American Bureau of Shipping

Last updated
American Bureau of Shipping
Company typeNot for profit
IndustryMarine Classification
Genre Classification Society
Founded1862
Headquarters
Houston, Texas
,
U.S.
Number of locations
200 offices
Key people
 Christopher J. Wiernicki, Chairman, President & CEO
ServicesClassification
Number of employees
5,500
Website www.eagle.org

The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) is an American maritime classification society established in 1862. [1] Its stated mission to promote the security of life, property, and the natural environment, primarily through the development and verification of standards for the design, construction and operational maintenance of marine and offshore assets. [2]

Contents

ABS's core business is providing global classification services to the marine, offshore, and gas industries. [1] As of 2020, ABS was the second largest class society with a classed fleet of over 12,000 commercial vessels and offshore facilities. [3] ABS develops its standards and technical specifications, known collectively as the ABS Rules & Guides. These Rules form the basis for assessing the design and construction of new vessels and the integrity of existing vessels and marine structures. [4]

History

ABS was first chartered in the state of New York in 1862 as the American Shipmasters’ Association (ASA) to certify qualified ship captains, or shipmasters, for safe ship operations during the Civil War. [5] While ASA's certificates were not an official requirement for shipmasters, the certificate served as a recommendation for shipowners. [6] Vessels that sailed with a certified ASA shipmaster were more likely to find favorable insurance coverage. [6]

The ASA published its first technical standards, Rules for Survey and Classing Wooden Vessels, in 1870. [7] In the late 19th century, wooden ships became obsolete and gave way to iron as a shipbuilding material. [8] In response, ASA published its first Rules for Survey and Classing of Iron Vessels in 1877. [9] Similarly, when iron gave way to steel, ABS Rules for Building and Classing Steel Vessels were established and published in 1890. [7] These Steel Vessel Rules continue to be revised and published annually. [10]

The ASA continued its program of certifying shipmasters until May 1900. [11] By this time, federal law required that the United States government license most sea officers. [6] As its business shifted from the certification of shipmasters to the classification of ships, the American Shipmasters’ Association renamed itself the American Bureau of Shipping in 1898. [12] ABS would achieve modest growth over the next few years, classing 21% of all US-flag fleet by 1916. [13] During World War I, the US-flag fleet swelled with newly acquired ships as well as newly constructed or refurbished vessels. [14] ABS received a large amount of this class work, and the total tonnage classed by ABS increased from approximately 230,000 tons in 1916 to 3,301,000 tons in 1919. [15] A similar effect occurred during the Second World War as ABS tonnage in the class jumped from 1.53 million gross tons in 1940 to 5.49 million gross tons in 1941. [16]

As postwar recovery led to industrialization around the world, ABS entered a period of global expansion and soon opened offices in Western Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America. [12] By 1962, ABS class tonnage has increased to 46,533,852 tons worldwide. [17] ABS’ aggregate tonnage hit a record of 193.5 million gross tons in 2012. [18] ABS also strengthened its ties with the U.S. government by providing services to numerous government organizations such as the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, the U.S. Maritime Administration, the Army Corps of Engineers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. [19]

World Trade Center

ABS operated a New York office at the 91st floor of the World Trade Center North Tower until September 11, 2001. While all employees of the company escaped the building collapse, none of the employees present at 92nd floor or higher survived. [20]

Organization and management

ABS has been organized as a not-for-profit since its founding in 1862. ABS has been commissioned by the U.S. government and the US Coast Guard to act in many maritime matters and has hired several former officers from the Coast Guard. [21] ABS is required under US law to maintain its status as a not-for-profit organization to maintain its role as the agent of the US government on matters of government vessel classification.

Since 2011, Christopher J. Wiernicki has served as ABS's president and Chief Executive Officer. Wiernicki became the Chairman of ABS in 2012. [22] The ABS world headquarters is located in Spring, Texas, USA. [23] ABS is currently organized by market sector: Global Marine, Global Offshore and Government Services. There are over 5,500 employees worldwide, with offices in Spring, London, Singapore, and Shanghai. [23] ABS surveyors and engineers work at major ports worldwide including Houston, Piraeus, Hong Kong, Singapore, London, Shanghai, Busan, Yokohama, Genoa, Gdańsk, Hamburg and other cities. [24] Surveyors are employed in ports and shipyards worldwide to verify that marine asset are in suitable condition, meet class requirements and built according to drawings. [25]

Services

Classification

The primary responsibility of ABS as a classification society is to verify that ABS-classed ships and marine structures comply with the established ABS Rules for design, construction, and periodic survey. [26] If a vessel is found not to comply with the Rules, and the recommendations of ABS are not followed, then the society will suspend or cancel classification. ABS Rules are derived from principles of naval architecture, marine engineering, and associated disciplines.

