Company of classification

A company of classification is an organization which establishes and applies technical standards to the project, the construction and the inspection of the facilities relating to the navy, including the Navire S and the structures Off-shore.

Origin

The origin of the companies of classification rests on the need for information, more precisely of criteria of reliability than the insurers claimed to fix the amount of the premiums of insurance of such or such ship. Justice recently has just condemned a company of classification (see article on wikinews), it is an insurance company which had complained.

Today

The principal companies are gathered within the IACS (International association of the companies of classification) which in account today 10 (see table below). The IACS having for objective to promote the surest standards and to ensure the same application by the whole of its members, the tendency is thus with the standardization of the rules . The members of the IACS exchange information.

The company of classification carries out several services, among which one counts classification and the certification and the publication of registers.

Classification:

Classification consists in classifying the ship according to certain criteria (clean payments of the company), following what the company allots the class.

  • the construction (to follow construction).

    • Approval of the plans of the ship.
    • Shipyard: approval of the building site and its subcontractors.
    • Control of materials used and the methods employed. (monitoring)
    • Control of the stablity
    • Tests.
  • the machine (the propelling & energy apparatus)
  • additional elements (pumps, circuits, etc)
  • the hull.
  • the boiler.
  • tackles of lifting. (cranes, cargo booms).
  • possibly the refrigerating machine and other technical characteristics of the ship itself.
  • Thereafter and for the maintenance of the class:
    • To carry out periodic inspections
    • To carry out inspections following damages/repairs.
    • Effectuer visits when the ship is dry (fixes dry).

Example of classification at Office veritas:

  • I - 3/3 - ✠ - ref. Carrier - deep sea - Alp - Aut - ms Port - Mach - RMC .

  • I (division): built in accordance with the regulations of the payment.

(division II: does not satisfy all the regulations, but considered to be acceptable, does very few ships of it are classified II).
  • 3/3: dimension maximum confidence.
  • Maltese cross (✠): Built under class BV. (Underlined Maltese cross: Not built under class BV).
  • ref. Carrier (refrigerated ship)
  • Deep sea (open sea)
  • …

Certification:

Certification consists in checking conformity with the national and international payments. The company delivers statutory documents.

Certification by delegation of government of State (of the house) for certain countries which do not do it themselves, Flag of convenience inter alia).

  • SOLAS (certificates of, safety of construction, safety of material of armament, radiotelegraphic safety)

  • MARPOL (compliance certificate)
  • Convention on the lines of load of partitioning
  • Certification ISM
  • Certification ISPS

Absence or loss of certification or classification

A ship or a structure having lost its class or not being certified will not be able to work.

Paradox

  • the company is chosen and remunerated by the ship-owner, who thus becomes a customer for it, but in the facts, if a company refuses to certify a ship, there are strong chances that no other will want to do it, it is mainly the role of monitoring of the IACS.

Ethics

They follow an ethics: the companies of classification live on their reputation. The competition between the various companies can be done only on bases of services rendered to maritime industry, but does not have to lead to compromises which would touch the safeguard of the human life and/or the goods to the sea, or of lowerings of standards.

Examples of companies

(sources IACS-2004)
  • additional:
    • Hellenic Register off Shipping (HR) (Recognition limited to Greece)
    • Registro Internacional Naval, SA (RINAVE) (Recognition limited to Portugal)
    • India Register off Shipping (IRS) ( Not recognized by the European Union )

Sources

  • SOFT Paris
  • Memory OF the

External bonds

  • Site VeriStar

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