A new way for marine operators to secure emergency survey support

Mark Haskell, LR’s Area Service Delivery Manager for Marine & Offshore in the Americas, discusses the launch of the Urgent Survey Request service, a dedicated support line that allows ships operators, managers and masters to gain survey support.

With almost 3,000 maritime incidents recorded in the European Union alone last year, the need for ship operators to secure rapid survey support during an urgent situation remains strong. It’s an unfortunate reality that even the most well-maintained of maritime vessels can face interrupted operations resulting from unforeseen incidents. From structural issues, such as equipment breakdowns and collisions, through to unexpected decisions by port state control authorities, emergency occurrences can cause significant disruption to an otherwise uneventful voyage.

Naturally, the speed at which an operator is able to respond to an emergency can be a major factor in determining the ultimate severity of that event. The faster the reaction, the more likely it is that long-term damage or danger to crew can be limited. From a commercial standpoint, the ability to bring a vessel back to operational readiness as quickly as possible is a critical factor in mitigating financial risk.

In the event of an emergency, one of the main priorities for any operator will be to secure the services of a surveyor to conduct an urgent assessment of the vessel. While this might be a relatively simple task during “normal business hours”, not that such things apply to maritime fleets, raising an incident out of hours can be more difficult – leading to crucial time wasted as operators and masters search for an appropriate point of contact.

With this in mind, and as part of an ongoing commitment to the continual improvement of our services, LR has launched a dedicated Urgent Survey Request line. Offering 365-day a year support for urgent survey requests, the service allows LR clients anywhere in the world to schedule surveyor assistance via a single contact number that runs 24 hours a day. The first contact is used to establish the vessel’s location and the category of the incident, with a technical expert providing a call back within 30 minutes of LR receiving the initial request.

While incidents occurring within a territory’s normal business hours can continue to be addressed using LR Class Direct or by contacting the appropriate local office, the Urgent Survey Request service provides a fast and convenient way for operators to request out-of-hours assistance across three scenarios:

• Time-dependent surveys, such as those required to secure charter requirements, or port entry requirements that have been imposed upon arrival at a destination.

• Safety-related surveys that cover damage or statutory issues that require immediate assistance before the vessel can continue to operate.

• Port State Control (PSC) requirements that need to be met before a ship can be cleared for continued service.

From speaking to many of our marine clients, we understand just how important it is for them to be able to request surveyor assistance as swiftly and effortlessly as possible during an emergency or other urgent event. The Urgent Survey Request service has been created to provide the reassurance needed that LR’s surveyors are reachable day and night across the globe, giving operators the agility and efficiency required in order to bring a vessel back to full operational status as soon as possible.

The Urgent Survey Request line is already live, and we would like to encourage any LR clients with a future out-of-hours survey need to reach us via +44 208 052 1111.