For vessels built to ABS class, ABS engineers must approve the vessel design during engineering review. After design approval, ABS field surveyors attend to the vessel from keel laying to delivery at the shipyard. During the construction of a vessel built to ABS class, surveyors witness the tests of materials for the hull and specific machinery items as required by the Rules. They also survey the building, installation, and testing of the structural and principal mechanical and electrical systems.

Plimsoll line of ABS Plimsoll line of American Bureau of Shipping.jpg
Plimsoll line of ABS

Rules & Guides

ABS provides a database of its rules and guides to the public. [4]

Offshore & Energy Services

ABS also develops standards for the design, construction, and operational maintenance of offshore drilling and production units and gas carriers of all types. [27] These standards cover mobile offshore drilling units (such as jackup rigs, semisubmersible rigs, and drill ships), floating offshore production installations (spars, tension leg platforms, semisubmersibles, and FPSOs/FSOs), fixed offshore installations, pipelines, risers, and single point moorings. [28] ABS was responsible for classing the first mobile offshore drilling unit, the first production spar, the first semisubmersible offshore wind turbine and the first offshore support vessel in the Gulf of Mexico to use hybrid power. [27]

Statutory Services

ABS also acts as a Recognized Organization on behalf of more than 100 governments. A Recognized Organization is authorized by a flag State to conduct plan review and statutory surveys on ships registered under that flag on behalf of the nation's maritime administration. Typical regulations include the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), SOLAS, MARPOL regulations, and the Load Line Convention. In addition to the national or international tonnage certificates, Panama and Suez Canal tonnage certificates can be issued by ABS on behalf of those authorities.

Prestige Oil Spill

The Prestige was an oil tanker whose sinking in 2002 off the Galician coast caused the Prestige oil spill. The large oil spill was described as, “one of the worst environmental disasters in Europe” and caused great damage to the local wildlife and fishing industry. [29]

In May 2003, the Kingdom of Spain brought a civil suit in the Southern District of New York against the American Bureau of Shipping, asserting that ABS was “reckless” in certifying the ship seaworthy and capable of carrying fuel cargo and sought over $1 billion in compensatory damages. [30]

The Reino de Espana v. American Bureau of Shipping, Inc. court case was dismissed after the presiding judge ruled that ABS is a "person" as defined by the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage (CLC) and, as such, is exempt from direct liability for pollution damage. Furthermore, the judge ruled that, since the United States is not a signatory to the International CLC, the U.S. Courts lacked the necessary jurisdiction to adjudicate the case. [31]

Spain appealed the ruling, and in 2012, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of ABS again. [30] In its opinion, the Court of Appeals determined there was a lack of proof that ABS and its subsidiaries, “recklessly breached any duty of care that may have been owed to Spain through any inaction or action taken in the U.S." [30]

ABS Academy

ABS Academy, a specialized division of ABS, provides courses and seminars on marine and offshore operations, management systems, risk assessment, and management, qualification and certification, and environmental awareness to shipowners and shipbuilders. [32] The academy conducts web-based training in addition to having academy locations in Greece, Singapore, the United States, China, and South Korea. [33]

ABS Group

Established in 1971, ABS Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of the ABS. [34] ABS Group provides technical advisory services and risk management solutions to a broad range of industries including industrial manufacturing, oil and gas, chemical, alternative energy, offshore and the public sector. [35]

ABS WAVESIGHT

ABS Wavesight™ is an ABS - affiliated software service company. It is used by multiple shipowner. United States Coast Guard (USCG)approved their eLogs™ software for use by U.S.-flagged ships. [36]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merchant ship</span> Civilian boat or ship that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire

A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are used for military purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lloyd's Register</span> Technical and business services organisation

Lloyd's Register Group Limited, trading as Lloyd's Register (LR), is a technical and professional services organisation and a maritime classification society, wholly owned by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, a UK charity dedicated to research and education in science and engineering. The organisation dates to 1760. Its stated aims are to enhance the safety of life, property, and the environment, by helping its clients to improve the safety and performance of complex projects, supply chains and critical infrastructure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port of Hong Kong</span> Port in Hong Kong

The Port of Hong Kong located by the South China Sea, is a deepwater seaport dominated by trade in containerised manufactured products, and to a lesser extent raw materials and passengers. A key factor in the economic development of Hong Kong, the natural shelter and deep waters of Victoria Harbour provide ideal conditions for berthing and the handling of all types of vessels. It is one of the busiest ports in the world, in the three categories of shipping movements, cargo handled and passengers carried. This makes Hong Kong a Large-Port Metropolis.

