A Message From a Class Surveyor
Classification Society Surveyors: How to Build a Good Working Relationship
When it comes to operating a vessel, a classification society is an essential partner in ensuring compliance with safety standards and regulations. From the approval of new drawings to the end of a ship's life cycle, classification will always be involved. As a result, it is essential to develop a good working relationship with your classification society surveyor.
Most tonnage around the world employs the use of a classification society throughout the life of a vessel. This means that vessel owners and operators will be visited by their class surveyor frequently. These visits may include annual surveys, dock bottom surveys, or damage surveys. As such, it is essential to recognize that the majority of surveyors are either ex-seafarers or time-served naval architects. This understanding helps build mutual respect and a positive working relationship.
Surveyors complete a rigorous training scheme to become a surveyor, as laid out in IACS PR07 "Procedure for the Training and Qualification of Survey and Plan Approval Staff”. It takes anywhere from 6-12 months to become a basic ship surveyor, with multiple exams and shadowed training surveys. It takes 2 years to become confident enough to deal with any issues that arise during surveys.
Within all societies, you can break the disciplines into 4 categories:
Ships in Service - Surveys of existing ships in the register.
New Build - Surveying the construction of a vessel in the yard.
Naval Materials - Surveying equipment and materials to be used on classed ships.
Systems - Surveying a vessel's SMS, surveying a company's ISM and ISPS audits.
Most surveyors start as ships in service surveyors, gaining a qualification to survey basic ship types ranging from a tug to a general cargo ship and container ships. Once more experience is gained surveying, additional qualifications can be gained to survey bulk carriers, tankers, and passenger ships. This type of training and qualification scheme is required, as each vessel type has its own intricacies that need to be learned and understood to perform effective surveys.
Building a Good Working Relationship
Surveyors are there to help and not hinder! Knowing why your surveyor is visiting your vessel is of primary importance. At management level, you may have already contacted your surveyor and made arrangements, provided relevant documentation and certificates, or arranged port security passes. The more contact between ship and surveyor creates mutual understanding between both parties. Don't be afraid to ask for the survey checklist or the scope of the survey. When the surveyor steps foot on that gangway, the crew should have already been briefed on expected arrival and what purpose the surveyor is attending, getting things off to a good start sets a positive tone for a visit.
It is important to declare any class or statutory issues. The surveyor will hold a "kick-off" meeting, and the Master and Chief Engineer will attend the meeting. At this stage, the surveyor will ask, "Do you have any issues relating to class or statutory certificates that may affect their validity?" If you have any safety-critical defects or machinery defects, mention these now! This will allow your surveyor to issue the correct safety recommendation against a statutory certificate or a class condition, making the survey a lot easier for all parties. If you do not declare them at the start, the surveyor will find them and act accordingly, conducting a more expanded survey.
Consider surveyors as an additional set of eyes to spot defects that ship staff may have missed. Promptly addressing any issues identified by surveyors helps to establish a positive working relationship and instills confidence that the crew is committed to maintaining the vessel in good condition. It is also essential for ship managers to accompany surveyors during equipment testing and surveying to facilitate communication and ensure a thorough understanding of the vessel's condition. Building a relationship with the classification society allows for open engagement and creates opportunities for vessels to ask questions or seek guidance beyond surveys and defects. Open communication is crucial for establishing and maintaining a strong working relationship. By following these tips, surveys can run more smoothly and make for a more pleasant experience for both surveyors and ship staff.
In conclusion, having a good relationship with your classification society and surveyor is essential for the safe operation of your vessel. By following the tips outlined in this article, ship managers and crew can create a positive and productive working relationship with their surveyors. Remember, surveyors are not there to catch you out or find faults, they are there to ensure the safety and compliance of your vessel. By working together, you can ensure that your vessel is always operating at its best and that you are meeting all the necessary regulations and requirements.