Conclusion

One thing is certain: each and every newbuilding, conversion, or repair on vessels in service requires exact planning and extensive loss prevention measures. Therefore, before any of the contracted work starts, all activities should be set out in a schedule – specifying times and deadlines, as far as possible – agreed upon by the shipyard, the owner/manager of the vessel, the insurer, and the classification society. As the casualties of past years have clearly shown, large losses are often caused by hot work in the course of ship conversions or repairs, or on almost finished and fully fitted-out newbuildings, making these kinds of operations a substantial risk factor.

Risk inspections by insurers or their contracted surveyors are becoming an increasingly important means of identifying potential risks and improving risk management at shipyards. The results of these inspections must be taken into account in critical risk evaluations.

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