Australian Maritime Safety Authority

Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is an Australian statutory authority responsible for the regulation and safety oversight of Australia's shipping fleet and management of Australia's international maritime obligations. The authority has jurisdiction over Australia's exclusive economic zone which covers an area of 11,000,000 square kilometres (4,200,000 sq mi). AMSA maintains Australia's shipping registries: the general and the international shipping registers.

A marine surveyor is a person who inspects, surveys, or examines marine vessels in order to assess damage, inspect aberrations, or monitor their condition and that of any cargo on board. Marine surveyors also inspect equipment intended for new or existing vessels to ensure compliance with various standards or specifications. Marine surveys typically include the structure, machinery, and equipment in addition to the general condition of a vessel and/or cargo. They also involve judging materials on board and their condition. Though a largely unregulated profession, marine surveyors are generally trained specifically for the role and usually selected after thorough evaluation procedures. Their duties apply to a wide range of seafaring vessels.

A ship classification society or ship classification organisation is a non-governmental organization that establishes and maintains technical standards for the construction and operation of ships and offshore structures. Classification societies certify that the construction of a vessel comply with relevant standards and carry out regular surveys in service to ensure continuing compliance with the standards. Currently, more than 50 organizations describe their activities as including marine classification, twelve of which are members of the International Association of Classification Societies.

The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) is a technically based non-governmental organization that currently consists of twelve member marine classification societies. More than 90% of the world's cargo-carrying ships’ tonnage is covered by the classification standards set by member societies of IACS.

Nippon Kaiji Kyokai is a ship classification society.

MV <i>Erika</i>

The MV Erika was a tanker built in 1975 and last chartered by Total-Fina-Elf. She sank off the coast of France in 1999, causing a major environmental disaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Germanischer Lloyd</span>

The Germanischer Lloyd SE was a classification society based in the city of Hamburg, Germany. It ceased to exist as an independent entity in September 2013 as a result of its merger with Norway's DNV to become DNV GL.

<i>Prestige</i> oil spill 2002 environmental disaster off the coast of Galicia, Spain

The Prestige oil spill occurred off the coast of Galicia, Spain in November 2002, caused by the sinking of the 26-year-old, structurally deficient oil tanker MV Prestige, carrying 77,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil. During a storm, it burst a tank on 13 November, and French, Spanish, and Portuguese governments refused to allow the ship to dock. The vessel subsequently sank on 19 November, about 210 kilometres (130 mi) from the coast of Galicia. It is estimated that it spilled 60,000 tonnes or a volume of 67,000 m3 (17.8 million US gal) of heavy fuel oil.

Oil tanker Ship that carries petroleum

An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a ship designed for the bulk transport of oil or its products. There are two basic types of oil tankers: crude tankers and product tankers. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries. Product tankers, generally much smaller, are designed to move refined products from refineries to points near consuming markets.

Indian Register of Shipping (IRClass) is an internationally recognised, independent ship classification society, founded in India in 1975. It is a public limited company incorporated under Section 25 of the Indian Companies Act 1956 (Section 8 of Indian Companies Act 2013). It is a Non-Profit organisation, Public undertaking and a member of the 12 member International Association of Classification Societies (IACS). It was inducted into IACS along with Croatian Register of Shipping (CRS) and Polish Register of Shipping (PRS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the oil tanker</span>

The history of the oil tanker is part of the evolution of the technology of oil transportation alongside the oil industry.

The Erika legislative packages of the European Union are maritime laws intended to improve safety in the shipping industry and thereby reduce environmental damage to the oceans.

The Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS) maintains a ship register of the Russian Federation, based in Saint Petersburg, and is a marine classification society. Its activities aim to enhance safety of navigation, safety of life at sea, security of ships, safe carriage of cargo, environmental safety of ships, prevention of pollution from ships, and performance of authorisations issued by maritime administrations and customers.

