The document provides guidance to surveyors on reporting requirements for H&M and LOH survey reports. It clarifies the structure and content required for preliminary, survey, and final reports. Key sections are outlined, including the introduction, technical description, casualty narrative, damage description, repairs, cause consideration, and repair costs and timelines. Emphasis is placed on providing concise, factual information focused on the damages, repairs, and costs. Photos and illustrations are recommended to aid understanding where possible. The level of detail may vary depending on the report type and stage of the casualty process.

1. Survey Reporting – «back to basics»
H&M and LOH Survey Reports

2. Purpose of Presentation
• Clarify our requirements regarding the structure and information of
survey reports (with ref. to the Nordic insurance conditions).
• Present our requirements regarding reporting of repair costs.
• Make the life easier for the surveyor – and for the insurer!

3. H&M and LOH Survey Report Types
• H&M / LOH Preliminary Survey Report / Reporting Letter (as many as
found necessary)
• H&M / LOH Survey Report
• When cause of damage has been established and when repairs have been
completed (normally), but prior to Owners having presented their claim.
• H&M Final Survey Report / Addendum / Repair Cost Review
• When Owners have presented their claim. Full evaluation of the costs.

4. Survey Reports – General Structure
All Report Types:

5. H&M Survey Reports – Repair Cost Items
Preliminary Reports: Survey Reports: Final Survey Reports:

6. Survey Reports – Introduction

7. Survey Reports – Introduction

8. Survey Reports – Introduction
If more than one surveyor is attending, replace the undersigned with WE, and indicate
the surveyors in section 3; attending representatives

9. Survey Reports – Introduction
Date, month, year During scheduled dry docking at the shipyard S Yard Ltd.
Damage to STBD controllable pitch propeller systems ascertained.
Date, month, year On laden / ballast voyage from Port A to Port B.
Fire in the engine room.
Survey was held in order to ascertain the nature and extent of damage sustained on the
following occasion:
2 OCCURRENCE
Occurrence No. 1
Date, month, year On laden / ballast voyage from Port A to Port B.
Grounding at Xxxxxxxx.
Date, month, year During scheduled dry docking at the shipyard S Yard Ltd.
Damage to No. 3 Aux. Engine discovered.

10. Survey Reports – Introduction
Occurrence No. 1
21.07.2010 During the auxiliary diesel engine no. 4 routine overhauling
which was started on July 19, 2010, it occurred that on
July 21, 2010 after removing the No. 4 main bearing cap, it
was discovered that the bearing shell and the journal were
damaged. After overhauling No. 4 Auxiliary Engine, it was
verified damages on No. 4 main journal and bearing shells.
Please, try to avoid presenting the occurrence like this:
…or this:
07.12.2012 Damages verified to the turbocharger of portside main engine
while engine crewmembers had just finished the warm up of
main engines and vessel had just departed from Rio de
Janeiro to the first area of operations in Brazilian waters.

11. Survey Reports – Introduction
And certainly not
like this:

12. Survey Reports – Section 3 & 4

13. The first 4 sections - Summary

14. Survey Reports – Further information

15. Survey Reports
5 VESSEL’S MOVEMENTS

16. Survey Reports
5 VESSEL’S MOVEMENTS – example:

17. Survey Reports
5 VESSEL’S MOVEMENTS – issues to be kept in mind:
• Casualty occurring in Laden or in Ballast condition?
• What are scheduled ports, and which calls are extra because of the
casualty?
• Pls advise details of cargo handling in each port (loading and/or
discharging?)
• Is the vessel fully discharged or only partially discharged in the
port of repairs.
• Are the port of calls changed as a consequence of the casualty?
• (Why bother, do you think?)

18. Survey Reports
6 AVAILABLE INFORMATION

19. Survey Reports

20. Survey Reports
The vessel is a Ro-Ro ferry of xx xxx gross tons, built in 1985. The two main engines are of make
MAN B&W, type 8L45GB, two stroke diesel engine with 8 cylinders in line, rated to 16 965 bhp. Each
cylinder has a separate fuel pump. The engines are normally running on heavy fuel oil.
The engines are located in a separate, closed compartment.
Above each engine is a special engine room crane. Due to the very limited height of the engine
room, the crane is specially designed for the purpose of dismounting the cylinders.
The engines’ remote control system is of original design from prior 1985.
Hi-Fog water mist extinguishing system is fitted in the engine room and in the machinery spaces.
7 BRIEF TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
What is the purpose of this section?

