BV: Approval and certification of service suppliers

Classification Society Bureau Veritas, on April 1st, 2023, published the rule note regarding the Approval of Service Suppliers.

To approve companies providing services such as measurements, tests or maintenance of safety systems and equipment, the Society is to apply the procedure described in this document.

The objective of this Rule Note is to set requirements for approval and certification of service suppliers and is applicable to both initial and renewal audits.

Application

1.1 Class and statutory services

1.1.1 Service suppliers involved in class and/or statutory services:

service suppliers engaged in thickness measurements on ships or mobile offshore units, except non-ESP ships of less than 500 gross tonnage and all fishing vessels
service suppliers carrying out an in-water survey on ships and mobile offshore units by diver or remotely operated vehicle (ROV)
service suppliers engaged in inspections and maintenance of fire-extinguishing equipment and systems
service suppliers engaged in measurements of noise level on board ships
service suppliers engaged in the examination of bow, stern, side and inner doors of Ro-Ro ships
service suppliers engaged in tightness testing of primary and secondary barriers of gas carriers with membrane cargo containment systems for ships in service
service suppliers engaged in survey using remote inspection techniques (RIT) as an alternative means for close-up survey of the structure of ships and mobile offshore units
service suppliers engaged in visual and/or sampling checks and preparation of Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM)
service suppliers engaged in noise and vibrations measurements within the scope of COMF class notation
service suppliers engaged in underwater radiated noise measurements related to URN class notation
service supplier engaged in watertight Cable Transit Seal Systems inspection on ships and Mobile Offshore Units
service supplier engaged in condition monitoring and condition based maintenance.

1.1.2 Service suppliers involved in statutory services:

service suppliers engaged in servicing on inflatable life-rafts, inflatable lifejackets, hydrostatic release units, marine evacuation systems
service suppliers engaged in the inspections and testing of radio communication equipment
service suppliers engaged in inspections and maintenance of self-contained breathing apparatus
service suppliers engaged in annual performance testing of Voyage Data Recorders (VDR) and simplified Voyage Data Recorders (S-VDR)
service suppliers engaged in sound pressure level measurements of public address and general alarm systems
service suppliers engaged in inspections of low-location lighting systems using photo luminescent materials and evacuation guidance systems used as an alternative to low-location lighting systems
service suppliers engaged in maintenance, thorough examination, operational testing, overhaul and repair of lifeboats and rescue boats, launching appliances and release gear
service suppliers engaged in inspection, performance testing and maintenance of Automatic Identification Systems (AIS).
service suppliers engaged in commissioning testing of Ballast Water Management System (BWMS).

Note 1: National and/or international requirements may give requirements supplementing the procedure given in Article [2].

1.1.3 Where the Society accepts work of a third party (e.g. a service supplier) approved by itself, the Society is to verify the performance of such services.

For statutory service, the flag State may increase the scope of verification to be applied to these services. The process is to be defined within the Society’s quality management system.

For the purpose of accountability to the flag State, the work performed by the third party (e.g. service supplier) constitutes the work of the Society and is to be subject to the requirements incumbent upon the Society under the RO Code IMO MSC.349 (92) and MEPC.237(65).

1.1.4 Where the results of the following service suppliers are used by a Surveyor in making decisions affecting classification services, then these service suppliers are to be approved and verified by the Society:

service suppliers engaged in thickness measurements on ships or mobile offshore units (except: non-ESP ships of less than 500 gross tonnage, and-all fishing vessels)
service suppliers carrying out an in-water survey on ships and mobile offshore units by diver or remotely operated vehicle (ROV)
service suppliers engaged in survey using remote inspection techniques (RIT) as an alternative means for close-up survey of the structure of ships and mobile offshore units
service suppliers engaged in noise and vibrations measurements within the scope of COMF class notation
service suppliers engaged in underwater radiated noise measurements related to URN class notation
service suppliers engaged in condition monitoring and condition based maintenance.

1.1.5 Where such services are used by Surveyors in making decisions affecting statutory certification and service, the service suppliers are subject to approval and verification by the Society, where the Society is so authorized by the relevant flag Administration (i.e. the flag of the ship on which the servicing is to be done or the service equipment is to be used).

For such services, the Society may accept approvals done by:

the flag Administration itself
duly authorized organizations acting on behalf of the flag Administration, or
other organizations recognized by the flag Administration (e.g. other governments, etc.).

1.1.6 Use of approved service suppliers is not mandatory for the following services, unless otherwise instructed by the flag Administration with respect to the statutory certification:

service suppliers engaged in inspections of low-location lighting systems using photo luminescent materials and evacuation guidance systems used as an alternative to low-location lighting systems
service suppliers engaged in sound pressure level measurements of public address and general alarm systems on board ships
service suppliers engaged in measurements of noise level on board ships
service suppliers engaged in the examination of bow, stern, side and inner doors of Ro-Ro ships.