A master mariner is a licensed mariner who holds the highest grade of seafarer qualification; namely, an unlimited master's license. Such a license is labelled unlimited because it has no limits on the tonnage, power, or geographic location of the vessel that the holder of the license is allowed to serve upon. A master mariner would therefore be allowed to serve as the master of a merchant ship of any size, of any type, operating anywhere in the world, and it reflects the highest level of professional qualification amongst mariners and deck officers.

Vessel safety surveys are inspections of the structure and equipment of a vessel to assess the condition of the surveyed items and check that they comply with legal or classification society requirements for insurance and registration. They may occur at any time when there is reason to suspect that the condition has changed significantly since the previous survey, and the first survey is generally during construction or before first registration. The criteria for acceptance are defined by the licensing or registration authority for a variety of equipment vital to the safe operation of the vessel, such as safety equipment, lifting equipment, hull structure, static stability, ground tackle, propulsion machinery, auxiliary machinery, etc. The SOLAS Convention, specifies safety equipment for commercial vessels operating internationally.

<i>Rio de Janeiro</i> (2008 ship) South Korean container ship

Rio de Janeiro is a container ship owned by A.P. Moller Singapore Pte. Ltd. and operated by Maersk Line AS. The 286.45-metre (939.8 ft) long ship was built at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in Okpo, South Korea in 2008. Originally owned by Rio de Janeiro GmbH & Co KG, a subsidiary of Hamburg Süd, she has had two owners and been registered under two flags.

<i>Monte Tamaro</i> (ship) South Korean container ship

Monte Tamaro is a container ship owned by A.P. Moller Singapore Pte. Ltd. and operated by Maersk Line AS. The 272-metre (892 ft) long ship was built at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in Okpo, South Korea in 2007. Originally owned by Monte Tamaro GmbH & Co KG, a subsidiary of Hamburg Süd, she has had two owners and been registered under three flags.

References

  1. 1 2 "Stocks - Bloomberg". Bloomberg News .
  2. ↑ "Safety". ww2.eagle.org. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  3. ↑ Lloyd List Top 10 icsclass.org December 2015
  4. 1 2 "Rules and Guides". ww2.eagle.org. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  5. ↑ "The American Shipmasters' Association". The New York Times. 9 October 1861.
  6. 1 2 3 "Antique Iron Bound Trunk Wilson & Sharp Edinburgh". 17 August 2013.
  7. 1 2 "ABS Rules Law and Legal Definition | USLegal, Inc".
  8. ↑ ABS History issuu.com p. 11
  9. ↑ "American Bureau of Shipping— A 'Class Act' for over 125 Years".
  10. ↑ "Rules and Guides". ww2.eagle.org. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  11. ↑ "Master's Certificate (1861)". 7 January 2017.
  12. 1 2 "ABS: The Future of Class".
  13. ↑ ABS History issuu.com p. 19
  14. ↑ "The Great War Society: Relevance Archive". www.worldwar1.com. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  15. ↑ ABS History issuu.com p. 22
  16. ↑ ABS History issuu.com p. 40
  17. ↑ ABS History issuu.com p. 65
  18. ↑ ABS History issuu.com p. 119
  19. ↑ "46 U.S. Code § 3316 - Classification societies".
  20. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/10/us/two-years-later-the-91st-floor-the-line-between-life-and-death-still-indelible.html
  21. ↑ "Tax-Exempt Firm Gets $600 Million Profit Flying First Class". Bloomberg. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  22. ↑ "Wiernicki Named ABS Chairman". 24 April 2013.
  23. 1 2 "Contact Us".
  24. ↑ 2019 ABS Directory eagle.org
  25. ↑ "What does a Marine Surveyor do? (Quick Guide) | IIMS". The International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS). Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  26. ↑ "Rules & Resources".
  27. 1 2 "Q&A: After 30 years, OTC still place to be". May 2018.
  28. ↑ "Global Offshore".
  29. ↑ "Spain to Receive USD 1.8 Bn in Damages for Prestige Oil Spill". 16 November 2017.
  30. 1 2 3 "The PRESTIGE - Spain v. ABS, final round - GARD".
  31. ↑ "Spain Precluded from Bringing Oil Spill Case in U.S. Court". nsglc.olemiss.edu. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  32. ↑ "IAchieve".
  33. ↑ "ABS Academy Locations".
  34. ↑ "Company Overview". ABS Group. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  35. ↑ "Markets We Serve".
  36. ↑ Sharma, Yukta (2024-04-19). "US Coast Guard Formally Approves ABS Wavesight™ eLogs for US-Flagged Ships". Nautical Voice. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.