Classification Societies: Ensuring Maritime Safety and Standards
Classification Societies
Classification societies are organizations that establish standards for the construction and maintenance of merchant vessels. They also provide technical services to assist owners in maintaining those standards. Most boats are “classified” or recorded in a classification society. Classification societies have inspectors who ensure that ships are built according to prevailing standards and periodically inspect the boats to ensure they are kept in optimal condition. Many maritime nations require ships to be built under the supervision of inspectors approved by the classification societies.
Key Classification Societies
The most important classification society is Lloyd’s Register of Shipping. More than one-third of the global tonnage is classified by this society.
Other main classification societies include:
- Headquarters (Head Office)
Spanish ships are to be built under the supervision of government inspectors, who issue the certificates, but ships can also be classified into recognized classification societies.
Lloyd’s Register of Shipping
Lloyd’s was founded in 1760 and reconstituted in 1834. This company was established to obtain a faithful and accurate classification of merchant vessels for the use of merchants, ship owners, and insurers. This ensures that operators and insurers have a guarantee that the boat is in good condition to undertake the proposed journey and, in general, for security reasons.
Lloyd’s is controlled by a committee of shipowners, shipbuilders, engine manufacturers, and insurers. It is a non-profit corporation that depends entirely on fees charged to inspectors and other services for its income.
Lloyd’s Functions
- Ship classification
- Periodic inspections and special freeboard allocation for ships of all types
- Monitoring testing of anchors and chains
- Monitoring of steel at manufacturing sites
- Annual publication of “Rules for the Construction of Ships” and a “Register Book”
Register Book
This book is issued annually in July and August, with an appendix in January, and comprises four volumes:
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The registration of vessels in two volumes:
- The first volume contains the names, classes, and general information concerning boats classified by Lloyd’s. The book also contains knowledge of ocean shipping vessels in the world of 100 gross tons and above.
- The second volume contains floating docks, LNG cargo, reefer cargo ships, refrigerated cargo containers, container terminals, and offshore drilling platforms.
These two volumes are updated through monthly supplements.
- The list of owners: Contains a list of boat owners and captains with the names of their vessels.
- The appendix: Contains a list of boat builders with the names of the ships they have built, a dry list of dams and levees of tidal, and a list of marine insurance companies.
Lloyd’s Inspectors
Includes naval architects, marine engineers, and other specialists. Inspectors are not authorized to receive any fees for any services performed by them but receive their salaries directly from the company. Inspectors make their reports in accordance with the prescribed form. The classification of vessels does not depend on the opinion of the inspector; it is the duty of the General Committee after inspection of the inspector and all relevant documentation. In special cases, however, inspectors are authorized to issue provisional licenses to allow the ship to proceed with its trip, but the provisional certificate is subject to confirmation by the Committee.
Inspections
Ships classed with Lloyd’s and other classification societies are subject to periodic inspections at intervals of approximately one year. Owners should notify whenever a ship can be examined in dry dock or on a slipway. It is desirable that the vessel can be examined in dry dock at intervals of 12 months. The maximum interval is 2 years.