Procedural Requirements are adopted resolutions on matters of procedures to be followed by Members.
Procedural Requirements adopted shall be incorporated in the practices and procedures of the members within the periods agreed by the IACS General Policy Group.
The purpose of a Classification Society (“CS”) is to provide classification, statutory certification and services as a Recognised Organisation acting on behalf of a flag Administration, and assistance to the maritime industry and regulatory bodies as regards maritime safety and pollution prevention, based on the accumulation of maritime knowledge and technology.
To be a trusted partner of regulators with respect to the development of maritime regulations and to maintain classification as the primary mechanism for practical self-regulation of the maritime industry.
To establish, review, promote and develop minimum technical requirements in relation to the design, construction, maintenance and survey of ships and other marine related facilities, and,
To assist international regulatory bodies and standard organisations to develop, implement and interpret statutory regulations and industry standards in ship design, construction and maintenance with a view to improving safety at sea and marine environmental protection.
The Class Cycle
To provide an assurance of professional integrity and the maintenance of high professional standards, by means of:
IACS “Position Papers” are issued and reviewed regularly by IACS on key topics for the Industry. These position papers provide background to the subject matter, IACS position on the subject and summary of actions that IACS has taken.
Please click on the blue text (links) below to view/download the IACS “Position Papers”
IACS will, within the IMO framework, contribute to developing practical measures and seeking globally consistent implementation of the BWM Convention during the Experience Building Phase that was established to develop improvements to the Convention. IACS also consider that technical challenges with regard to retrofit, engineering, potential safety implications and efficient surveys on-board are to be identified and adequately addressed firstly in IMO instruments or otherwise in IACS resolutions.
IACS shares the concerns raised by marine insurers (IUMI) and the industry regarding the number of incidents/accidents on board container ships, such as cargo fires, fires in engine room, loss of containers at sea and the influence of whipping on structural design of the container ships. IACS has set Container Ship Safety as a new work area and will work with industry stakeholders to investigate the relevant cases for possible improvement of the regulatory framework to mitigate the risks of such incidents/accidents in the future.
Cyber incidents on vessels can have a direct and detrimental impact on life, property, and the environment. IACS has steadily increased its focus on the cyber resilience of ships and onboard systems & equipment.
The IMO goal-based regulations are the appropriate means to address GHG reduction measures globally, and IACS will both assist in developing practical detail requirements and implementation of proposed technical and operational measures.
IACS is prioritizing the human element in ship safety, security, and environmental protection, while addressing digitalisation and decarbonisation risks throughout a ship’s lifecycle. It aims to develop inherently safer, human-centred designs by incorporating human-focused considerations in the process of developing new IACS instruments.
The advancement of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) has reinforced future trends of autonomy and the need of improved technical requirements in shipping. IACS intends to contribute to MASS through its involvement in various fora, reinforced by its maritime technical expertise, and as a trusted partner to regulators and industry.
IACS is working towards identifying and developing new IACS instruments to address the safety aspects related to new technologies and fuels, while referring to available standards, guidelines and common practice in other industries.
IACS will strive to achieve technical solutions that aim to promote inherently safer designs and comply, as appropriate, with the Goals and Functional Requirements stated in the IGF Code.
IACS shares the concern about underwater noise from commercial shipping expressed in MEPC 75/14. IACS has the view that IMO is the appropriate and technically competent body to address the mitigation of underwater noise from commercial shipping globally but is working to harmonize measurement procedures.
The 2023 Annual Review features some of the significant advancements made by IACS with regards to alternative fuels. These include the development of a new Unified Requirement on the release of ammonia from ammonia fuelled vessels, and the newly established Safe Digital Transformation Panel that focuses on the safety implications of increasingly digitised ships, together with IACS’ engagement with the industry on existing and emerging technical challenges.
The Annual Review also includes details of all the new, updated, and deleted IACS Resolutions in 2023, as well as information on IACS’ numerous submissions to IMO and our ‘Class Report’, which contains data on the IACS fleet.
Quality is one of the 4 pillars of IACS and the IACS Quality System Certification Scheme (QSCS) is designed to achieve demonstrable, high quality performance of IACS Members.
IACS promotes continual improvement of its Members’ performance in the pursuit of high levels of safety of life, property and protection of the maritime environment.
