Lloyd’s Register staff oversee the lifting of an Azipod into dock
In an industry that has been conditioned to “picking up a rule book or applying a standard,” this requires a “slightly different approach,” they add.
According to Tim Kent, “While there is no doubt that some new technologies, such as those associated with diesel electric propulsion, improve a vessel’s capability, we have had to adopt a far more risk-based approach to deal with the hazards associated with new technology and to explore how those risks can be managed. In the past, classification societies were seen as policemen within the industry, but now we’re more like enablers of innovation, keeping people on the side of compliance and environmental expectations, but helping them do it in a way that enables them to be successful with their soultions.”
“What were seeing,” he adds, “is that because so much is possible with new technology, the technologies are advancing more rapidly than we’re able to keep up with as an industry in terms of rules and regulations.
Requires top-notch engineers
Everybody in the industry knows this model but the interesting part is what’s between the clouds. That’s where we try to identify the risks. It’s about the development of an assurance case, reducing the risk to a tolerable level.
With this process, we’re challenging the traditional way of building a vessel and procuring equipment. But we’re already seeing a significant benefit from working with clients on the left-hand side of the model and throughout the life cycle process. At each stage there’s continuous validation, verification and reassessment.
So, the business manager will have some concept of operation other than ‘give me a ship that does whatever’. This kind of robust approach is a means of convincing the financial community that they’re going to get what they wanted to operate a business profitably. With this approach, there’s an advantage for early adopters of innovations because someone has invested sufficient time and effort in them.”
Photo and model: Lloyd's register
