Throwing out the rubbish

Removing class from a vessel is the final weapon in a class society?s armoury against a substandard owner. Once it is decided a vessel could contravene a society?s conditions of class and action might be needed, it is interesting to note the procedures followed. Lloyd?s Register says it has class committees that meet in various regions around the world each week. These deal with class matters such as surveys due, including deferrals. Such a deferral can flag-up to the society that problems might exist. Alan Gavin, Lloyd?s Register?s marine director, says some deferrals are legitimate, such as when a vessel cannot get to a preferred port. But many are not. The problem arises when ships go beyond the range dates and Lloyd?s Register is unable to contact the owner. Gavin says a majority of vessels have class removed for failing to present a ship for survey. Other reasons include carrying out temporary repairs that don?t comply with recommendations. Gavin tells The Motor Ship that class may threaten to disclass a vessel if an owner fails to pay the bills. “But this is rare,” he says. DNV and ABS eject vessels from their class for similar reasons. Gavin says the regional committees cannot remove a ship?s class. The decision is made by a sub-committee on classification, which is chaired by Gavin and made up of members of Lloyd?s Register?s general committee and 10 other members. Five are owners themselves and five represent insurance companies and organisations like the Chamber of Shipping and the Institute of Naval Architects. ABS acts on the initiative of the chief surveyor, or his designated nominee. Final approval for ejection from class requires the signature of three officers of the bureau ? usually one is the president and another the chief surveyor. Gavin told The Motor Ship the reason that Lloyd?s Register employs this system is that the 10 other members “may know things about the owner that we don?t know”. In this way vessels and their owners get the fairest hearing. The class society puts forward its case and the committee decides whether to remove class or not. The sub-committee meets on the last Friday of every month and again mid-month to chase-up any action required. Gavin says: “We do look at a target list of ships that are at risk ? tell tale signs of lack of maintenance carried out? anybody with bad debt usually doesn?t maintain their ship ? everything has to get cheaper and they push payments away as well.”