RECOGNISED ORGANISATION

Classification societies are organisations that establish and apply technical standards in relation to the design, construction, and survey of marine related facilities including ships and off shore structures. The vast majority of ships are built and surveyed as per standards laid down by classification societies. These standards are issued by classification societies as a published rules A vessel that has been designed and built to the appropriate rules of a society may apply for a certificate of classification from that society may apply for a certificate of classification from that society such certificate is an attestation that a vessel is in compliance with the standards that have been developed and published by the society issuing the classification certificate.

In UNCLOS convention of IMO responsibilities of flag state granting the registration of a ship are outlined. Under article 94, the flag state must “effectively exercise it’s jurisdiction and control in administrative technical and social matters over ships flying it’s flag........” many flag state countries in the world don’t have sufficient expertise, experience and technical manpower to carry out the responsibilities of flag state nation regarding maintaining the standards of ships flying their flag so SOLAS and other international conventions permit the flat Administration to delegate the inspection and survey of ships to “Recognised Organisation”.

Requirements for Recognised organisation are as follows :

1)   R. O. must have established rules for design, construction and maintenance of a ship.

2)   Government representation is necessary

Classification society organisation structure must include a representative from flag state nation placed at higher level in organisational hierarchy.

3)   R. O. should have adequate resources financial / personal.

4)   Society must have internal audit equivalent to ISO 9001-2000

5)   Society must present itself to external audits by auditing body approved by flag state govt.

So classification societies fulfilling above criteria’s will be given status of recognised organisation by flag state to do duties on their behalf.

Limitations to the role of classification societies as R. O.:

1)   Though  many flag status delegate their authority of surveys and certification to classification societies, flag state may not delegate all it’s authority to class what all authorities are to be given to class will be clearly mentioned in the agreement between flag state and class.

In some cases for e.g. class may undertake the survey of vessels under certain convention i.e. SOLAS (surveys for safety construction, safety radio and safety equipment) but class is not authorised to give certificates to vessels under that convention. But under other conventions like MAROL, L.L. , or Tonnage class can give certificate as well as carry out surveys also.

This will be mentioned in the agreement between flag state and class.

2)   Certain flag states e.g. India require that any statutory deficiency observed by class surveyor during the survey of a vessel must be reported o flag state and it’s permission taken for issuing ‘outstanding recommendation’ to the vessel for allowing the vessel to sail. Vessel will be given certain period of time within that she has to fix that problem.

3)   Many flag states don’t allow class to carryout ISPS survey. As these are country specific (port facilities are also involved in ISPS survey) And due to security reasons flag state prefer to carry out ISPS survey reasons lag state prefer to carry out ISPS survey themselves instead o delegating it to class.