Classification Societies

Classification Societies

Classification Societies

• A classification society is a non-governmental organization that establishes and maintains technical standards for the construction and operation of ships and offshore structures.

• Publishes its own classification Rules (including technical requirements) in relation to the design, construction & survey of ships, has the capacity to apply, maintain & update those Rules & Regulations with its own resources on a regular basis.

• Verifies compliance with these Rules during construction and periodically during a classed ship's service life.

• Publishes a register of classed ships.

Classification Societies

• To avoid liability, they explicitly take no responsibility for the safety, fitness for purpose, or seaworthiness of the ship.

• It is not controlled by, and does not have interests in, ship-owners, shipbuilders or others engaged commercially in the manufacture, equipping, repair or operation of ships.

• It is authorised by a Flag Administration as defined in SOLAS Chapter XI-1, Regulation 1 and listed accordingly in the IMO database, Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS).

Classification Societies - History

• In the 2nd half of the 18th century, London merchants, ship Owners, and captains often gathered at Edward Lloyds’ coffee house to gossip and make deals including sharing the risks and rewards of individual voyages.

• This became known as UNDERWRITING after the practice of signing one's name to the bottom of a document pledging to make good a portion of the losses if the ship didn’t make it in return for a portion of the profits.

• Underwriters needed a way of assessing the quality of the ships that they were being asked to insure. This pushed for the need of Classification Society.

Classification Societies - History• In 1760, the first classification society published an annual

register of ships. This publication attempted to classify the condition of the ship’s hull and equipment.

• Initially, an attempt was made to classify the condition of each ship on an annual basis but the purpose of this system was not to assess safety, fitness for purpose or seaworthiness of the ship. It was to evaluate risk.

• In 1834, the Register Society published the first Rules for the survey and classification of vessels, and changed its name to Lloyds Register of Shipping. A full-time bureaucracy of surveyors (inspectors) and support personnel was put in place.

Classification Societies - Responsibilities

• Set technical rules, confirm that designs and calculations meet these rules, survey ships and structures during the process of construction and commissioning.

• Conduct Periodical surveys to ensure that they continue to meet the rules.

• Classification societies are also responsible for classing oil platforms, other offshore structures, and submarines. This survey process covers diesel engines, important shipboard pumps and other vital machinery including ISO Tanks & ISO Containers.

• Classification surveyors inspect ships to make sure that the ship, its components and machinery are built and maintained according to the standards required for their class.

Classification Societies - Categories

IACS – International Associations of Classification Societies

• After International Load Line Convention of 1930, it recommended collaboration between Classification Societies to secure "as much uniformity as possible in the application of the standards of strength upon which freeboard is based…".

• RINA hosted the first conference of major Societies in 1939 - also attended by ABS, BV, DNV, GL, LR and NK - which agreed on further cooperation between the Societies.

• In 1969, IACS was given consultative status with the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

IACS Members

• Lloyd's Register • Bureau Veritas • Registro Italiano Navale • American Bureau of Shipping • Det Norske Veritas • Germanischer Lloyd • Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) • Russian Maritime Register of

Shipping • Polish Register of Shipping • Croatian Register of Shipping • China Classification Society • Korean Register of Shipping • Indian Register of Shipping

NON IACS Members• Hellenic Register of

Shipping • Bulgarian Register of

Shipping • China Corporation Register

of Shipping • Turk Loydu • Biro Klasifikasi Indonesia • Vietnam Register • Register of Shipping Albania • Union Marine Classification

Society • Registro Internacional

Naval[8]

Class – Areas of Activities

• Marine Industry• In-service inspection & verification• Construction• Certification• Commodities• Consumer products• Government services & international trade

Class – Scope of classification • Technical review of the design plans & related documents

for a new vessel to verify compliance.• Attendance at the shipyard by a Class Society surveyor(s)

to verify that the vessel is constructed in accordance with approved design plans & classification Rules.

• Attendance by a Class Society surveyor(s) at the relevant production facilities that provide key components such as the steel, engine, generators and castings to verify that the component conforms to the applicable Rule requirements.

• Attendance by a Class Society surveyor(s) at the sea trials and other trials relating to the vessel and its equipment prior to delivery to verify conformance with the applicable Rule requirements.

Class – Scope of classification

• Upon satisfactory completion of the above, as per the builder’s/shipowner’s request and, if deemed satisfactory, the assignment of class may be approved and a certificate of classification issued.

• Once in service, the owner must submit the vessel to a clearly specified programme of periodical class surveys, carried out onboard the vessel, to verify that the ship continues to meet the relevant Rule requirements for continuation of class. (Periodical Surveys & PMS)

• Class Rules do not cover every piece of structure or item of equipment on board a vessel, nor do they cover operational elements.

Class – Surveys & CertificationA class survey is a visual examination that normally consists of: Overall examination of the items identified in the Rules for survey. Detailed checks of selected parts, on a sampling basis. Witnessing tests, measurements and trials where applicable.

• When a surveyor identifies corrosion, structural defects or damage to hull, machinery and/or piece of equipment which, based on the Society’s Rules, affects the ship’s class, remedial measures and/or appropriate recommendations/conditions of class are specified in order to retain class.

• ‘Recommendation’ and ‘condition of class’ are different terms used by IACS Societies for specific measures, repairs, request for surveys etc., are to be carried out within a specified time limit in order to retain class.

Class – Surveys & Certification

Ships are subject to a through-life survey regime if they are to be retained in class.

• Class renewal (also called “special survey”) is held every 5 years

• Intermediate survey (Between the 2nd & 3rd Annual)• Annual survey • Bottom/docking surveys of the hull. • Tailshaft survey, boiler survey, machinery surveys.• On Request for a “Condition of Class” or

“Recommendation”.Each classed vessel is subject to a specified programme of

periodic surveys after delivery.

Classification Societies - Surveys

• Class renewal surveys/special surveys are carried out at five-year intervals. +/- Maximum period of 3 months after the due date.

• Annual surveys are to be carried out within a window from +/- 3 months of anniversary date.

• Intermediate survey is to be carried out within the window from +/- 3 months before the mid of 2nd & 3rd anniversary date.

• Bottom / Docking Survey - The outside of the ship's hull and related items are to be examined on two occasions in the five-year period of the certificate of class with a maximum of 36 months between surveys. One of the two bottom/docking surveys to be performed in the five-year period is to be concurrent with the class renewal/special survey.

Classification Societies - Surveys

• A tailshaft survey is the survey of screwshafts and tube shafts and the stern bearing.

Classification Societies - Surveys

• Boilers Survey and thermal oil heaters are to be surveyed twice in every five-year period. The periodicity of the boiler survey is normally 2.5 years.

Non-periodical surveys • To update classification documents (e.g. change of

owner, name of the ship, change of flag); • Deal with damage or suspected damage, repair,

renewal work, alterations or conversion, postponement of surveys or outstanding recommendations/conditions of class;

• At the time of port State control inspections.

Class – Surveys & Certification

• The class renewal surveys/special surveys include extensive in-water and, in most cases, out-of-water examinations to verify that the structure, main and essential auxiliary machinery, systems and equipment of the ship remain in a condition which satisfies the relevant Rules.

• The examination of the hull is supplemented, when specified, by ultrasonic thickness measurements and the witnessing of tests as specified in the Rules and as deemed necessary by the attending surveyor. The survey is intended to assess whether the structural integrity remains in conformance with the standards contained in the relevant Rules and to identify areas that exhibit substantial corrosion, significant deformation, fractures, damages or other structural deterioration.

