Classification society Bureau Veritas has moved ahead of the implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006 and has set up a system to audit and certify manning agencies for seafarers, as the need for standards to be adopted well in advance is being pushed right across the industry.
“Ship owners and managers need to be able to demonstrate they are working with properly run seafarer recruitment and manning offices,” said Claude Maillot, Director of Ships in Service at Bureau Veritas. “When the Maritime Labour Convention comes into force it will be a requirement for organisations recruiting and placing seafarers to conform to the standards set down.”
Underlining how it has now launched a new service for the assessment of Seafarer Recruitment and Placement Systems (Seafarer Manning Offices), Bureau Veritas is one of a number of classification societies working to bring in the standards before the compliance deadline to allow owners a reasonable adoption period.
Mr Maillot highlighted how the service “will enable the best manning agencies to demonstrate their readiness for the MLC implementation, and will help owners and managers to ensure they get the right crews.”
Issuance of a Statement of Compliance under the MLC comes after a thorough review and satisfactory inspection in line with the requirements of the convention, to be issued to the Seafarer Manning Office. Bureau Veritas has already issued its first Statement of Compliance to Danish ship owner Herning Shipping, well-ahead of full implementation of MLC.