21. Survey Reports
Very short for a simple grounding case:
The vessel is a bulk carrier of 33 280 gross tons, built in 2009. The double bottom tanks include HFO
and MDO storage tanks.
She is powered by one main engine, running one fixed, four-bladed propeller.
The rudder is of semi-spade type, without sole piece.
7 BRIEF TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION

22. Survey Reports
Grounding with rudder damage:
7 BRIEF TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION

23. The first 7 sections - Summary

24. H&M Survey Reports – The Casualty

25. Survey Reports – The Casualty
8 BACKGROUND / NARRATIVE
Describe the background for the casualty event prior your attendance.
The extent of information in this section will wary from case to case, also depending on how much
information the surveyor manages to collect.
It is important to keep this section “short & sweet”, with necessary relevant information.
All information here has been provided / obtained from a third party, by reports and / or verbal
information. The presentation of the information should reflect that fact.
It is more important to issue a preliminary report as soon as possible rather than waiting for
substantial information. Such information can be included in the next preliminary report.
The surveyor may collect a huge amount of information / documentation related to this section,
which may be listed in section 6, but not necessarily enclosed to the report.

26. Survey Reports – The Casualty
8 BACKGROUND / NARRATIVE

27. Survey Reports – The Casualty
8 BACKGROUND / NARRATIVE – ANOTHER EXAMPLE
On December 18th, at approx. 06:45 hrs, whilst the vessel was approaching from
Prince Rupert Anchorage E in the inner harbour to the Prince Rupert Grain Dock –
assisted by two tugs – she grounded between Barrett Rock and Bishop Islet.
After approx. 2 hours, the vessel came loose by own power and was assisted by
three tugs until she had arrived and was safely berthed at the destination quay,
whereupon investigation to determine the damage extent by use of divers
commenced immediately.
The investigation revealed damages to the double bottom structure and to the
propeller blades and following agreement that the vessel could not take load and
trade before repairs had been carried out, the vessel was shifted to a lay-by berth in
the same port.

28. Survey Reports – The Casualty

29. Survey Reports
9 DAMAGE DESCRIPTION
This is the section where the surveyor presents what has been seen / observed /
measured etc.
Describe the nature and extent of damage. The use of relevant photos, drawings,
illustrations and/or sketches in the report is preferred, however to be limited in
order to give a reasonable understanding of the situation. Other supporting
pictures should be presented in a separate photo album, or just be available on
request.
It is of vital importance that this section only contents factual information and no
assumptions, considerations, speculations or drawing of conclusions.
Also note – if you mention any values – we need information about the relation of
the values - recommended limit(s) etc. For example; if crank pin hardness has
been measured to be 650 HB, then the maximum recommended (by maker or
class) hardness must be informed.
The purpose must be to give the reader a reasonable overview – without going
too much in technical details.
It can be used as guidance that the description must reflect the repairs, and thus –
the cost of the repair.

30. Survey Reports
DAMAGE DESCRIPTION – TRY TO AVOID LIKE THIS:

31. Survey Reports
9 DAMAGE DESCRIPTION
Upon survey at [Arrival Port] we noted damages as follows:
• The No. 1 main engine and the adjacent areas, including equipment in way, were
covered with a layer of fuel oil.
• The ceiling and bulkhead structures adjacent to No. 1 main engine, including pipes,
cables, the engine room crane above No. 1 main engine, lighting armatures, fire
detectors, video surveillance cameras, electric equipment, etc. were covered with soot
and variously burnt, melted and discoloured.
• Water leaks were noted from cooling water piping on the engine.
• The instrumentation on the No. 1 main engine was variously burnt, melted and
discoloured, involving sensors, wiring, and control/monitoring system.
• Electric cables in the area around No. 1 main engine were burnt, partly melted and dis-
coloured.
• From the specialist company, Messrs. Cleaning Company it was reported that except
for the areas close to the fire, the chloride measurements in the engine room revealed
relative low concentrations.

32. Use relevant photos!

33. H&M Survey Reports – The Casualty
9 DAMAGE DESCRIPTION – TYPICAL BOTTOM DAMAGE DESCRIPTION
From frame No. 60 (approximately midship) to the stern, most of the flat bottom
is variously indented, buckled, set-up, holed, punctured, cracked and otherwise
deformed over the entire flat bottom area from port to starboard.
Several of the areas were set-up between 500 to 1000 mm.

34. Survey Reports

35. Survey Reports
10 REPAIRS
The listed repairs must be in accordance with findings listed in section 9, preferably presented as a
logic consequence of the listed damages.
The purpose is to give the reader a reasonable overview of the necessary damage repairs, without
going too much in technical details.
The presentation in this section shall form the basis of the surveyor’s acceptance of the repair cost
in section 13.
Preliminary reports written during repairs may very well be more comprehensive than the formal /
final survey report. However, the formal / final report must be a summary of the preliminary
reports to an extent that prepares the reader for the surveyors evaluation of the cost.

36. H&M Survey Reports
REPAIR DESCRIPTION – TRY TO AVOID LIKE THIS:

37. H&M Survey Reports
10 REPAIRS

38. Survey Reports – The Casualty

39. Survey Reports
11 OTHER MATTERS OF RELEVANCE
This is a section where the surveyor may elaborate on relevant matters that do not fit naturally
into the damage and repair sections above, however, which the surveyor considers important.
Same example in a final report.:
The Owners used the opportunity to commence the 5 year Class’ special survey
during the repairs. Both Owner’s work and average related work required dry
docking.
The average related work was opening and check of some bottom valves and control
of the antifouling system’s anodes.
Typical example in a preliminary report.:
The Owners informed that they will use the opportunity to commence the 5 year
Class’ special survey during the repairs. Both Owner’s work and average related work
will require dry docking. We estimate 8 days in dry dock for Class related work and 3
days for average related work.
The average related work will be opening and check of some bottom valves and
control of the antifouling system’s anodes.

40. Survey Reports
11 OTHER MATTERS OF RELEVANCE
In order to be able to carry out the temporary repairs the vessel’s crew were
involved with tank cleaning and gas-freeing, which involved overtime.
The permanent repairs were postponed by the Class till next scheduled dry
docking in November 2012.
The Class issued an interim certificate with recommendation of the permanent
repair and recommendation of annual follow-up inspections by the Class. These
inspections shall involve diving surveys and internal tank inspections.
Another typical example:
For LOH, relatively more focus should be put on matters affecting repair time

41. H&M Survey Reports

42. Survey Reports
12 CAUSE CONSIDERATION
The cause consideration is one of the most important issues in a survey report, as it
will form the basis for the adjuster’s considerations in relation to the policy
conditions.
It is of outmost importance that the surveyor states his opinion regarding the cause –
based on all his/her observations, considerations and collected documentation.
Sometimes it is easy to conclude the cause – for instance, if the vessel has been
involved in a grounding incident, the cause of the bottom damages and/or
rudder/propeller damages is – the grounding incident.
In other cases were for instance if corrosion / wear and tear / lack of maintenance
may have been relevant to the cause of damage this must be carefully evaluated and
specifically commented. But be careful here…………
For damages “discovered” or “ascertained” without knowledge when damage
occurred – the surveyor is required to evaluate, and present a timeline of the event.

43. H&M Survey Reports
12 CAUSE CONSIDERATION – PRELIMINARY REPORT
Normally it is not possible, or at least very difficult, to conclude the cause of damage
in the initial phase of the case– typical for fire and engine damages.
Sometimes specialists are involved and their investigation may take some time.
Here is an example of a suitable text in the preliminary report for the case in this
example report:
At this early stage in the process, it is difficult to draw unambiguous
conclusions about the cause of damage. However, preliminary investigation
indicates that the fire may be related to a sudden oil leak from the top of
the No. 4 cylinder fuel pump of No. 1 main engine. We will revert as soon
as further investigation has been carried out.

