RS updates requirements for ship technical documentation
Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) announced updating of the requirements regarding technical documentation for a ship from 1 August 2020 on.
Part I General Regulations for Technical Supervision and Part II Technical Documentation of the Rules for Technical Supervision during Construction of Ships and Manufacture of Materials and Products for Ships (RS Rules/TS) have been amended.
One of the key amendments is the introduction of the ship’s minimum mandatory operational documentation list (Appendix 1, Part II of RS Rules/TS). The operational documentation shall be submitted for RS review after the completion of construction. During the initial survey, the set of applicable to ship and approved technical documentation shall be submitted to the RS surveyor on board. The set shall be on board throughout the ship’s lifecycle.
The operational documentation defines main particulars and technical features of a ship, its equipment and systems, terms and conditions of safe operation within the specified service life. It also comprises stability booklets, software user manuals, test programs, lists of materials, etc. that are to be available on board in compliance with the RS Rules as well as with the applicable requirements of the international codes and conventions.
According to Elena Baskakova, Deputy Head of Design Technical Appraisal Department, earlier the requirements to operational documentation on various aspects were specified in a range of RS documents. Nowadays, for the convenience of customers and RS surveyors, information on the entire set of operational documentation is summarized in a single table, structured into sections and as per applicability depending on the ship type and class notation. The table contains references per item to specific paragraphs of RS Rules or applicable international conventions. Information is also given whether the approval of documentation by RS or the flag state Maritime Administration is necessary along with the relevant stamping. Systematization of the requirements in the consolidated list will reduce time and labour input during preparation and performance of the ship survey and it will contribute to greater process transparency as well.
In addition, the new circular specifies requirements to the plan approval documentation of a ship under construction, scope of technical documentation during the ship conversion, repair or restoration, assignment, reassignment or transfer of the ship class, the requirements to technical documentation on materials, final documentation on ship as well as issuing results on technical documentation review.
