Certification Audit News

Pat Folan, a partner at Tug & Barge Solutions, weighs in on all things tugboat – with a focus on Subchapter M. Pat Folan is a partner in Daphne, Ala.-based Tug & Barge Solutions, a company that focuses on Subchapter M compliance for towing companies. The company also performs surveys of towing vessels and barges, manages safety management systems for towing companies and trains people on towing vessels and in offices. A professional mariner, he has operated towing vessels from Maine to Corpus Christi, Texas, including the Alabama Rivers, Lower Mississippi, Great Lakes and Erie Canal.

Bureau Veritas has completed the first certification audit of any shipping company in the world  to the new standard ISO 50001- 2011 - Energy Management Systems. Stena’s ship management division,  Northern Marine Management Ltd including  Northern Marine Management (USA) LLC,  has achieved certification to BS ISO 50001, which ensures systematic monitoring and control of energy usage, helping to optimise efficiency, reduce fuel consumption, reduce the company’s environmental footprint and provide a cost saving for the vessels owners.

VSTEP has announced that its NAUTIS Full Mission Bridge Simulator has received the Class A certification from Det Norske Veritas AS (DNV). The NAUTIS simulators are now qualified to operate as fully-certified maritime training simulators with any maritime training school worldwide. With the certification, VSTEP joins a handful of simulator manufactures worldwide that hold the highest level of DNV certification. After a thorough certification process and last week’s onsite audit by DNV’s Head of Simulator Certification Capt.

ABS has secured a contract with Bahamas-based Dockendale Shipping Company Limited to certify 33 of its vessels to the requirements of the International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPS). Dockendale has also requested that it be audited to the additional ABS security criteria for the award of the relevant class notation (SEC). The class notation is particularly advantageous for those vessels trading regularly to the US and for owners wanting to demonstrate the highest levels of security compliance. ABS Manager of Safety, Environment & Security Certification Capt. Patrick Falwell, praised Dockendale’s proactive approach towards meeting the new international security standard. “The deadline is 1 July of next year,” Fallwell pointed out.

Bureau Veritas launched a quality assurance initiative to provide a set of standards for maritime Web sites. The internet certifications program, WebValue, is designed to improve e-business services by identifying web-sites that meet the Bureau Veritas quality, confidentiality and security standards. Stefan Recher, e-business manager of Bureau Veritas' marine division, said, "With the proliferation of e-business in the maritime industry it is hard for Internet users to judge the quality of a Web site. How does a user tell if an auction site is really neutral or if a trading site is really secure? At the moment there is a lack of confidence in using the Internet as the element of trust is missing.

Celebrity Cruises has recently been presented with ISO 9002 certification from Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance, becoming the first cruise line to attain this prestigious quality management standard for all aspects of the cruise line's operations. This certification comes shortly after Celebrity attained ISO 14001 certification, covering environmental management, and the Lloyd's Register Environmental Protection class notation (EP), for vessel equipment and systems, which were both achieved during 2000. In a ceremony, attended by Celebrity staff involved with implementation of the quality system, Carlo Pacquee, Lloyd's Register North America, Inc. vice president - passenger ships, presented the certificate to Richard Sasso, president of Celebrity Cruises.