THE EVOLUTION OF CLASSIt used to be said that LNG was a chicken or egg problem, but in the “US we not only have the egg, but the chicken and the henhouse too.”Head of the Americas Region Paal Johansenfor DNV GL – Maritimeprovide, the wider range of clients they provide services to, development for IACS was the adoption of the new harmonized and the speed and global outreach they have to provide them Common Structural Rules (CSR) in December 2013. The new with. We are delivering more services to more clients in more rules not only unify and harmonize the technical requirements places more quickly. The logic of this market change means of the existing Common Structural Rules (CSR) for tankers class has to invest more in powerful IT tools and systems and and bulk carriers, but also incorporate new requirements for in a global network if they want to stay relevant. more comprehensive structural analysis at the design stage, as well as new criteria to enhance safety and reliability that will Paal Johansen, DNV GL: Safety remains our priority. Fa- bring the rules in compliance with the IMO’s new Goal Based tality rates are ten times higher in the maritime industry than Standards. The new rules will be applied to all bulk carriers the norm the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-Opera- over 90m and all oil tankers over 150m contracted on and after tion and Development) applies to land-based industries. The 1 July 2015, and will enable ship designers to work to one industry has allocated more resources to mitigate individual common standard applicable to both ship types, resulting in the accident risk than major accident risk. It is time for a change further enhancement of safety and reliability of the structure. It here. We believe that too much con? dence on safety proce- represents a major step change in ship design that will ensure dures excludes more holistic safety methodologies. For in- that new ships are safer and more robust than ever before.stance, the bridge remains mostly an autocratic work environ-Technology on board vessels is catching up ment, one that hinders effective communication. If individuals with that ashore and the slowly declining price are blamed for causing accidents, while the underlying causes of bandwidth is making it more attractive and are more dif? cult to address, we get the wrong actions. The affordable for operators to use SATCOM to har-most important underlying cause, according to statistics, is the ness that technology. Where does class ? t into interface between systems and humans. all of that?Tim Protheroe, Lloyd’s Register North America: Class What is the biggest development for so-called has to make sure that it understands technology and its impli-IACS quality classi? cation societies in the past cations. The increasing connectivity is very likely to lead to year. Are there any game changers looking a wide range of implications for shipmanagement. Conversa-large in the center porthole?Donche-Gay, BV: For us the ongoing backwash from the tions about the potential for remotely controlled, unmanned Deepwater Horizon incident is driving more and more need ships are being held – is that really possible? Let’s ? nd out. for us to provide services in and grow our expertise in the We think class, as ever, has an important role in helping ensure offshore energy sector. that regulators, owners, designers and managers understand the risks involved with any innovation. Ueda, ClassNK: I think by far biggest and most important www.maritimeprofessional.com | Maritime Professional | 43MP Q1 2014 34-49.indd 43 MP Q1 2014 34-49.indd 43 2/26/2014 1:30:27 PM2/26/2014 1:30:27 PM