EVALUATION AND INSPECTION

Periodic surveys and inspections of ships are carried out to ensure the safety and seaworthiness of vessels. With maritime laws becoming more stringent with each passing year, sea-going vessels have to go through a series of inspections in order to meet minimum requirements to continue sailing.

Annual surveys by classification society are a vital part of ship’s trading eligibility. Thus for a vessel to continue trading various periodical surveys and certifications by classification society are mandatory to ensure its continual compliance with International regulations and endorsement of the same. Various certificates require annual endorsement after the class surveyor verifies that the conditions, functioning and operational and maintenance requirements of the vessel are complied with.

After the class surveyor verifies the same he endorses the certificates for annual survey. Annual surveys are namely Safety equipment survey, International oil pollution prevention certificate survey, International air pollution prevention certificate survey, and Safety Radio Survey.

Before all these surveys, the companies appoint independent servicing agencies which are approved to conduct annual servicing and maintenance of equipment such as fire extinguishers, fixed fire extinguishing installations, annual foam compound analysis for fixed foam firefighting installation, annual servicing and maintenance of lifeboat equipment and launching appliances.

Annual servicing and inspection of equipment systems can be performed by various institutions such as accredited laboratory, service company, maker or manufacturer trained personnel, shore based maintenance provider, class approved service applier, and service personnel authorized by the flag.

The criteria for inspection are being laid by classification societies acting as recognized organizations on behalf of flag states so that requisite certificates are revalidated or issued in line with international regulations. Every flag has streamlined its requirements and thus accordingly the classification society develops a checklists of inspection program to harmonies the same.

An additional survey can be carried out after a condition of class has been imposed on a vessel or major failure in critical equipment has been detected which can endanger seaworthiness and safety of the vessel. Some examples are hull breach, propulsion or steering gear failure where vessel has to salvaged, after major steel renewal, systematic failure of safety measures leading to a major accident, malfunctioning of Oily Water Separator (or oil discharge monitoring and control system), or any condition under which a certificate issued by a classification society becomes invalid. Thus, after repair or remedial measure the classification society carries a thorough inspection/survey and then reissues or re-endorses the certificate.