44. H&M Survey Reports – The Casualty
12 CAUSE CONSIDERATION – FINAL REPORT
Below is the cause consideration for the same occurrence, but as presented in the final report, after various
considerations and investigation, including metallurgic investigation:
In our opinion the cause of the fire is related to a sudden oil leak from the top of the No. 4 cylinder fuel pump
of No. 1 main engine.
The leakage was caused by a stud bolt that fractured in the pump top cover, causing the corresponding nut on
the top to disappear. The nut was plugging a hole that leads into the high pressure part of the pump.
When the bolt fractured and the nut disappeared the oil squirt splashed upwards and over the engine and the
adjacent areas.
The fire started when the oil squirt reached hot surfaces of the engine.
It was reported that last time when work was performed, which involved that particular fuel pump, was during
a yard stay at Messrs. Machinery Shipyard in the period from xx to yy January 20xx.
The contractor states that the relevant nut was not touched at that occasion.
The stud bolt was sent to Det Norske Veritas AS, Section for Materials Technology for investigation of the cause
of breakage.
The conclusion of the investigation is that the bolt had fractured as a result of fatigue, with the initiation area
in the second thread root from the top, which is indicating that the bolt and nut may have been subject to an
assembly irregularity.
As the investigation report does not state anything about the time frame of the fatigue, it is not possible to
conclude about when a potential assembly irregularity may have taken place.

45. H&M Survey Reports – The Casualty
12 CAUSE CONSIDERATION – GROUNDING / COLLISION CASE
In our opinion the described damages are consequences of the
grounding / collision as described in the heading.

46. H&M Survey Reports – Repair Cost and Time
Preliminary Reports: Survey Reports: Final Survey Reports:

47. Preliminary Report
It is of outmost importance that the surveyor, from day one, has focus on both cost
and duration of repairs.
Even though we know how difficult it may be to come up with early estimates, we
will emphasise that the information in this section is the core information for our
business.
A good surveyor will always give some information about repair cost and time.
Preferably, and if possible, such estimates should be made in close cooperation with
the superintendent in order to avoid different amounts in circulation.
For example (next slide):
13 REPAIR COST AND TIME

48. Preliminary Report
13 REPAIR COST AND TIME
The permanent repair will be carried out whilst berthed/dry docked at
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx.
The main contractors are as follows:
Cleaning – Messrs. Cleaning Company.
Electric repair / Cable renewal – Messrs Cable Renewal Company.
Engine repair - Engine maker, MAN B&W.
Turbo chargers - Messrs ABB AS.
Engine control and monitoring system - Kongsberg Maritime AS.
A rough and very preliminary estimate of the repair cost is between
NOK 4 mill and NOK 6 mill.
The repair is scheduled to be completed at the end of February 20xx.

49. Final Reports – Repair Cost and Time

50. Final Reports – Repair Cost and Time
For smaller cases with relative few invoices the repair cost may be presented in full under
section 13 in the final report,
However, we encourage you to always present the repair cost in a separate excel sheet. Only
the end figures (total sums) are then presented in section 13.
The excel sheet will (as an enclosure) form an integrated part of the final survey report and
therefore also the final adjustment.
The surveyor shall present the approved cost in the currencies as invoiced.
Regardless of how the repair costs are presented, it is of outmost importance that the
surveyor presents the cost / invoices in such a way that it is clear which work, service or
supply they represent and whether they are related to the damage repair or not.
The surveyor must state whether cost concerns Repairs, General Expenses or Owners’ Work.
Extract of the instructions:

51. Standard text for repair cost

53. Alternative if claim costs have not been established

56. Also included under Temporary Repairs

59. Typical General Expenses
Dry docking, in/out and 1st day in dry dock
Diver during dry docking manoeuvre
xx days in dry dock
Mooring
Shifting
Boat / boatsmen for assistance
Gangway
Electric power connection
Electric power supply, xxxx kwh @ USD 0,xx
Electric power supply to the vessel's AC system
Cooling water connection
Cooling water supply, xx days @ USD xx
Fire line connection
Fire line pressure, xx days @ USD xx
Gas free certificate
Fire watchman
Mandatory safety inspector
Freshwater connection and supply
Air connection / supply

62. Loss of Hire:

63. Loss of Hire:

64. NB - for Loss of Hire the following estimation should be considered/added:

67. Takeaways from above:
• Insurers’ reporting templates and requirements should always be kept in mind
• Reporting should be «short and sweet» – but relevant
• …and give sufficient confidence for the reader to accept the «short and sweet»
wording
• Remember - most readers are non-technicians
• Do not hesitate to call the claims handler

68. Surveyors’ Role:
• Be technically competent
• Master the “art of survey reporting”
• Show social intelligence and good communication skills
• Be proactive