Ships classed with DNV have the lowest detention rate, according to a study of official worldwide Port State Control (PSC) statistics published on the Internet

During the three-year rolling period 2001- 2003, an estimated 90 percent of world ship detentions were carried out under the four leading PSC regimes (namely, the Paris Memorandum of Understanding, Tokyo Memorandum of Understanding, Indian Ocean Memorandum of Understanding, and United States Coast Guard). Of these, DNV was found to have the lowest detention ratio at just 2.8 percent of inspections.

The mean of International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) members is 4.5 percent while the corresponding non-IACS detention ratio is 22 percent.

Detention causes
The most frequent deficiency that resulted in ship detentions in 2003 was inefficient, deteriorating or inoperable ventilation and fire dampers. Next on the list were faulty fire pumps closely followed by inoperable and damaged lifeboats. The ten most frequent deficiencies are highlighted below.

"A more focused maintenance programme focusing more on these items will definitely reduce the detention probability and possible off-hire time," says Magdy Shehata, principal engineer, monitoring PSC statistics.

Preventive maintenance
"A handy Master's Checklist for Preventive Maintenance is available from DNV Exchange, which also includes the DNV Guide to Preventive Maintenance & PSC. Both the checklist and the guide must be regarded as a supplement to enhance maintenance onboard and avoid Port State Control detentions," adds Shehata.

However, despite exemplary PSC detention results, DNV aims to continue in its drive to improve the quality of ships in operation. With this in mind, DNV launched a quality initiative last year dedicated to improving performance. This initiative covers a wide range of aspects, including DNV management, surveyor training as well as the approval and monitoring of Ultra Thickness Measurement (UTM) companies.

The initiative also includes additional survey verification, special surveillance and a 'flying squad' for ships to which special attention must be paid.