RINA has amended its Rules for the Certification of Service Suppliers

Classification Society RINA has amended its Rules for the Certification of Service Suppliers.

General

These Rules set the minimum requirements for approval and certification of firms providing services such as measurements, tests, or maintenance of safety systems and equipment.

The rules are applicable to both initial and renewal audits.

Application

The Rules apply to the approval of the following categories of service suppliers:

a) Statutory services:

1. Firms engaged in servicing inflatable liferafts, inflatable lifejackets, hydrostatic release units, marine evacuation systems.
2. Firms engaged in inspections and testing of radio communication equipment.
3. Firms engaged in inspections and maintenance of self-contained breathing apparatus.
4. Firms engaged in annual performance testing of Voyage Data Recorders (VDR) and simplified Voyage Data Recorders (S-VDR).
5. Firms engaged in sound pressure level measurements of public address and general alarm systems on board ships.
6. Firms engaged in inspections of low-location lighting systems using photo luminescent materials and evacuation guidance systems used as an alternative to low-location lighting systems.
7. Firms engaged in maintenance, thorough examination, operational testing, overhaul, and repair of lifeboats and rescue boats, launching appliances, and release gear.
8. Firms engaged in inspection, performance testing, and maintenance of Automatic Identification Systems (AIS).
9. Firms engaged in Commissioning Testing of Ballast Water Management System (BWMS).

b) Classification and/or Statutory services:

1. Firms engaged in thickness measurements on ships or mobile offshore units, excluding non-ESP ships less than 500 gross tonnage and all fishing vessels.
2. Firms carrying out an in-water survey on ships and mobile offshore units by diver or Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV).
3. Firms engaged in inspections and maintenance of fire extinguishing equipment and systems.
4. Firms engaged in tightness testing of closing appliances such as hatches, doors, etc., with ultrasonic equipment.
5. Firms engaged in measurements of noise level on board ships.
6. Firms engaged in the examination of Ro-Ro ship's bow, stern, side, and inner doors.
7. Firms engaged in testing of coating systems in accordance with IMO Resolution MSC.215(82), as amended, and IACS UI SC223 and/or MSC.288(87), as amended.
8. Firms engaged in tightness testing of primary and secondary barriers of gas carriers with membrane cargo containment systems for vessels in service.
9. Firms engaged in survey using Remote Inspection Techniques (RIT) as an alternative means for Close-up Survey of the structure of ships and mobile offshore units.
10. Firms engaged in Cable Transit Seal Systems inspection on ships and Mobile Offshore Units.

Where RINA accepts work of a third party (e.g., service supplier) approved by itself, RINA is to verify the performance of such services.

For statutory service, the flag State may increase the scope of verification to be applied to these services.

Where the results of the following service providers are used by Surveyor in making decisions affecting classification services, then that service provider is to be approved and verified by RINA:

• a) Firms engaged in thickness measurements on ships or mobile offshore units, except non-ESP ships less than 500 gross tonnage and all fishing vessels.
• b) Firms carrying out an in-water survey on ships and mobile offshore units by diver or Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV).
• c) Firms engaged in tightness testing of closing appliances such as hatches, doors, etc., with ultrasonic equipment.
• d) Firms engaged in survey using Remote Inspection Techniques (RIT) as an alternative means for Close-up Survey of the structure of ships and mobile offshore units.

Where such services are used by RINA Surveyors in making decisions affecting statutory certification and service, the firms are subject to approval and verification by RINA where RINA is so authorised by the relevant flag Administration (i.e. the flag of the ship on which the servicing is to be done or the service equipment is to be used).

For such services, RINA may accept approvals done by:

• a) the flag Administration itself,
• b) duly authorized organizations acting on behalf of the flag Administration, or
• c) other organizations acceptable to the flag Administration (e.g. other governments, etc.).

Use of the approved service suppliers is not mandatory for the following services, unless instructed otherwise by the flag Administration with respect to statutory certification:

• a) Firms engaged in inspections of low location lighting systems using photo luminescent materials and evacuation guidance systems used as an alternative to low-location lighting systems.
• b) Firms engaged in sound pressure level measurements of public address and general alarm systems on board ships.
• c) Firms engaged in measurements of noise level onboard ships.
• d) Firms engaged in testing of coating systems in accordance with IMO Resolution MSC.215(82) as amended and IACS UI SC223 and/or MSC.288(87) as amended.
• e) Firms engaged in examination of Ro-Ro ships bow, stern, side, and inner doors.

Equivalence with other standards

In general, the application of these Rules is in compliance with the requirements of IACS Unified Requirement Z17 "Procedural requirements for service suppliers" and of IACS Procedural Requirements No. 23 "Procedures for reporting information on the approval of thickness measurements firms."

Voluntary certification

Suppliers of services other than those listed in [1.2] need not be certified by RINA or by the ship's flag Administration.

However, such firms may request RINA to certify them as Service Suppliers on a voluntary basis.

Specific requirements for particular services

These Rules include general requirements applicable to all categories of service suppliers: firms for which the certification is mandatory, and firms that request the certification on a voluntary basis.

Additional specific requirements for the firms listed in [1.2], including national and/or international requirements, may be found from Appendix A to Appendix Q.

Additional requirements for certification on a voluntary basis of firms engaged in testing cyber resilience of ships may be found in Annex 1.

Additional requirements for certification on a voluntary basis of firms engaged in surveys of masts and rigging of sailing ships (Riggers) may be found in Annex 2.

Amendments to the Rules for the Certification of Service Suppliers

These amendments were published on 3 July 2023 and are in force from 1 July 2023.

For more information, please see the documents below (available only to subscribers):

Rules for the Certification of Service Suppliers

Amendments to the “Rules for the Certification of Service Suppliers”