[citation needed] Classification societies, such as Lloyd's Register (LR), Bureau Veritas (BV), American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Det Norske Veritas (DNV), and the Indian Register of Shipping,[1] publish standards for structure, stability and equipment,[citation needed] and maintenance to the standards is needed to secure vessel insurance and so that access to ports is not impeded by local port authorities.
National authorities such as the US Department of Transport publish safety regulations for the ships registered under their flag.
A professional survey will include a written report on the items inspected and their condition as assessed by the surveyor.
[citation needed] Ships must be surveyed by persons or organisations recognised for this purpose by the ship's flag state, and relevant certificates issued as evidence that the vessel has been designed, constructed, managed and maintained to comply with International Maritime Organization codes and conventions/[3] The relevant conventions include: SOLAS, 1974, MARPOL 73/78, Tonnage 69, Load Lines, COLREG 72, AFS 2001, BWM 2004 and others.
[citation needed] Lifting equipment is often used on a ship to load and unload heavy cargo or other goods.
All the surveys are noted in the Register of Ship's Lifting Appliances and Cargo Handling Gear; the inspection is directed by the classification society.
[citation needed] All the vessels are not controlled when they arrive in harbor, it depends on many characteristics (age, flag state, cargo, quality of classification society ...).
On older vessels, inspections are made more frequently, especially for oil carriers, to avoid disasters such as the Erika as an example).
[citation needed] All merchant vessels are operated by a human crew, so the maintenance and upgrading of skills important.
This certificate guarantees that the holder has the required basic knowledge and skills specified by the safety rules (fire fighting, medical, survival techniques, and management) and navigation (use of a chart etc.).
[clarification needed] During the first twenty four hours of sailing there are compulsory exercises to familiarize the crew with the safety equipment and procedures on board a ship.