IACS encourages and supports its Members to deliver:
In endeavouring to achieve the above objectives, IACS Members’ individual quality management systems, which inter alia are established in compliance with IACS QSCS, are independently audited by Accredited Certification Bodies (ACBs).
QSCS is continually reviewed and maintained by the Quality Committee with the advice of the Quality Advisory Committee, which is comprised of independent senior industry figures who provide advice and input from the perspective of parties external to IACS and its membership, interested in the quality management of classification and statutory services and the effectiveness of the QSCS.
To provide an assurance of professional integrity and the maintenance of high professional standards, by means of:
IACS Members shall select one of the ACBs that satisfies the requirements of the QSCS to conduct the audits and confirm compliance with the IACS Quality Management System Requirements (QMSR).
IACS Members shall ensure QSCS audits are conducted with full openness and cooperation with the ACB and the Quality Secretary shall ensure the continued robustness, consistency and integrity of the scheme.
IACS Members recognise that QSCS audits improve their individual quality management systems and processes and facilitate continuous improvement at all levels.
IACS Members are entitled to challenge and question the ACB, however they shall respect that the final authority to issue any independent finding rests with the ACB.
Quality is one of the pillars of IACS and IACS Council shall deliberate quality related matters in every Council meeting. Further, the Quality Committee Chairman and Quality Secretary shall have direct access to Council in matters related to quality.
IACS Quality System Certification Scheme (QSCS) is the management system IACS member classification societies developed and put in place during the early 90’s. Compliance with QSCS has since always been required for IACS members and that requirement continues to the present day.
The scheme itself has however continually evolved and developed, and the drive to make the scheme the best it can be continues unabated. Today, and after 25 years plus of evolution, QSCS is widely recognised as the ‘gold standard’ for classification societies.
The principle objective of QSCS, which contains the procedures, processes and practices of the scheme, is to verify that every classification society obliged to comply with QSCS has developed its own internal quality management system, satisfying the requirements set out in IACS Quality Management System Requirements (IQMSR) – now on its 10th issue. IQMSR is an integral part of the QSCS.
IQMSR is the management standard against which the classification society is audited. It is based on ISO 9001:2015, supplemented by specific requirements that characterise and are relevant to the work of classification societies. The audits of IACS members, and those classification societies considering applying for membership of IACS, are conducted by independent accredited certification bodies (ACBs) that must also meet clear, transparent criteria to ensure the audits are conducted to a robust standard, consistent across the IACS members and applicants.
A list of the ACBs currently verified by IACS as compliant with the requirements described in QSCS and used by IACS members, as well as IACS Procedures Volume 3, which contains all details of IACS QSCS.
When IACS decided, in 2008/9, its members would be audited against IACS Quality Management System Requirements (IQMSR) by independent accredited certification bodies (ACBs), as opposed to the hitherto in-house audit team, it recognised that honest and open feedback on the new arrangements would be vital in ensuring IACS QSCS remains valid, fit for purpose and effective.
To that end and in November every year since 2009, IACS has arranged an annual End User Workshop (EUW). This annual event brings together all the key stakeholders of the Scheme and other organisations that have an interest in IACS QSCS. Attendees typically comprise all IACS members, all ACBs that audit IACS members, flag Administrations, the European Commission, the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), QACE, non-IACS classification societies that are interested in adopting QSCS either voluntarily or with a view to applying for membership of IACS and ACBs that may be interested in auditing against IQMSR.
As an impartial yet knowledgeable facilitator, the EUW is chaired by the Advisory Committee Chair. The format of the workshops is designed to promote free and open discussion with a view to maintaining the robustness, integrity and consistency of the scheme. To promote discussion, stakeholders are given the freedom to feedback and reflect on their experiences of working in or with the scheme and to propose and discuss any possible adjustments deemed appropriate to ensure QSCS continues to meet fully the demands and needs of all stakeholders for a robust and consistent scheme that is now widely recognised within the shipping industry as the ‘gold standard’ for classification societies and certification of IACS members.
Without exception all EUWs have proved to be positive events. All participants actively and constructively contribute which has and continues to have, a tangible and meaningful influence on the evolution of IACS QSCS ensuring the Scheme continues to be relevant, up-to-date and meets the needs of all interested parties and stakeholders.
Those organisations or individuals that have a clear interest in IACS QSCS and would like to attend future EUWs, should contact IACS Quality Secretary, Jonathan Spremulli at qscs.ops@iacs.org.uk
