With so many surveys, inspections and audits, it’s a wonder ships ever manage to put to sea. In order to reduce the burden (financial and logistical) on both ships and those tasked with surveying them the HSSC standardises the period of validity and the intervals between surveys for the nine main convention certificates.
Relevant M-notices: MSN 1751
First off, what kinds of surveys are there?
Under the HSSC there are seven types of survey.
Initial Survey
Renewal Survey
Periodical Survey
Intermediate Survey
Annual Survey
Inspection of the Outside of the Ships Bottom
Additional Survey
I’m going to describe, briefly, the scope of these different surveys. It’s easy to get them mixed up, until you understand exactly what each one entails, then it’s almost impossible.
An Initial survey is an inspection of everything that is mentioned on a certificate’s accompanying form (again, we will get to these later).
A Renewal survey has almost the same scope as an Initial survey, but happens when that survey is due to be renewed (usually 5 years, except for Passenger Ship Safety Certificates which are renewed every year).
A Periodical survey has similar scope to a renewal survey and includes operational testing of equipment (think about operating radio equipment, safety equipment and hatches/deadlights; that’s how I remember this).
An Intermediate survey is an inspection of specified items from the list.
An Annual survey is a general inspection of the equipment, to ensure that it has been maintained and is still fit for purpose.
Inspection of the outside of the ships bottom is a different sort of survey. It can be carried out in-water or in a dry dock. For passenger ships, this happen every year, and two of the surveys in a five-year period must be dry docks, at intervals not exceeding 36 months. For cargo ships there should be two inspections in a five year period, normally in dry dock, but sometimes it is permitted that these can be in-water inspections. A related subject to this one and worth reading about is Extended Dry-Docking, but leave that for later.
Additional Surveys are carried out following the repair or renewal of a system, to ensure that it still complies and the workmanship is up to standard.
So, what are these nine main convention certificates? I like to divide them into groups. These are:
The SOLAS Certificates
Passenger Ship Safety Certificate
Cargo Ship Safety Certificate (the following three certificates can be combined into this one certificate)
Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate
Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate
Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate