Class approvals and new training centres strengthen WSS safety service offering.
Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) has received vital approvals for its safety service from two of the world’s Classification Societies: Germanischer Lloyd (GL) and RINA (Royal Institute of Naval Architects).
Mats Hestman, WSS International Service Manager Safety said: “WSS is the first maritime safety service provider to receive global GL approval, and we are extremely proud to have been approved by both GL and RINA. Stricter requirements from Class Societies have lead to the need for more audits, so this is a major achievement for us. This also means that we can continue to explore new and exciting possibilities within safety services. “
The GL and RINA approvals cover all in-house service stations and contractors. It allows WSS technicians to inspect and repair fire fighting equipment and systems, self contained breathing air sets and EEBDs, life saving appliances and gas distribution systems.
The company has also expanded its’ safety offer with several new Regional Safety Training Centres. Hestman said: “The shipping industry is going through some tough times and it is important that technicians are well trained to carry out specific tasks in a correct and efficient manner, enabling our customers to save time and money. Enrolling about 300 employees at the new specialist training centres marks the beginning of an expansion programme of our total safety offer. Our main objective remains; ensuring that both our technicians and ultimately our customers can meet ever-growing regulatory demands and work on increasingly complex systems.”
Located in Houston, Antwerp, and Shanghai/Singapore, the training centres will be modelled on the company’s already-existing centre in Fujairah, UAE. Focus will be on training WSS technicians and apprentices in marine safety systems, as well as product and service management to a professional technical level.
The centres will be equipped with state of the art firefighting systems and safety equipment from several manufacturers in order to conduct real-time, practical training. Training instructors will include specialists from Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions (WTS) and other manufacturers.
In addition to the approvals from GL and RINA, WSS’s Safety service now holds global service certificates from Det Norske Veritas, Lloyds Register, Korean Register and the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping. WSS’s Safety Service is certified to ISO 9001:2008 from both Det Norske Veritas and the Russian Register.