Classification societies define technical and safety standards for ships and assign class notations to indicate a ship's risk for insurers. Classing a ship ensures it meets requirements, may lower insurance costs, shows due diligence in maintenance, and protects investments. Major classification societies include Lloyd's Register, American Bureau of Shipping, Bureau Veritas, Det Norske Veritas, and others. They survey ships for compliance with design, construction, and maintenance rules and certify that vessels are in class and meet standards.

1. What is CLASS ?
 It defines technical and safety
standards of a ship, which reflects
the risk of insuring a ship

2. Reason to CLASS a ship
 Determination of Fitness
 Meet Requirement of jurisdictions
 Possible lower insurance premiums
 Indicates due negligence
 Indicates proper maintenance in
performed
 Assures that capital investment is
protected
 Owner satisfaction

3. Classification of the ship
enables :-
 The insurers to assess the premium relative
to the ship (hull insurance) and that relative
to the cargo (cargo insurance)
 Hence, the owner to find an insurer who
accepts to cover the risk incurred by the ship
 Then, the owner to charter his ship
 The charterer to select advisedly the ship
whom he will entrust with his cargo
 A future owner to assess the quality of the
ship prior to the purchase
 The flag authorities to trust the ship and,
therefore, to register her into their fleet

4. What is CLASSIFICATION
SOCIETY
 A body that ensures that class of a ship,
however, with increasing demands from
all quarters of the industry and the
continuous development of ship
technology, the societies have changed
in form as a consequences of accepting
the additional responsibilities

5. Present Role of
Classification Societies
 To assign a Class
notation
 Maintenance of class
 Relevant research
work
 Statutory surveys
(marine
administration)
 Charter surveys
 Profitability advice
(to owner)
 Development of
computer software
 Set up worldwide
networks
 Carry out surveys
 Certification
 Emergency technical
services

6. Classification Responsibilities
 To ensure that merchant ships and marine
structure presented to it comply with rules
that the society had established for
design, construction and periodic survey
 Trough it classification survey procedure it
is the intent of the society to prevent
vessel from falling into a substandard
condition.

7. Major Classification
Societies in the world
 Lloyd's Register (LR)
 American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)
 Bureau Veritas (BV)
 Det Norske Veritas (DNV)
 Registro Italiano Navale (RINA)
 Class NK Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NK)
 Germanischer Lloyd (GL)
 Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS)
 China Classification Society (CCS)
 Türk Loydu Turkish Register of Shipping (TL)
 Indian Register of Shipping (IRS)
 Polski Rejestr Statków (PRS)
 Korean Register of Shipping (KR)
 Hellenic Register of Shipping (HRS)

8. Surveys Areas for Container
Ships
LWL
Bow flare impact
pressure
High stress at
hatch corners in
forward hold
Watertight
bulkheads
Large distortion of
hatch opening for
hatch cover design
High stress at hatch
corners forward of
machinery room
Cross deck structure Hatch brackets
Connection of cross
deck beam to
longitudinal girder
Connection of cross
deck beam to upper
deck
Pillar
bulkhead
Bottom slamming
impact pressure
Transverse strength & fatigue
of longitudinal frame

9. One year survey after
construction
 Deck features and
integrity
 Overboard discharge
arrangement
 Vent piping
 Bilge level detection
(UMS)
 Anchoring / mooring
equipment
 Water-tight doors and
bulkhead penetrations
 Steering test
 Emergency escape
routes
 Bilge pumping system
 General conditions –
hull and machinery
 Satutory surveys
 Surveys of continuous
survey items

10.  Testing of tanks (FO,
LO, FW & DB tank)
- Pressure test
- Internal condition
- Stagger (tankers)
- Transverse webs
(cargo tank)
* Can be done in a float
condition
 Annual surveys
 Statutory surveys
 Continuous surveys
 Hull gauging –
where necessary
Ten years survey after
construction