International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) facilitates Remote Ship Surveys

Generally, remote surveys will be carried out with an internet connection allowing live streaming of a visual examination, although, at the discretion of the surveyor, a combination of remote survey methods (recorded videos, photos, other data and/or supporting documents etc.) may be used.

Continuous improvement

In pursuit of continuous improvement, IACS recently carried out an internal investigation among Members to understand the lessons learned from undertaking remote surveys under UR Z29. Taken from the findings, Table 1 on the next page lists a breakdown of reasons for classification surveys conducted remotely by IACS Members, as listed in UR Z29.

The investigation found that while owners and ship managers generally have a positive impression of the use of remote surveys, the following issues with industry stakeholders were noted:

• Difficulty of some clients/crew to consistently provide livestreaming, supported by other means of ICT (photos, video clips, etc.).
• Reservations of some flag State Administrations towards remote surveys and their acceptance only on case-by-case basis.
• Reservations of some PSC authorities.
• Difficulty of demonstrating an equal level of transparency as physical surveys.
• Some crew’s lack of training and proper understanding of remote surveys.

Skilled personnel are required to undertake a remote survey as it is reliant on a range of tools and systems (e.g. photography, video and scanning equipment, internet connection for live streaming, etc). A lack of these tools and systems combined with unskilled personnel using them can have a negative impact on the quality of survey.

Effective communication between the crew and the surveyor is a key requirement for a successful remote survey and therefore training and education for surveyors as well as crew is a key issue which must be addressed for the improvement of the remote survey regime.

According to the experience gained so far, a remote survey, when carried out in full compliance with the provisions of UR Z29, is considered an effective survey. Nevertheless, regular annual, periodical, intermediate and renewal complete surveys require a physical surveyor presence onboard. This hybrid approach leverages the efficiency of remote tools while maintaining thorough oversight for complex inspections.

Uniform implementation

IACS is closely monitoring the progress of discussions at the IMO on the development of remote surveys. Having engaged with the IMO for the Guidance on remote statutory surveys, adopted at the 33^rd Session of the IMO Assembly, IACS has been supporting the IMO initiative to develop IMO Guidance on the implementation of remote surveys, audit for the ISM Code, and verification for the ISPS Code. Throughout, a balance between remote surveys and surveys with a physical attendance is being maintained to ensure the sustainability and robustness of the classification and statutory systems.

Based on the feedback received from IACS Members and mindful that the IMO is developing guidance on assessments and applications of remote surveys, IACS considers that any improvement of UR Z29 would be best timed to happen after the expected adoption of the IMO Guidance on remote surveys and audits at the 34^th Session of the IMO Assembly.

Meanwhile, IACS, in co-operation with industry, remains committed to continuing its leadership on remote survey processes and will push for uniform implementation of remote surveys under the provisions of IMO Guidance and IACS UR Z29.