Classificati

on
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 didnt
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 ships
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

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

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 builders/shipowners 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 & Certification

A 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 Societys Rules,
affects the ships class, remedial measures and/or
appropriate recommendations/conditions of class
are specified in order to retain class.
Recommendation and condition of class are

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 2 nd & 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 2 nd & 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 Societys 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

NEXT SESSION

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
Ships 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.