rudder will be scrutinised, and the steering gear stripped down and overhauled. If the ship is a tanker or gas carrier, the special items of equipment appertaining to the ship’s type, such as cargo pumps and inert gas systems will be examined. In short, the Special Survey may be likened to a major health check for a ship, as it gets older.