SAFETY AT SEA
Germanischer Lloyd:
R&D Helps Pave The Way For Safety
by Stephen Gumpel, principal surveyor,
Nortti America, Germanischer Lloyd
Since its foundation in March
1867, the prime purpose of
Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has been
a professional dedication to the high-
est standards of safety at sea. In the
early 1970s that aim was enhanced
by GL's working arrangement with
the German ministry for research
and technology. This relationship
has provided us with a research and
scientific base in ship technology
which we have been able to use to
enhance safety at sea in many ways.
The arrangement began as a joint
venture between the shipbuilders,
shipowners, suppliers, universities
and Germanischer Lloyd. In 1976
we were appointed by the ministry
to participate in all research and
development (R&D) in ship and
maritime technology supported by
it. In 1991, our role was signifi-
cantly enhanced to that of project
manager for ship technology, which
includes the administration of re-
search funds. In this role, to the end
of 1992, we have been involved in
134 projects concerned with ship
technology, many of these being di-
rectly connected with ship safety.
It has been a fruitful arrange-
ment for those involved, one result
being the large scale Ship-of-the-
Future project which gained distinc-
tion worldwide and advanced ship
safety in a number of aspects.
GL is also much involved in the
follow-up R&D program dubbed
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International SOS® Assistance
P.O. Box 11568
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Phone 215.244.1500
Fax 215.244.2227
Telex 271349
"Ship Operation System"
(SHOPSY), which is due for comple-
tion in July 1994. This is also being
sponsored by the ministry for re-
search and technology, and its re-
sults are intended to further en-
hance the safety and reliability of
seagoing vessels. It is intended to
set the fundamentals of ship opera-
tion for the future, including ad-
vances in automatic collision avoid-
ance.
• Safety Through Quality
We recently launched an inde-
pendent, specialist subsidiary com-
pany to meet the growing demand
for the certification of quality as-
surance systems for sea transport,
as well as for ship components and
design. The new company, GLQZ,
has a staff of 63 auditors and ex-
perts with special training and ex-
perience, based in different coun-
tries throughout the world. Audits
will be carried out in the local lan-
guage of each country.
The demand for accreditation by
an impartial body has been growing
rapidly as quality assurance sys-
tems are an emerging factor in the
competitiveness of companies and
in ensuring maximum safety at sea.
The Single European Market has
heightened the importance of qual-
ity assurance systems as an ele-
ment in safety and competition, and
GLQZ is certifying systems in ac-
cordance with ISO 9000.
In 1991, GL became the first Ger-
man body authorized to certify qual-
ity assurance systems by both the
Dutch and German government
agencies, recognizing GL as an in-
dependent body for certifyingin com-
pliance with Euronorm 45012. GL
first began to assess quality assur-
ance systems when certifying prod-
ucts in the 1960s, and set up its own
office for this purpose in 1988.
• Targeted Safety Campaigns
Show Promise
To achieve maximum safety at
sea, our campaign to raise safety
standards in bulk carriers is show-
ing some very positive results. Our
special task force of surveyors deal-
ing with the safety problems of older
bulk carriers has been hard at work
since its formation in 1991. Up to
January 1,1993, and with the agree-
ment of owners, 60 bulk carriers of
more than 10,000-gt each and over
Figure 1
/
LNC -ta iker. /
V
container
- ship /
15 years of age have been subjectec
to an extraordinary survey. Eleven
have left the GL register since the
new surveys were instituted. The
specially qualified surveyors are lo-
cated in many parts of the world,
including the U.S.
The survey results are analyzed
at our headquarters in Hamburg.
The results, supported by investiga-
tions by other organizations on an
international basis, have made a
substantial contribution to pinpoint-
ing the main causes of ship loss and
damage. Ultimately, the findings
will result in new rules and instruc-
tions for periodical surveys for bulk
carriers and elderly vessels of other
types.
It is interesting to note that to
maintain the highest standards of
ship safety under our class, GL
turned down applications for 267
ships of nearly 600,000-gt in 1992.
Similarly, due to our high standards,
319 ships of some 1.3 million gt left
our register during that year.
• Tanker Safety: Determining
Collision Resistance
Since 1983, GL has been involved
in determining the collision resis-
tance of ships in a research program
on tanker safety sponsored by the
German ministry for research and
technology. GL was the first classi-
fication society to develop an index
number to express the collision re-
sistance of a ship. The require-
ments for the issuing of this index
number have been included in GL
Figure 2
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