Legal Definitions - American Bureau of Shipping

The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) is a non-profit organization that develops and enforces safety and construction standards for ships, other marine vessels, and offshore facilities worldwide. Its primary role is to create detailed rules and guidelines for the design, construction, and ongoing maintenance of these structures, ensuring they meet rigorous safety and operational requirements. ABS also conducts research and technological development to advance safety in the maritime industry.

Here are some examples illustrating the role of the American Bureau of Shipping:

• New Cargo Ship Construction: A major international shipping company commissions a shipyard to build a new container ship capable of carrying thousands of containers across oceans. Before construction even begins, the ship's blueprints and engineering specifications must be reviewed and approved by ABS to ensure they comply with its stringent safety and structural integrity rules. Throughout the building process, ABS surveyors would regularly inspect the shipyard's work, from welding quality to engine installation, to confirm that the vessel is being constructed exactly to the approved standards.

  This example illustrates ABS's crucial role in setting and enforcing standards for the design and building of new seagoing vessels, ensuring they are safe and seaworthy from the outset.

• Offshore Wind Farm Platform Maintenance: An energy company operates a large offshore wind farm, which includes several transformer platforms that collect and transmit electricity from the turbines. To maintain their certification and ensure continuous safe operation, these platforms undergo periodic surveys and inspections by ABS. These inspections assess the structural integrity of the platforms, the condition of their critical electrical and safety systems, and their compliance with current regulations. If any issues are found, ABS would require specific repairs or upgrades to be made to ensure the platforms remain safe for personnel and the environment.

  This highlights ABS's function in ensuring the ongoing maintenance and operational safety of existing stationary offshore facilities, verifying they continue to meet safety standards throughout their lifespan.

• Certification of Innovative Marine Technology: A marine engineering firm develops a revolutionary new type of ballast water treatment system designed to prevent the spread of invasive species by ships, using advanced UV technology. Before this new system can be widely adopted and installed on ABS-classed vessels, the firm would submit its design, test data, and operational procedures to ABS for review. ABS engineers would evaluate the system's safety, reliability, and environmental performance against established and potentially new criteria, ensuring it doesn't introduce unforeseen risks. Upon successful evaluation, ABS would grant a "type approval" or specific certification, allowing the system to be used on ships that carry ABS classification.

  This demonstrates ABS's involvement in technological development and setting standards for new innovations, ensuring that even cutting-edge marine technologies meet rigorous safety and performance benchmarks before widespread use.