Survey & Certification: Procedures
A ship to be registered in the Isle of Man must be satisfactorily inspected/surveyed by a surveyor from the Ship Registry prior to acceptance for registration and the Administration will then issue relevant international convention certificates.
New Building Ships
Most of the work of survey and certification will be undertaken by the Classification Society appointed for the project. One Isle of Man surveyor will be nominated as the lead surveyor for the project and he will undertake approval of plans for crew accommodation and safety equipment. Other plans may be approved by the Classification Society.
An Isle of Man surveyor will attend at the yard in the final stages of construction. He will make a thorough inspection and, depending on circumstances, may undertake some operational checks of shipboard safety equipment. When the crew join he will review the ship's Safety Management system and, once satisfied, he will issue an Interim Safety Management Certificate. The Classification Society will issue interim safety certificates and the Isle of Man surveyor, once satisfied, will replace these with Isle of Man certificates ready for the vessel to start trading.
Existing Ships
In the case of existing ships the attending Isle of Man surveyor will make a thorough inspection and review the ship's existing certification. He will complete any surveys that are due and, in the case of other surveys, having reviewed the certificates and inspected the ship, will issue Isle of Man certificates to replace the existing certificates to the same dates.
The Ship Registry undertakes all audits for ISM and only in exceptional circumstances, will ISM audits be delegated to a Classification Society.
Certification
The following International Certificates are issued as appropriate by the Ship Registry following the satisfactory completion of surveys:
- Passenger Ship Safety Certificate
- Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate
- Safe Manning Certificate
- Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate
- Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage
Documents of Compliance and Safety Management Certificates in accordance with the requirements of the International Safety Management Code are issued by the Ship Registry or one of its recognised organisations.
The following International Certificates are issued by approved classification societies on behalf of the Isle of Man Government, following the satisfactory completion of surveys:
- Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate
- International Load Line Certificate (1966)
- International Tonnage Certificate (1969)
- International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate
- Certificate of Fitness for Carriage of Dangerous Chemical in Bulk (BCH + IBC)
- Certificate of Fitness for Carriage of Liquefied Gases in Bulk (Existing and IGC)
- International Pollution Prevention Certificate for the Carriage of Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk
The Safety Radio Certificate can be issued by the Ship Registry or, on a case-by-case basis, by an approved classification society or another Administration on behalf of the Isle of Man Government, following the satisfactory completion of a survey in each case.
