RINA has carried out, using remote technologies, the statutory and class annual surveys on the HBC Achiever, an offshore vessel owned by Hyperbaric Consult A/S. At the successful completion of the survey, the Classification Society certified the vessel on behalf of the Danish Maritime Authority.
In June 2020, RINA performed the world’s first statutory and class annual surveys using remote technologies. Its pioneering work in this area continues with the first remote statutory and class annual surveys in the northern European area. The inspection included the hull and machinery equipment and a sea trial to confirm additional Dynamic Positioning class notation. The Danish Maritime Authority also remotely attended the surveys.
Following the completion of the survey, HBC Achiever was also assigned the new additional class notation “REMOTE” by RINA. This identifies the ships deemed by the Society to be eligible to be surveyed remotely for most periodical and class surveys.
Although RINA was already working with remote survey technology, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of this method, which is equivalent in terms of accuracy as traditional surveys. Indeed, in 2020 the execution of remote surveys increased exponentially, not only for activities on board vessels but also for inspection at workshops and other inspection and certification applications.