Why Enhanced Survey Programme?

The Enhanced survey programme is applicable for bulk

carriers and oil tankers.

Definitely, IMO found something grossly wrong with these

ships. Something so wrong that they had to bring more
stringent regulation for these type of ships.

Here is what was wrong.

So many ships and lives lost !!! All because something was
wrong with either the design of the ship or with the
maintenance of the ship.

During this period, the number of oil tankers lost may not
be as many as bulk carriers but oil tankers were included
for the requirements of ESP because of cargo these carry.

Following these incidents, more and more P&I clubs

started to question the quality of surveys done by the
classification societies.

In 1993, IACS introduced Enhanced survey program for

more close up inspections of these ships.

But then again In 1994 alone, 12 bulk carriers were lost in

the sea.

This made the IMO to take special measures and to adopt

a new SOLAS chapter (Chapter XI-1) to enhance maritime
safety.

Among other requirements, this new chapter required

bulk carriers and oil tankers to go through enhanced
survey program.
 What is Enhanced survey programme

A ship undergoes four type of surveys during its 5 yearly

cycle of statutory surveys.

 Annual Survey

 Intermediate survey

 Renewal Survey

 Dry dock survey

So where does Enhanced survey programme fit in these?

Enhanced survey programme is not a separate survey.

ESP just gives the specific guidelines about what to inspect
during these surveys with respect to hull and structure of
bulk carriers and oil tankers.
These detailed guidelines are given in the ESP code.

Let me give you a brief about these guidelines.

Who to inspect
 For bulk carriers of 20,000 tons deadweight and above,
two surveyors should jointly carry out the first scheduled
renewal survey after the bulk carrier passes 10 years of age
(i.e. third renewal survey), and all subsequent renewal
surveys and intermediate surveys.

 On bulk carriers of 100,000 tons deadweight and above,

the intermediate survey between 10 and 15 years of age
should be performed by two surveyors.

When to inspect
 The renewal survey may be commenced at the fourth
annual survey and be progressed during the succeeding
year with a view to completion by the fifth-anniversary
date.

 A survey in dry-dock should be a part of the renewal

survey. There should be a minimum of two inspections of
the outside of the ship’s bottom during the five-year period
of the certificate. In all cases, the maximum interval
between bottom inspections should not exceed 36 months

 How to inspect
 For ships of 15 years of age and over, inspection of the
outside of the ship’s bottom should be carried out with the
ship in dry-dock. For ships of less than 15 years of age,
alternate inspections of the ship’s bottom not conducted in
 conjunction with the renewal survey may be carried out
with the ship afloat.

 In any kind of survey, i.e. renewal, intermediate, annual or

other surveys having the scope of the foregoing ones,
thickness measurements of structures in areas where
close-up surveys are required should be carried out
simultaneously with close-up surveys

I have just given a couple of bullet points about what these

guidelines are.

If you get your hands on ESP code, you will see that these
guidelines provide much more details than this.

It covers the minimum requirements for the inspection of

ship’s hull and structure during each type of survey. The
structures like

 Cargo holds and hatch covers

 All pipings

 Ballast tanks

 All Hull plating

 Watertight bulkheads

It also guides about the extent the inspection (overall

survey or close up survey) for each of these elements
during these surveys.

The overall survey is intended to report the overall

condition of the hull structure. For example, as per ESP
code during the annual surveys, the overall survey of the
cargo tanks need to be carried out.

This would mean that surveyor needs to do the good visual

inspection of the cargo hold.

Close up survey is a survey where the details of structural

components are within the close visual inspection range of
the surveyor, i.e. normally within reach of hand.

Again as per ESP code, a Close-up survey of cargo holds is

required during renewal survey. So during renewal survey,
each part of cargo hold need to be in hand reach range of
the surveyor.

So shipowner may need to arrange for scaffolding in the

cargo holds.
Now that we know few things about ESP, let us understand
the process involved in the ESP.

1. Survey Programme

ESP code requires that a survey programme is developed

before the renewal survey.

The survey programme document gives the complete

detail of what needs to be inspected and what resources
are required to conduct the survey.

Survey programme gives the inspecting surveyor a written

plan to follow.

Survey programme is sometimes also called “Survey

planning document”.

The purpose of this planning document is to identify the

hull related critical areas that must be inspected during
the renewal survey of the ship.
i) ESP Code
ESP code has detailed instruction on the minimum criteria
for inspection during each of the statutory survey.

For example, Annex 1 of the ESP code defines the

requirements for the close-up survey during renewal
survey of the ship.
 ii) Survey planning Questionnaire
Before survey programme is developed, the ship owner is
required to complete a survey planning questionnaire.
Ship owner is supposed to provide information on

 Any hull related deficiencies identified during PSC

inspections of the ship

 Any hull related non-conformities issued during SMS

audits
 Cargo carried history of the ship to get the information on
how frequently corrosive cargoes are carried that has the
potential to damage the coating.

 The condition of the coating as per the ship owners

inspection of the ship spaces.