Class – Suspension of class Class may be suspended following a decision made by the Society

when one or more of the following occurs: • Not operated in compliance with the Rule requirements.• Proceeds to sea with less freeboard than that assigned.• Fails to request a survey after having detected defects or damages

affecting the class.• Repairs, alterations or conversions affecting the class are carried out

without requesting the attendance of a surveyor. • Class renewal/special survey has not been completed by its due

date or within the time granted in special circumstances for the completion of the survey, unless the ship is under attendance by the Society’s surveyor(s) with a view to completion prior to resuming trading.

• Annual or intermediate surveys have not been completed by the end of the corresponding survey time windows.

Class – Withdrawal of class The Society will withdraw the class of a ship when: • Requested by the owner.• Class has been suspended for more than six months.• Ship is reported as a constructive total loss & the owner does not

advise his intention to repair the ship for re-instatement of class. • Ship is reported lost or will not trade further as declared by its

owner.

When class is suspended or withdrawn, the Society will:• Inform the owner, flag Administration and underwriters (the

latter at their request); • Publish the information on its website and convey the

information to appropriate databases (Equasis, etc.).

IACS – Organizational Structure

Certification of containers• Class provides inspection and certification services for

new buildings & in-service containers:• Standard dry freight• Reefer and thermal containers• Flatracks and platform containers• Special purpose containers• Non-ISO containers• Swap bodies• Offshore containers• Tank containers• Modified or repaired containers• Other transport units

Certification of containers• Class carries out type testing, certification and supervision

of manufacturing, implementing CSC and ISO/CEN. • Repair and Testing of Containers, and other international

standards and requirements (e.g. UIC, TIR, ATP or ATO).• All commercial/leased containers used for international

transport must be CSC approved and/or enrolled in the Approved Continuous Examination Program (ACEP). Under ACEP, a container is subject to examinations and inspections during the course of normal operations .

• “Any container used in or offered for movement in international transport which does not have a valid safety approval plate attached to it is subject to detention or other control by a District Commander or Captain of the Port”.

Certification of containers

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Statutory Certificates

• Certificate of Registry (CoR)• Certificate of Class (CoC)• Continuous Synopsis Record (CSR) Issued by Flag State.• International Tonnage Certificate (ITC)• International Load Line Certificate (LLC)• Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate (SAFCON)• Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate (SEQ)• International Safety Radio Certificate (GMDSS)• International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate (IOPP)• International Sewage Pollution Prevention Certificate

Statutory Certificates• International Air Pollution Prevention Certificate• International Ship Security Certificate (ISSC)• Certificates for Master, Officers or Ratings (STCW)• Document of Compliance (DoC)• Safety Management Certificate (SMC)• Deratting or Deratting Exemption Certificate• Minimum Safe Manning Document• Crew Accommodation Certificate• Cargo Securing Manual• LOG BOOKS (Official + Deck + Engine)• Document of Compliance with the Special Requirements

for Ships Carrying Dangerous Goods (DoC).

Statutory Certificates• Intact Stability Booklet & Damage Control Plans Booklet• Fire safety training manual & Fire Control plan/booklet• Oil Record Book (Part I) & Shipboard Oil Pollution

Emergency Plan (SOPEP)• Garbage Management Plan & Garbage Record Book.• Voyage data recorder system – Certificate of Compliance• Ship Security Plan and associated records• Ship’s Station Licence• Certificates of the ship station operator or operators• Training Manuals for Life-Saving Appliances & Fire

Fighting Appliances.• Dangerous Goods Manifest or Stowage Plan

Statutory Certificates• Certificate of insurance or other financial security in respect of civil

liability for oil pollution damage (CLC)• OIL RECORD BOOK (Part II)• International Pollution Prevention Certificate for the Carriage of

Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk• Cargo Record Book (NLS)• Procedures and Arrangements Manual (P & A Manual)• Shipboard Marine Pollution Emergency Plan for Noxious Liquid

Substances• Pollution Incident Emergency Plan for Hazardous and Noxious

Substances• International Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Dangerous

Chemicals in Bulk.• International Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Liquefied Gases

in Bulk.