A day in the life of a surveyor

The whole system of class surveys has in recent years come under scrutiny as a result of a number of high profile incidents. This has fuelled controversy about the role and responsibilities of class societies. In particular, attention has focused on the quality and comprehensiveness of surveys carried out by classification society surveyors. Since there is no substitute to a hands-on approach when it comes to getting answers to some basic questions, such as how a ship survey is carried out, The Motor Ship decided to shadow a front line surveyor for a day. CS Sovereign, a British-flagged multi-role vessel capable of undertaking both cable maintenance and installation projects, was selected since it was undergoing a hull and machinery survey by Lloyds Register at the Portsmouth dry-dock facilities of Fleet Support Limited (FSL). CS Sovereign, owned by British Telecom but operated and managed by Global Marine Systems Ltd of the UK, is currently employed to carry out repairs on the North Atlantic submarine telephone cables. Completed in October 1991 by the Dutch shipbuilder van der Giessen-de Noord, this 11,242g vessel, measuring 130.7 x 21.3m, was in dry dock for a routine annual maintenance and overhaul. The opportunity was taken by Global Marine to ask LR to carry out the final instalment of the ship?s continuous five-year survey cycle, which includes examination of hull and machinery. The schedule of items to be surveyed every year is set out in a checklist issued by LR?s head office. This itemises when the different sections and equipment of the vessel need to be surveyed. This is in fact the second complete five-year cycle to be completed since the vessel entered service. Gerry Walker, LR?s ship surveyor for this occasion, commented that even though the surveyor has a specific number of areas to survey, he is also keeping an eye open for general wear and tear which could affect the safety of the ship. This includes items such as steering gear, bilge alarms and any new equipment installed since the last survey was carried out. Statutory surveys Although classification societies are concerned only with the structural integrity as it affects the vessel?s safety, it can and does carry out statutory surveys for and on behalf of various governments. In the case of UK registered ships this is done on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and all fees incurred are chargeable to the owner. These surveys primarily cover items of safety equipment such as lifeboats, davits, fire precautions and firefighting equipment. LR issues the appropriate statutory certificate on behalf of the relevant government body, which is normally valid for five years although regular annual checks are made as a matter of course. Another statutory requirement is that of lifting and cargo handling gear which, in the UK, is the responsibility of the flag state administration as represented by MCA. Once again, LR will carry out this function if requested although it does include in its survey those items of lifting equipment which are used exclusively by crew members and not third party people such as dockworkers. Good feeling The surveyor starts to form his initial impression of the ship?s condition as he approaches the gangway and can normally tell from experience what to expect. In this case, CS Sovereign gave a good overall feeling of a well-founded and maintained ship. Once onboard, Walker started the day by having discussions with both the owner?s resident superintendent and the ship?s chief officer to review the plan of action for that day. Walker then set off on his survey by carrying out an inspection of all weather deck openings including doors, portholes, ventilation pipes and hatch covers which give access to lower deck spaces. This forms part of the load line renewal survey, which concerns itself with ensuring that all these openings are weathertight. This involves subjecting these openings to a hose pipe test. This particular test was not carried out during this correspondent?s visit since the ship was in the process of having its hull painted. It further involves visual checks of all external doors, portholes and vents to ensure rubber seals and closing mechanisms are functioning properly. Next on the list was the engine room where one of the three Stork Wärtsilä main propulsion generator engines, a 12SW280, was being stripped down for a thorough overhaul (the vessel has 2x12SW280 and 1x16SW280 engines and a harbour set, a Stork Wärtsilä 6FHD240). With all the pistons removed, Walker was able to inspect the main engine blocks. Both engines were due to be reassembled during the following days at which point the surveyor would carry out a full calibration and pressure test. While down in the engine room, Walker checked the ballast water filter system which was being stripped and cleaned. Into the bowels Inspecting the double bottom tanks was next and involved disappearing down in the bowels of the ship and crawling on all fours through some restricted spaces. For this part of the survey, the ship?s chief officer accompanied us. If there is any serious corrosion on a ship, this is where it is normally found. Although my first impression of Sovereign was one of a well-maintained vessel, I was still mildly surprised to find little or no signs of corrosion in the double bottom tanks. This is largely attributable to the good quality of the tank coating applied when the vessel was built. Walker, unsurprisingly, had no trouble in passing this part of the survey. Having climbed all the way back to the weather deck, the surveyor proceeded to inspect the anchor chains and anchors which meant a steep descent all the way down to the bottom of the dry dock where the anchors and cables had been laid out. Before going down the steep flight of granite steps to the muddy dry dock floor, Walker visited the superintendent?s office again to give an update on progress with the survey. The super made an observation that he thought the swivel shackle in the port anchor chain had a bit too much play around the swivel pin and wanted the surveyors opinion on its state. On his way to the bow area, Walker inspected the condition of the hull, checking for any signs of corrosion particularly in the vicinity of hull plate butt-welds. This is often an area where the coating has not adhered properly to the steel, thus creating the ideal environment for corrosion. Examining the anchor and chain involved a detailed visual examination together with a fair degree of brute force to turn over some of the shackles and in particular the swivel shackle which links the chain to the anchor shank. Although the offending swivel shackle did have a degree of movement, it was not deemed excessive enough to warrant its immediate replacement. Plans were made with the super to ensure that this shackle would be replaced when the ship was next in for its routine dry-docking. Effect of alteration The other issue tackled by LR?s survey is that of safety construction (Safcon) which involves looking out for any structural alterations the vessel has undergone since its last survey which might jeopardise the safety of the ship. This is particularly important where fire regulations are concerned since changes in the accommodation could result in alterations to escape routes. Other examples include the installation of new passageways with inadequate doors for weather tightness or new openings cut in bulkheads, which could damage the ship?s survivability in the event of an emergency. On the machinery side, bearings, valves, cylinders, crankshafts are all inspected and this usually coincides with regular maintenance undertaken either by the crew, dockyard workers or the engine manufacturers. The latter is becoming more common these days and the surveyor still needs to check the work by carrying out calibration checks and pressure testing. The list of machinery items also includes fuel injection pumps, generators, sea valves, cargo spaces, ballast tanks and anchor chain lockers. If any problems are discovered with equipment that is not up to standard, the classification society will request the owners to have remedial work carried out within a specified period provided the defect is not critical to the ship?s safety. More serious defects will have to be rectified straight away even if it means the ship will be delayed in port or dry-dock. In this respect, Walker stressed that close co-operation between the super, the yard manager and the surveyor is important for the smooth running of the ship?s class survey and in making the right commercial decision when it comes to carrying out remedial works to minimise the commercial impact of any decision. Surveyors also rely on experience to establish what to look for on certain ship types where there is a history of problems. Indicative of standards If this survey is indicative of the general standards of how a reputable class society operates, then the maritime industry has little to worry about. However, as with everything else in life, the exception proves the rule and it is the small minority of unscrupulous surveyors who give the industry a bad name. Exactly what can be done to rectify this is uncertain but improved training, better control procedures and the harmonisation of class rules and standards would help. In a final comment, Walker agreed that there is normally sufficient time allocated for surveys but where a vessel has a quick turnaround in port, i.e. boxships and tankers, the surveyor can only carry out a small part of the survey which will have to be continued at the next port of call by the local surveyor there. One final observation is that this is not a job for the faint-hearted. A surveyor needs to be both agile and physically fit, have a head for heights and no-sufferance of claustrophobia. Diplomatic skills and persuasive powers are also useful attributes to convince owners they need to carry out urgent remedial work when required. n