Maritime Standards

Article by Hannah Rosas

All nations require certain standards be met by ships and other marine structures which fly their flag. A classification society, or “Class”, is a non-governmental regulatory association which regulates construction of vessels and offshore structures in the maritime industry.

The society is responsible for establishing regulations for the construction and classification of ships and offshore structures. Classification societies make use of ship surveyors, naval architects, and a wide variety of qualified marine engineers.

These experts are charged with overseeing construction and repairs; and conduct mandated surveys of ships currently in service to make sure that standards are properly met. Classes are established to regulate structure and design for all vessel types to promote stability, safety, and cleaner emissions.

To this end, classification societies agree on technical requirements, oversee designs and check calculations to ensure that these rules are upheld. Qualified employees are dispatched to check up on ships and structures throughout construction and commissioning, and periodically survey vessels (including submarines) to ensure that they continue to uphold all standards.

They are also in charge of classing oil rigs, platforms and any other offshore structures. This survey process covers propulsion systems, navigation equipment, pumps, valves, and other equipment.

Many classification societies are in operation around the world. The largest are DNV, (Det Norske Veritas,) Lloyd’s Register, Germanischer Lloyd, Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, RINA and ABS (the American Bureau of Shipping).

Emirates International Maritime Academy (EIMA) has announced that it has expanded its maritime training resources by becoming a Maritime Resource Management (MRM) provider in the Middle East after recently signing a licensing agreement with the Swedish Club Academy, a company associated with the Swedish Club, a lmarine mutual insurer from Sweden. The agreement was signed by Captain Jaafar bin Sidin, Director of EIMA, and Martin Hernqvist, Managing Director at the Swedish Club Academy.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has approved proposed changes to the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW ’95) Convention at a Diplomatic Conference in Manila, Philippines. Acceptance of the amended STCW Convention and its associated Codes means simulators have been formally recognized as a suitable tool for survival craft training.

Virtual Marine Technology, manufacturer of SurvivalQuestTM, is the world’s only Det Norske Veritas (DNV) approved survival craft operations simulator.

The Class of 2015 arrives for indoctrination at the United States Merchant Marine Academy, one of the country’s five federal service Academies, located in Kings Point, New York.