The ship owner’s response on this questionnaire is

considered while developing the survey programme for the
ship.

For example, if in the survey planning questionnaire it is

noted that cargo hold #1 has carried high sulphur coal very
frequently, this hold may be subjected to more strict
inspection.

In this case, survey programme would include more areas

for a close-up inspection and thickness measurement of
cargo hold # 1, above the minimum requirements of ESP
code.

iii) Damage history

There is this one last information that is taken into
account while developing the survey programme for the
ship.

This is damage history.

Not only for the ship in question but also for the sister
ships.

If the ship or its sister ships have suffered frequent

damage of one particular area, that area is identified for
more close up inspection during the renewal survey.

iv) General damage trends in the industry

Survey programme also takes into account general ship
damage trends in the industry.

For example, let us say in short span of time a number of

bulk carriers have sunk because of cracks at the midship
area.

The more close up inspection and thickness measurement

(over and above the minimum requirements as per ESP
code) will be included in the survey programme.

v) Critical areas and suspect areas

Survey programme takes into account any critical areas
and suspect areas. These areas are identified from the
previous inspections or previous thickness measurement
reports.
For example during previous renewal survey, if certain
areas are identified as having substantial corrosion, these
areas will be considered as suspect areas.
2. Survey planning meeting
 Once survey programme is established, it is time for
executing the survey programme.

Survey planning meeting is the first step in executing the

survey programme.

Survey planning meeting is held before the renewal or

intermediate survey is commenced. As the renewal survey
is carried out during dry docking of the ship, this meeting
will be carried out just before the dry dock.

This meeting is between the attending class surveyors,

ship owners, and master/chief engineer of the ship and
thickness measurement company.

The main agenda of this meeting is to discuss the

 Schedule of the ship

 execution of thickness measurement, such as when the

holds/tanks will be ready for thickness measurement.

 the extent of close up survey

In short, the content of the survey programme becomes

the agenda for discussion in the survey planning meeting.
3. Conducting the survey

After the survey planning meeting, the survey is carried

out as agreed and as per survey programme and minutes
of survey planning meeting.
Thickness measurement company will carry out the
thickness measurement of the agreed areas.

The person carrying out the thickness measurement will

usually highlight any structure related concern he finds
while carrying the UT gauging to the class surveyor and
the ship owner’s representative (usually superintendent).

Based on this, the class surveyor may extend the scope of

thickness measurement.

4. Survey Reporting

Once the survey is complete, it is time for creating the

report for the survey that will show the summary of all the
surveys done and its outcome.

The reports that need to be generated are

Condition evaluation report

 As the name suggests, this report gives the complete report
of the renewal survey conducted for the ship.

For example, it would give the actual condition of the tank

coating.

As per the ESP code, the condition of the tank coating

need to be defined as any one of these

 Good

 Fair

 Poor
If a condition of class is issued to the ship as a result of
renewal survey, the details of the condition of class will
also be provided in the condition evaluation report.

Condition evaluation report would also have the details of

any memorandum of class issued to the ship.

Condition evaluation report also documents and highlights

any area that has been observed to have “substantial
corrosion”.
Thickness measurement report
Condition evaluation report will provide the summary of
thickness gauging report and any area of concerns
identified in thickness measurement.

But we also need to have the complete thickness

measurement report with all the measured readings of the
hull structure and tanks.
 This thickness report is required to be sent to the flag
state.

What ship staff need to know about ESP

And now the most important question. What exactly ship

staff need to know about ESP?

First, ship staff needs to know what all inspections and

surveys are required to be done as per ESP.

This we already discussed so far in this post.

But the most importantly, ships staff need to maintain an

ESP file on board.

This file will have

 Survey reports related to hull structures

 Condition evaluation report

 Thickness measurement report

Master has to make sure that these records are available in
the ESP file.

After the renewal survey, it takes some time for ship’s

classification society to prepare condition evaluation
report.

So condition evaluation report may arrive on board after

one month from the completion of renewal survey.
During any inspections, the master must be able to convey
this fact to the inspectors who may want to have a look at
the condition evaluation report.

Same may be the case with thickness measurement report.

Master and the chief officer must understand the content

of “condition evaluation report”.

They must know if any areas with “substantial corrosion”

are identified in the condition evaluation report.

Also, they must know if any tank coating has been graded
as “Fair” or “poor”.

Whenever ship staff is making the routine inspection of

these sections of hull structure, particular attention must
then be given to the areas identified to have substantial
corrosion or with tank coating as “Fair” and “poor”.

Conclusion

The voyage of a ship is called an adventure because it is a

risky environment.
These risks are found to be even higher for the Bulk
carriers and tankers.

These risks increase many fold if the hull and structures of

these ships are not maintained absolutely good condition.

Enhanced survey programme gives the specific guidelines

for the inspection of hull related items during statutory
surveys.

ESP has ensured these ships are maintained in a way that

ensures the safety of the bulk carriers and tankers.